Stellantis focuses its efforts on four brands

(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – When Stellantis was formed in 2021 from the mega-merger of PSA and FCA, Carlos Tavares promised to keep all 14 brands and secure their future through investments. The Portuguese manager has since left the car company before the end of his five-year contract – and his successor is now apparently set to reorganize quite a bit.

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Antonio Filosa will not cut any of the brands but is said to focus on those that “really matter”.

According to a new report from Reuters, Stellantis wants to concentrate investments in the future on four brands: Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Fiat. The news agency cites insiders familiar with the company’s agenda and reports that these high-volume brands are to receive more resources in the future – instead of the more evenly distributed approach practiced under Tavares, whose era was highly controversial.

At first, this sounds like the other ten brands will inevitably lose out in the future – but that does not have to be the case. Alfa Romeo, Opel, and Citroën are said to focus more on certain vehicle segments and regions worldwide. For example, Opel is neither present in China nor in the USA, nor in Brazil. Future models are to use platforms developed by the four core brands but remain visually clearly differentiated – with independent design inside and out.

Badge engineering apparently under consideration

In some cases, Reuters reports, Stellantis could go even further and use different brand badges for selected models depending on the region. Whatever happens: none of the 14 brands is – at least for now – facing extinction. This should reassure many after earlier reports claimed that some brands might literally be on the chopping block.

Photo series: New Lancia Gamma (2027) rendering by Motor1.com

As part of the new strategy, smaller brands could be limited to certain regions or even become national brands. This was the case for a long time with Lancia, which sold cars only in its home market Italy for many years. Whether Stellantis plans something similar for the future is unclear – but if the report is confirmed, it would not be surprising if brands like Abarth and DS Automobiles significantly reduce their presence.

Maserati is not for sale

Maserati is not mentioned in the report, but Stellantis representatives have repeatedly denied rumors of a sale to third parties. Instead, Maserati and Alfa Romeo have already announced plans to deepen their cooperation – including shared development costs and faster market introduction of new vehicles.

On the North American side of Stellantis, Chrysler also stands out in the report – by its absence. However, a new design studio and the appointment of a new CEO give hope that the traditional US brand will finally launch new products instead of focusing exclusively on vans. Last year, Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles publicly highlighted Chrysler and said the brand was “ripe for a new chapter,” focusing on “completely new conquest customers.” He added:

‘I think it’s time for us to pivot. We’re going to try. We’re going to experiment with the brand. There is an unserved part of our portfolio in our showroom that our dealers have identified that we can maybe serve with Chrysler, so we’re in the process of experimenting.’

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“I believe it is time for us to take a new course. We will try. We will experiment with the brand. There is a part of our showroom portfolio that is currently unserved and that our dealers have identified as a market gap – maybe we can fill this gap with Chrysler. That is why we are currently trying out different possibilities.”

Stellantis invests in Dodge

Although Dodge does not appear in the Reuters report, Stellantis has committed to investing $130 million in the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson to build the next-generation Durango there starting in 2029.

Filosa is expected to present Stellantis’ new strategic plan in May. Then a “noticeable” or “significant” increase in investments in Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Fiat is also expected to be publicly announced. For context: Ferrari is not one of the 14 brands under the group umbrella, as the sports car manufacturer from Maranello was spun off from FCA at the beginning of 2016 and established as an independent company.

Opinions differ on how Filosa should steer the Stellantis ship with all these brands. Some believe Dodge and Ram should be merged. Others think DS Automobiles should be repositioned as a premium luxury trim line under Citroën. Still others see Abarth more as a sporty or performance line under the Fiat label. And whether Lancia will ever make it back to Germany is questionable.

As long as Stellantis does not officially present the plan, however, it remains speculation. The Reuters report at least makes it clear that all 14 brands are to remain – but their roles will change. Even more platform sharing appears to be a logical step to reduce costs, following the Volkswagen Group’s playbook.

A stronger regional focus of individual brands, instead of offering every product everywhere, could also lead to more targeted allocation of resources. Whatever happens: Filosa faces a big task – leading a 14-brand empire requires strong nerves, smart decisions, and the willingness to take unavoidable risks.

Stellantis models tested:
Peugeot 308 (2025): The facelift in the first test
Opel Astra facelift (2026): Fresh compact Blitz in the test

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Source: Reuters