If I Ran Stellantis Group... What We'd Give to Be Making the Decisions!

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Trent Nikolic Managing Editor

If I ran Stellantis Group... what we’d give to be making the decisions!

OPINION 2 days ago 35

It's the new automotive superpower that sounds like a headache pill, so what would we do if handed the keys?

1 SHARE "If I ran the company..." The CarAdvice team play 'fantasy football' with the automotive industry and take turns in the top seat of the big brands. What would we do if we ran the show? This time, Trent takes the helm at the multi-brand conglomerate, Stellantis.

As you’ve no doubt seen here in the news releases at CarAdvice, the Stellantis Group is now official, effectively creating overnight the fourth biggest car company in the world. With conglomerates FCA (Fiat/Chrysler Automobiles) and Groupe PSA (Peugeot Societe Anonyme) merging to form one (pretty hefty) group, one of two very different outcomes could materialise.

One – each brand maintains its significantly different point of sale appeal in the market so that we don’t get a bunch of homogenised, average vehicles. Fiat Freemont anyone?

Two – each brand is diluted to the point of becoming a badge engineering exercise, where the unique appeal of each is whittled away.

I know which one I’d prefer. And I reckon I know which one you, the people who are going to be buying the cars, would prefer. In fact, let us know in the comments section below what you’d like to see each brand within the Stellantis conglomerate do.

Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, is on the record stating that the merger will lead to cost savings, but not by randomly killing off brands. Further, Tavares has also stated that Stellantis would invest in new products, and support the factories by doing exactly that. He's bullish, and he's got a point to prove, so it's safe to assume there will be some exciting things happening across the broad portfolio of brands. First up though, and perhaps most importantly, we’d like to see the group sell some vehicles in Australia. As in, really sell some vehicles. With the exception of a few of the brands, the volume of some once-great marques in this country has dwindled down to a figure barely worth reporting.

Citroen is a particularly good case in point – outsold in Australia in 2020 by Ferrari. No, you didn’t misread that. Citroen sold fewer cars in Australia last year than Ferrari – 203 total sales, down from 400 the year before. Trying my best to take a positive stance, that makes Citroen more exclusive in Australia than Ferrari…

Here’s the breakdown of brands that forms Stellantis, and below that is our desire for what we'd love to see the parent company do with them:

PSA Groupe

Peugeot

Citroen

DS Automobiles

Opel

Vauxhall

FCA

Fiat Lancia

Abarth

Alfa Romeo

Maserati

Chrysler

RAM

Jeep

Dodge

Peugeot: We’d love to see this legendary French brand keep working away on medium and large sedans and coupes, with beautiful styling and up to date, hybrid or electric drivetrains. Keep the styling right, keep the interiors beautifully designed and executed, and forget the cookie cutter SUVs. Although, SUVs pay the bills as we know, so if we have to accept a couple of them to keep the lights on, so be it. Citroen: Citroen’s commercial vans have always been popular, so keep building them, but when it comes to passenger cars, focus on funky, retro or modern styling, and the likes of C3/C4. Larger Citroens have been excellent when tested overseas, so let’s see more of them in RHD configuration in Australia.

DS Automobiles: Take a leaf out of Volvo’s book with Polestar and turn DS into an unashamedly forward-facing, future technology brand. Pure electric, small, medium, large, SUV, sportscar, it doesn’t matter the platform. Ensure the styling is edgy and different, and make them stand out from the crowd. Deliver battery range that sets the standard for the rest to follow.

Opel: Yes Opel has a long history, yes it’s respected in some markets, but Opel needs to be consigned to the annals of history. If you’ve got other small car brands within the group, it doesn’t make sense to simply badge engineer a car with an Opel badge just for the sake of it. Stop trying to force the brand into markets around the world that don't want it.

Vauxhall: Quality products for RHD Markets around the world. There’s a warm and hot hatch desire to be fulfilled, and RHD markets are starved for real variety in that part of the market specifically. Concentrate on the UK, and other smaller markets, who no longer sell GM product of any kind. Deliver a powerful hybrid drivetrain and set a hot hatch benchmark. Fiat: The two most popular cars in Italy are usually the Panda and the 500, and with good reason. Originally conceived as Italy’s take on VW, Fiat should be a brand for the people, offering what the people want. Affordable, small cars, with efficient small engines, and let’s see some off the wall stuff like a 4X4 Panda as well.

Lancia: This is a tough one. A legendary brand, that has categorically lost its way. Whatever the reason, a car like the Ypsilon is all the fodder we need to let this once revered brand wander off into the sunset. We’d love to see Stellantis re-inject some of the DNA that once made Lancia great, but if that can’t happen, don’t disrespect it any further. A brand like Lancia selling a car like the Ypsilon is beyond tragic.

Abarth: Abarth is an easy one. Hot versions of whatever cool Fiat is best suited to modified fodder. Hybrids, turbos, superchargers, whatever it might be, let’s see Abarth properly tune Fiats to the point where they are cool to look at and fun to drive. The Fiat 500-based Abarth is a cracker. The Mazda MX-5-based Abarth isn’t.

