Ever since Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merged with PSA Peugeot Citroën to form Stellantis, people have been wondering whether there is room for 14 different brands under the same corporate umbrella. It's a valid question considering there are quite a few struggling companies, including Alfa Romeo, Lancia, DS Automobiles, and Chrysler.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has already confirmed there are no immediate plans to discontinue any of these brands as the three Euro ones are working together for new cars coming 2024. Chrysler with its grand total of two models is also here to stay in the Stellantis era as the conglomerate's head honcho is "eager to give this brand a future." As a matter of fact, all automakers will be given 10 years to prove their worth and are going to benefit from investments.
The promise was made earlier this week by Tavares during Financial Times' Future of the Car Summit: "We're giving each a chance, giving each a time window of 10 years and giving funding for 10 years to do a core model strategy. The CEOs need to be clear in brand promise, customers, targets, and brand communications. If they succeed, great. Each brand is given the chance to do something different and appeal to customers."
There you have it – Stellantis not only is it keeping all brands, but it's giving each a chance to flourish through a decade's worth of investments. Of the four struggling brands mentioned earlier, only Alfa Romeo's future seems brighter for now as the Giulia and Stelvio will be joined by the compact Tonale and smaller Brennero crossover. DS Automobiles is also expanding its lineup with the launch of the DS 4 hatchback/crossover and the flagship DS 9, essentially a luxed-up stretched version of the Peugeot 508.
It will be interesting how Lancia will grow in the coming years considering it's currently offering a single model – the aging Ypsilon supermini – and is active only at home in Italy. We are also wondering what will happen to Abarth taking into account Stellantis also has SRT serving as the performance division. The Volkswagen Group is successfully managing all sorts of brands, so at least in theory, it should be feasible for Stellantis to create a cohesive structure as well.
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