The future of Lancia isn’t looking too promising either.
Alfa Romeo Fiat, Lancia Maserati Chrysler, Dodge Jeep, Ram Citroen DS Opel Peugeot and Vauxhall. As part of the vast Stellantis portfolio, 14 brands are included. Yesterday, shareholders of FCA and PSA voted in favor of the mega-merger and Stellantis will officially go into effect later this month.
Industry experts are now looking at which brands will survive the Stellantis era, and which will go under the hammer. According to Associated Press, and Automotive News HTML2, reports claim that Chrysler’s basic lineup of models could be in danger. These include the aging 300 sedan as well as the Pacifica / Voyager compact van.
It is clear that Chrysler is struggling to sell 300s with mismatched headlights, missing exterior trim, and at least one 300 being sold as new is not helping the cause. With no new products in sight, it is looking grim for the brand’s future. At this time, it is unclear if the Stellantis high-ranking officials are planning to rebadge PSA products as Chryslers in North America. This would be one scenario for Chrysler to continue.
Lancia’s 300-based Thema and Voyager were not very successful in Europe. The famed Italian brand has been reduced down to Ypsilon and a single market: Italy. Industry analysts agree that Lancia could be dissolved, although nothing is yet official.
While Chrysler and Lancia seem like the obvious choices, Automotive News says Dodge could also be at risk. AN sees Dodge’s high-powered, thirsty cars in danger due to the Biden administration’s upcoming tougher Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards.
It is still unknown what will happen to DS Automobiles (PSA’s luxury arm). Stellantis could spend the money elsewhere, despite the fact that DS executives claim the brand is profitable. Both Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Maserati are in the middle of major product revitalizion that will require significant expenditures.