Alfa Romeo: If this incredibly revered brand is to survive, it must stop rushing out cars to meet market expectation before those cars are properly honed and sorted. 4C should have been a giant killer, but it wasn’t ready, and it was flawed from the outset. Sergio Marchionne was many things, patient wasn’t one of them. Alfa is a brand with tremendous value in the market, but the cars it releases into the future must do justice to the badge.

Maserati: Take a look at the MC20 and it’s immediately evident what the Trident is capable of. Stunning design, and clever engineering, coming together in a compelling package. There are enough brands in the Stellantis group for Maserati to step away from SUVs and concentrate on Supercars, GT Coupes and luxury four-door sedans.

Chrysler: It’s tough to formulate a survival strategy for this once-great American brand. With other brands in the portfolio capable of delivering the product, and the 300 well past its use-by date, Chrysler could easily sail off into the sunset. That's even more the case if Dodge takes up the shortfall.

RAM: America’s desire for full-size pick-up trucks shows no sign of abating, and neither does ours judging by the more than 7600 RAMS that have found homes in Aussie garages since ASV started converting them locally. RAM is a truck-specific brand and should stay that way. Hybridisation and electric power is on its way of course, but if RAM keeps building trucks that people want to own, its future is assured.

Jeep: Along with Land Rover, it’s hard to think of a more legendary off-road brand than Jeep. Regardless of what it does and how it does it, Jeep will always have a loyal band of followers. Wrangler – and to a lesser extent Gladiator – can’t prop the whole brand up though. Other Jeep products need to be well-designed, built to a high standard and reliable. If Jeep sticks to those principles and keeps delivering properly capable off-roaders, its future looks positive.

Dodge: This brand confounds us most in the portfolio in Australia. Do you reckon its performance muscle cars would work here? Yep, resoundingly. Imagine being able to buy a RHD Hellcat or Charger SRT. Dodge knows where its fanbase is and it should continue playing to it. Current hybrid tech is an easy win to make big V8s more efficient than ever, and Dodge can continue to build rambunctious muscle cars for a while yet. Let us know what you think!

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Bradley Cross • an hour ago 1/2 brands should be killed off within 3 years. New CEO is sharp so lets see the miracle. △ ▽ • Reply • Share › pdub • 5 hours ago Nearly all those brands fit in the bottom half of reliability surveys. Step one would be to employ the best quality managers Japan has to offer and employ them to sort out the many quality issues. Step two dump or sell Dodge or Chrysler. Opel and Vauxhall are badge engineered versions of the same vehicle already. Lancia will have to go as well, it will cost billions to make them a major player. I like the idea of a reborn 2cv as a plug in hybrid. Alfa has the basics, just need to improve the quality ( and Warranty). What ever they choose there will be tough decisions to make. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bilbo Fraggins > pdub • 5 hours ago The point about vehicle quality/reliability is absolutely spot on. They need to seriously address this. Maybe try what Kia has done. Gone from a very cheap car to one that regularly tops quality reliability ratings. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Steven • 7 hours ago I'd be investing a lot more into on dealerships, servicing and reliability. People want to be confident in their car and looked after at the dealership, and if they can have that for a brand like Alfa Romeo then they'd be onto winner. △ ▽ • Reply • Share › shoot goal • 7 hours ago Decide which brands have the right cache and are, with investment, able to meet 5 year warranty reliability benchmarks and build market share and clearly against whom?

Jeep - all SUVs Alfa - BMW M cars (and also provide lower sports models circa 45-55K eg mx5, sports sedan and Stelvio) Maserati - straddle top end BMW/Benz and Ferrari Fiat - KIA, Hyundai, Toyota - think 500 and yaris sized but with equal zip and reliability. Vans etc Abarth - as described above for FIAT Lancia - dead Citroen - dead? C t oe dead Peugeot - BMW/Benz luxury competitor just as Alfa is the sports competitor Vauxhaul - dead Brexit Opel - dead? actually don't know to be honest Dodge and Ram - US stalwarts - just nurture and refine and electrify △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Matlock CarAdvice team • 7 hours ago If I ran Stellantis, I'd set up factory distribution in Australia for all the marques. Each capital city would have a Stellantis Superstore - it wouldn't be called that, obviously - where you could buy the American cars from that bit there, the Maseratis, Fiats and Alfas from that separate bit in the middle and the French stuff down the end. And that's before wondering where Opel might fit.

Regional centres would have smaller dealerships that featured one or two core brands whilst remaining an agency for the others. It's probably crazy. I've no idea of the finer points of car distribution and selling, really. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Calvin • 10 hours ago Agree with the assessment.

Always hard to suggest advice for this company given our perspective is more or less clouded by the abysmal representation and lack of effort from these brands.

As for the brands like Opel and Chrysler, agree with CA again, but why not sell these to the Chinese. With success stories like MG, a brand with more presence like the two mentioned would surely get a decent price.

