burlapp car

Stellantis dropping brands.

By  •  Published:  •  Last updated:

Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, mentioned the group would kill brands that don’t turn a profit.

“If they don’t make money, we’ll shut them down. We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money.”

That is quite a different tone from 2021, when he was saying “The 14 existing brands of the two companies forming Stellantis will remain, and the plan is to use the company’s scale to grow and improve them”.

Profits have taken a dive lately and I guess the suits upstairs are getting nervous. While it does take time to turn things around, especially after the disastrous Marchionne years, investors want profits ASAP. It seems Stellantis has kept its promise of improving its brands. So far, every one of these brands has had new models. Even Lancia saw a new car a few months ago. Fiat seems to be getting a few new models. As well as Opel, Peugeot and Citroen. However, I’m not sure if all of these are actually making a profit for the group. (I also hear DS might be on the chopping block…)

In the US, even though Jeep isn’t making the money it once was, there are at least 3 new models planned. The Wagoneer S we have seen already, as well as the new Jeep Recon. And a mystery all-new Jeep Renegade EV.

Dodge also has an all-new Dodge Charger available in 2 or 4 doors. ICE or EV. And at least one new SUV is on its way after the Charger.

However, there might be bad news coming for good old Chrysler.

While the other US brands have had cool concepts that were actually thinly veiled versions of upcoming production cars, Chrysler showed us the Halcyon. Which is not close at all to a production model in any way. It makes you wonder why, and if they are even actually working on a new production sedan or not.

Last year, there were rumors of another facelift coming for the aging Pacifica Minivan. And possibly an eventual replacement on the Ultium platform later. Again, nothing concrete…

Chrysler has been a survivor for many decades and it would be really sad to see it go.

If Stellantis decided to sell it, I wonder who, besides a Chinese company, would actually be interested…

Conversation 17 comments

  1. Its not hard to read the tea leaves at this point. Tavares has been a terrible steward of the US companies under Stellantis, and starved them for new models while he’s pushed all of the development money into the European ones. Even Jeep is suffering under Tavares’ leadership. THATS hard to do. For the US, we’ll likely see Chrysler and RAM merged under Dodge – Dodge will get the trucks back, and the Chrysler Minivan will go to Dodge. The Europeans don’t see American brands as having enough cache to hold a luxury nameplate like Chrysler (or even Lincoln and Cadillac). It will be interesting to see how many of the irrelevant European brands survive. I’m guessing all but one (Abarth) and there’s a lot. Tavares has poured a lot of money in those (even reviving long-dead Lancia) and his deals with the Chinese to create a cheap electric brand. All this while he demanded a significant salary raise. My weather forecast for Stellantis: Tavares thinks he’s got fairweather ahead, but its really just the eye of the hurricane. He’s not another Lee Iococca. Lee saved the company… twice! He’s another Sergio Marchionne… all talk and glad-handing that drives the company further into a debt without a payoff. I equate him to the DarkLord of North American Honda’s 2010’s malaise and the Acura’s misguided bucktooth drive for Tier1, John Mendel.

  2. This is the result of taking a brand that’s historically built on performance, and muscle weakening it down to eouropean mindset of weakness. The American customer is not going to fall for it. French and Italian models have a history of lower quality, and expensive repairs. It certainly appears he is trying to destroy the American brands.

  3. He needs to sell to another U.S. company or investors that would have a fresh outlook for the company!!!!

  4. ICE fanatics in the US think it’s possible to achieve economies of scale selling ever less efficient gas guzzling monstrosities to the dwindling number of people in the US only who want them (because no one else on Earth does)

    It’s not economically feasible, but of course fanatics don’t deal with reality. Tavaris has been terrible, but the idea that the failure was not making an even higher HP, even lower MPG “hemi”, like the fossil fanatic peanut gallery insists, is laughable.

    There’s a reason no investor *wants* these brands. The only brand loyalty they have is from a shrinking set of buyers who are stuck solidly in the 20th century. Maybe Trump and JD Vance can buy them!