*On a side note, what happened to Saab? △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Trent Nikolic CarAdvice team > Calvin • 10 hours ago Good point on selling Opel and Chrysler. I hadn't thought of that. I believe Saab just withered on the vine. △ ▽ • Reply • Share › sabena • 11 hours ago Basically correct.As to Lancia,stick to coupes or design the saloon from the coupe.Alfa,Lancia & Maserati can have common platforms (which is where most of the expense is). Accept that some cars will be low volume and design the dealer support accordingly. Citroen-come up with a 2CV replacement which is an SUV. Chrysler and Vauxhall move them back to where they originally were-upmarket vehicles. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Trent Nikolic CarAdvice team > sabena • 10 hours ago 2CV replacement... love that idea. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Leonidas CarAdvice team • 11 hours ago I keep thinking of Theranos when I hear Stellantis - sounds like a big pharma company △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Doctor > Leonidas • 10 hours ago Yeah, and Enron. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

McLovin • 20 hours ago • edited It is easy to bash Lancia but I am pretty sure they sell more cars than Alfa Romeo? With one model in the line up.

Perhaps some focus on that brand could be more worthwhile. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Trent Nikolic CarAdvice team > McLovin • 10 hours ago I think because that one car they sell is so cheap, largely. △ ▽ • Reply • Share › ha • a day ago What would I actually stump up my cash for?

Perhaps an Alfa. Were I interested in that segment and if the product was quality, perhaps a Jeep.

The rest are worth nothing, the product just isn't good enough. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Adam Rigoni • a day ago Long live Alfa Romeo ....the new CEO has proven he is a car man!!!! He knows the value of Alfa - hence him cancelling resources to go into relaunching PSA marks into the USA - Instead concentrating on bringing Alfa back!!! I finally have full confidence - that Alfa is in safe hands!!! Long live Italian Style!! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill • a day ago Reminds me of the Qantas CEO when he said "There is never a shortage of armchair experts with theories on how to run Qantas" Same with Stellantis (and every other car manufacturing company). I doubt Tavares/Manley/Barra/Farley et al will be looking over their shoulder anytime soon. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Trent Nikolic CarAdvice team > Bill • 10 hours ago Doesn't mean there won't be valid suggestions among all the opinions. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill > Trent Nikolic • 8 hours ago Unless you're privy to the financials of each brand and its various assembly plants including supply chain contracts, union contracts, dealer contracts in the various countries, shipping contracts and so on and so on, then any suggestions are merely wishful thinking. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Raptor5.2v8 • a day ago I would cull them all excluding Dodge, Jeep, Maserati and RAM. In order to reduce production costs i would use one engine across the line, the 6.2L Supercharged v8 HEMI... 2 △ ▽ 2 • Reply • Share ›

Jake Frederics • a day ago The brands forming Stellantis are the "who's who" when it somes to a conglomorate of the most unreliable vehicles on the planet.

They now only need to purchase a VW DSG factory and a Ford Powershift plant and they will have all "unreliability" under one umbrella.

The irony is that they are also sitting on some of the most iconic auto brands and I for one would like for them to succeed. A world with no Alfa, Jeep, Fiat etc will be a bit sadder. 1 △ ▽ 4 • Reply • Share ›

ellroy > Jake Frederics • a day ago Well that's the perception still, but reliability is way up these days. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

wawiyit > Jake Frederics • a day ago Totally agree. Combining a bunch of failed brands is just going to fail harder. Time to shut down the factories and sell the brands to China/India while they still have some value. 1 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share › trackdaze • a day ago Consolidate the development money into a super awesome bells and whistles ev platform or 2.

Let the individual companies left put their design on top and finesse the drive characteristics to their brand.

Chrysler and vauxhall are at best just local market badged offerings in their best markets. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Soichiro Pete • a day ago Still too many brands. Your argument seems to be to keep the majority of them, assigning a small niche to each. I don't think that's feasible. Every brand that has traditionally played in a small segment has had to diversify in the last decade or two.

Stellantis are talking a big game about investing heavily in Alfa, keeping lancia alive etc but it's pie in the sky. I foresee a period of platform sharing followed by some aggressive consolidation. 4 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Doctor • a day ago Trent, I'm glad that you don't run Stellantis - rose coloured glasses are of no use in business. That said, its management have a monumental task ahead. 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Chirps > Doctor • a day ago • edited I disagree. Trent has distilled a whole bunch of issues and points that are incredibly relevant for the group and very salient from a business perspective.

The Giulia release wash rushed and test car issues were a disaster for the brand, despite the package being fantastic.

Overlap is killing sales across Citroen and Peugeot. These brands would be ideal for design focused premium EVs and hybrids

Lancia should be rescued from the swamp and used to compete with the Germans pumping out performance SUVs with its rally heritage, not to mention hot hatches and coupes.

Opel is a GM relic and should be retired. The brand isn’t as worthy as the others and dilutes the flavor.

Maserati does need more focus to make products feeling more special especially for their interiors more special, especially for their interiors.

Ferrari linkages should be strengthened for performance models. There’s real magic in that, especially when you’re trying to fight AMG and M.

Lastly Stelantis should be focused on superior platforms underlying the entire stable. Giorgio is a perfect example f i id i l tf th t ld th ti

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