  5. Amen . It’s all over. There is no one close to Iacocca or his genius. Let them be. Jeep be Jeep. Dodge be Dodge. And Chrysler can own the luxury business with no competition. No Town Car, no Fleetwood. Time for Chrysler to become THE luxury brand worldwide. Make it simple and make it flawless. Price it well within reach of the working class. Make it happen!!

  7. If Chrysler is ax’d, I have no need for a Stellantis vehicle in my driveway. Aside from the Pacifica and the “is-no-more” 300, Chrysler hasn’t had a nice vehicle since the first gen LHS (and it’s siblings Vision, Intrepid, Concorde, and Nyer) (I can say that about the latter mentions – I’ve owned 7 first gen LH cars – all LHS, Nyer, Vision variety). It saddens me they won’t take the money or effort to revive (save) the brand. Therefore, I have no need for Stellantis. P.S. I think they will make the next gen Pacifica a Dodge. Just my gut feeling.

  8. Most people don’t particularly like the Italian car styles, look at Fiat, ugly and always has been. If you would bring about some designs and quit cutting some good models you would see more sales. They cut Challenger and Charger before they had replacements also suv. Someone who is calling the shots needs a swift kick in the rear to change their weird way of thinking. Change Rams. Back into Dodge and make more 2 door pickups. Not everyone has a large family to haul around.

  9. I gave up on GM because they dropped Olds and Pontiac. So I switched to the Pentastar. Dropping the Hem nowi, turning the Ram into nothing but an over-priced luxury vehicle, it’s ridiculous. I give up on the Big 3.
    Caved in and bought a Toyota. Most trouble-free and dependable vehicle I’ve ever owned.
    When the Big 3 can sell me a car that will go for 200,000 miles, along with the original alternator and radiator that still doesn’t need replaced yet and the car doesn’t leak a single drop anywhere, maybe then I’ll come back and take a look in their showrooms..

  10. Complete disrespect, for the livelihood of the working class and their families. Greed and personal gains at it’s finest! SHAMEFUL!!! Working class make the money while they continue to get filthy rich off of our backs, all while sinking the companies that provide us a living. Wouldn’t want to have to face that karma! SAD!!

  11. They don’t think about the US customer base or the Canadian customer base which is very sad they do not want to get anybody’s opinion except for their own just look at the plants they do not ask the workers for their input it is their way or nothing again which is sad start thinking outside of the boxCarlos

  12. Tell some smart organization to buy Chrysler and resurrect the great American sedan and just watch how many people line up to buy. Bring back Challenger and add a convertible. Look how many Hyundai models there are and they are doing great. More not less. How do you expect Chrysler to survive with one model introduced 7 years ago?

  13. I have been driving a Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth mini van for over 35 years changing cars about every 4 or 5 years. In that time I have owned several GM and Ford motor cars as well. I prefer the Chrysler’s in most cases. If they cancel Chrysler I guess I will drive a Japanese car. I have also lived in Europe for several years and drove three different vehicles there but wasn’t very impressed.
    My advice would be to use some of the Chrysler models and improve them for the American market.

  14. A typical foreign company taking over an American company and turning it into SHIT. We have seen it before,and I’m sure we’ll see it again. I have had dozens of vehicles from all makes,all domestic except for a Porsche,and it was a pile of crap. The others were all trouble free.

  16. After 45 years or Chrysler loyalty and the way I got treated by Dodge stealerships with serious price gouging buying a Challenger, it isn’t hard to see why they are in trouble. Frankly the public confidence has quickly eroded and their greed will seal their fate. Went to Ford got a Mustang and never looked back. Seriously hope you go bankrupt, they are garbage

  17. Dropping DS is the no-brainer.
    Abarth becomes just a trim level, while FIAT concentrates on being a MINI competitor, semi-premium, mainly in Europe, but also sell in ‘trendy’ cities is US.
    JEEP, focuses on 3 models, Wrangler, Recon, Wagoneer.
    Think Defender and Range Rover, (with Wrangler as special model)
    That is the easy bit, rest more complicated due to the regions the brands come from. Italy and France will want to keep their own brands, as will US.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *