Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Citroën Agree To Merge

[FiestaST]

Stellantis: World’s fourth-biggest car company born as FCA, PSA complete merger

The merger of Peugeot parent company PSA and its rival Fiat Chrysler became official on Saturday, creating Stellantis, the world's fourth-biggest car company by volume.

The long-awaited 50/50 tie-up, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is seen as crucial for the two groups to undertake the investment necessary to transition to clean car technology.

The new company will bring together brands such as Peugeot, Citroen and Opel, from PSA, as well as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, each of which will continue under their own brand names.

The 14 Stellantis brands will account for about nine percent of the global car market. Together they produced eight million vehicles in 2019.

Ranking behind global rivals such as Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Toyota, Stellantis will be the fourth-largest carmaker by volume and the third-largest by revenue, with a workforce of over 400 000.

Stellantis: World’s fourth-biggest car company born as FCA, PSA complete merger

The long-awaited tie-up is seen as crucial for the two groups to transition to clean car technology.

www.iol.co.za

 

[Ninja'd]

I'm assuming that the new Fiat EV will most likely share electrical components with the 208e and Corsa e
View attachment 757578

Wat die fok is daai?

 

[Ancalagon]

So, I guess this means that Fiat's MultiAir technology is now available to everyone in Stellantis? We could see some good cars come out in about 5 years time, if they standardise the engines used.

 

[FiestaST]

Stellantis boss warns 2030 ban could close Vauxhall UK factory

Carlos Tavares says a decision on the future of Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant is imminent

Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares has said the firm will decide the fate of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in the coming weeks - warning that the UK government’s "brutal" decision to ban the sale of new ICE cars from 2030 could “destroy the business model”.

The PSA Group - which bought Vauxhall-Opel in 2017 - and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently completed their merger to form Stellantis, and in his first press conference as the CEO of the company, Tavares pledged that it "will not shut down plants as a result of that merger”.

But Tavares did caution that the future of the Cheshire plant, where the Vauxhall Astra is produced, is under review due to the UK’s 2030 ban on all ICE cars aside from a limited number of hybrids.

“If a government creates a situation that destroys the business model, by saying ‘we’re going to ban the sale of that type of car’, we’re going to stop investing,” said Tavares.

Stellantis boss warns 2030 ban could close Vauxhall UK factory | Autocar

Carlos Tavares says a decision on the future of Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant is imminent

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[Ivan Leon]

 

[FiestaST]

Stellantis says its 14 car brands will get a chance to rebound with new models

Stellantis, the world’s newest carmaker forged from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot parent company PSA, is "very confident" in its ability to deliver the planned 5 billion euros (R90 billion) worth of synergies, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said this week.

In fact 80 percent of these synergies could be achieved in just four years, he added.

The merger, completed on Saturday, has created the world's fourth-biggest carmaker to help make the switch to the new era of electrification and automated driving.

"The purpose is not to be big, but to be great at what we do," Tavares said.

Stellantis will have 14 brands, from FCA's Fiat, Maserati and US-focused Jeep, Dodge and Ram to PSA's traditionally Europe-focused Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and DS.

Tavares, who was previously PSA's CEO, said all 14 brands would be given a chance "to rebound" and invest in new products as the group focuses on profitable growth.

It’s also inevitable that in time, the various model ranges will merge onto common platforms, in order to achieve the aforementioned synergies, although exact product details have yet to be disclosed.

Stellantis has said that it will launch 10 new electrified vehicle models in 2021.

Stellantis says its 14 car brands will get a chance to rebound with new models

The world’s newest carmaker, forged from the merger of FCA and PSA, is very confident of its ability to deliver the planned R90 billion worth of synergies.

www.iol.co.za

 

[FiestaST]

From Core to Luxury, this is how Stellantis will classify its 14 car brands​

With Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot parent company PSA having recently amalgamated to form Stellantis, which will be the world’s fourth biggest car company, there have been concerns that some of its brands might fall by the wayside.

The newly formed company does have 14 vehicle brands after all, which is a lot to fit under one large umbrella. There were even rumours that some of the smaller brands such as Lancia and Chrysler could be discontinued because, in sales and product terms, they are mere shadows of their former selves.

Although the company plans to save around 5 billion euro (R90 billion) through synergies that include shared product development, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has insisted that all 14 brands would not only continue, but that they’d also be given the chance "to rebound" and invest in new products.

Although Stellantis has yet to reveal its exact plans for each brand, the carmaker did provide a broad outline of where each would be positioned. In the statement, which also announced the leaders for all 14 nameplates, the company classified them into six categories:

Core: Citroen, Fiat and Abarth

Upper Mainstream: Opel, Vauxhall and Peugeot

Premium: Alfa Romeo, DS and Lancia

Luxury: Maserati

Global SUV: Jeep

American brands: Chrysler, Dodge and Ram

From Core to Luxury, this is how Stellantis will classify its 14 car brands

Smaller brands such as Lancia look set to continue as the FCA PSA merger (Stellantis) appoints new leaders and defines its 14 nameplates.

www.iol.co.za

 

[Rouxenator]

Now with Brexit done and dusted I wonder how long before they shut down all Vauxhall plants in the UK.

 

[FiestaST]

 

[Rouxenator]

I like both, a lot.

 

[FiestaST]

Slideshow:

Stellantis: the facts & brands behind the world's newest car giant

As the merger of FCA and PSA is finalised, we explore all of the brands throughout history that have been, or still are, associated with them

Stellantis: the facts & brands behind the world's newest car giant | Autocar

As the merger of FCA and PSA is finalised, we explore all of the brands throughout history that have been, or still are, associated with them

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[FiestaST]

Stellantis stand-outs: the best cars from all 14 brands

FCA and PSA each ignited quite a few bright stars throughout their respective histories. We point to the brightest

Stellantis stand-outs: the best cars from all 14 brands | Autocar

FCA and PSA each ignited quite a few bright stars throughout their respective histories. We point to the brightest

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[Chun_li]

Now that they have merged would anyone be tempted here to buy one of their cars?

 

[The_Librarian]

Wat die fok is daai?

Dis 'n Kia Soul op steroids.

 

[The_Librarian]

Now that they have merged would anyone be tempted here to buy one of their cars?

Nevermind that, what of the current crop of cars, will these still get spares, or have they been dropped totally?

 

[FiestaST]

Stellantis and Foxconn form vehicle technologies joint venture

Carmaker Stellantis and iPhone assembler Foxconn said earlier today they plan to create a joint venture to supply in-car and connected-car technologies across the auto industry. The two companies have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form Mobile Drive, a 50-50 joint venture based in the Netherlands, focused on infotainment, telematics and cloud service platform development.

For Stellantis, but others welcome

Mobile Drive will operate as an automotive supplier and take part in tenders to provide software systems and related hardware for Stellantis and other interested automakers, the companies said in a joint statement.

The software developed will include artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communication, upgraded over-the-air services, e-commerce opportunities and smart cockpit integrations, they added.

Stellantis and Foxconn form vehicle technologies joint venture

Car conglomerate and iPhone specialist to join forces to create the ultimate automotive technologies company

www.iol.co.za

 

[Ivan Leon]

The Stellantis Brands Have New 'Green' Slogans And They're Pretty Terrible - Car Throttle

If lame wordplay, weird ideology, nonsensical waffle, blatant untruths and eco-sensible apologism sells cars, Stallantis is in for a bumper year...

Remember how cool all your high school teachers were? No? Well that’s weird, because Stellantis thinks it does.

Try again: envisage your Geography professor’s beige, loose-fit department store trousers and your maths teacher’s wild beard. Remember how their words sparked your lust for life and learning; reckless attitudes forever treading the far edge of the line between order and anarchy?

No, of course you don’t. High school teachers usually come across as intelligent, decent people but with all the inspirational powers of a multi-coloured banner whose shiny letters read: “you’re amazing!!!!!”.It’s not their fault; their hands are tied by the job.

They can hardly tell you to strap in for the most boring hour you’re ever likely to experience, or say it’s fine for you to have a kickabout in the corridor during double chemistry while the teachers pull out their deck chairs and have a smoke.

But marketers… marketers are different. They have the power and the freedom to pull on all your heartstrings and make you want a product even more than you wanted to take that blue-eyed supernova in class 10C to the end-of-year party.

They can say things that are a bit naughty, a bit antisocial and that might make people in cardigans write ‘concerned’ letters to politicians.

Marketing, especially for cars, should be full of joy with a strong side-order of naughtiness; it’s got to sell us an idea exciting enough to ignite our passion.

So what in the name of Zeus’ summer wardrobe is Stellantis thinking with its new menu of hilarious and/or calamitous ‘green’ slogans for its brands?

The full set were revealed as part of the company’s ‘EV Day’ this week, and they make for interesting reading.

......

The list in full:

● Abarth – “Heating Up People, But Not the Planet”

● Alfa Romeo – “From 2024, Alfa Becomes Alfa e-Romeo”

● Chrysler – “Clean Technology for a New Generation of Families”

● Citroën – “Citroën Electric: Well-Being for All!”

● Dodge – “Tear Up the Streets… Not the Planet”

● DS Automobiles – “The Art of Travel, Magnified”

● Fiat – “It’s Only Green When It’s Green for All”

● Jeep® – “Zero Emission Freedom”

● Lancia – “The Most Elegant Way to Protect the Planet”

● Maserati – “The Best in Performance Luxury, Electrified”

● Opel/Vauxhall – “Green is the New Cool”

● Peugeot – “Turning Sustainable Mobility into Quality Time”

● Ram – “Built to Serve a Sustainable Planet”

● Commercial Vehicles – “The Global Leader in e-Commercial Vehicles”

There are – or should be – some effortlessly cool brands in the Stellantis shed. Maserati; Jeep; Ram; Alfa Romeo.

All have now been compromised by slogans that at best post a worrying score on the lame-o-meter and that at worst actively make the brands look silly.

This frankly embarrassing collection of marketing misfires risks the reputation of once-priceless marques over the next 10 years – or until they dump this whole mess into the bin where it belongs.

Stellantis desperately needs to stop talking like a 55-year-old teacher trying to ‘hang with the kids’ and find some proper passion for its own products, fast. If they can’t, why on earth should we?

The Stellantis Brands Have New 'Green' Slogans And They're Pretty Terrible

If lame wordplay, weird ideology, nonsensical waffle, blatant untruths and eco-sensible apologism sells cars, Stallantis is in for a bumper year...

www.carthrottle.com

 

[Ivan Leon]

Link to original Tweet...

 

[Ivan Leon]

Link to original Tweet...

 

[Ivan Leon]

Dodge Is American Cringe - Jalopnik​

Dodge will not make electric cars, it says it will make American "eMuscle"​

Dodge used to be a fairly regular car company that would sell you a truck or sedan or van if you wanted, competing with the Chevys and Fords and Chryslers of the world.

That is, until Ram split from Dodge and Dodge spent the last decade leaning into American muscle cars. These days, it’s leaning into cringe.

No one can force you to watch the following video, part of Stellantis’s EV Day on Thursday, but I recommend it.

The vibes are dad-who-threw-a-touchdown-in-high-school-30-years-ago-and-really-wants-to-tell-you-about-it, but so much worse.

“Dodge will not sell electric cars,” Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge says, “but Dodge will sell American muscle. So if a charger can make a Charger quicker, we’re in.”

Kuniskis then goes on about how, actually, Dodges are really popular with millennials (sure?), and that millennials have lots of spending power (haha), and that millennials are into EVs (this is actually true) and this is how Dodge is going to grow the “Dodge brotherhood” — women don’t seem to be in the picture here.
This is the lead-up to Kuniskis’s big announcement, which is that in 2024 Dodge will launch the world’s first “full battery electric muscle car ... to tear up the streets, not the planet.”

Now, I don’t know who at Dodge thought any of this was a good idea, though it sure feels like, six or seven months ago, Dodge had exactly zero plans to ever go electric, and then Stellantis told them they had to and they cobbled this together. Because nothing says this has been in the works for a while like a delivery date of 2024, and there’s nothing millennials respond to better than a middle-aged white guy saying “muscle” over and over again.

Which makes me think that maybe Dodge thinks older customers will find this appealing, but those customers like V8s, and does Dodge really think it will fool any of those people with this pitch?

Also, what is an electric muscle car? Because every electric car on the American market right now is pretty quick, and in the case of Tesla performance models, really, really quick.

Speed is easy with EVs, but range isn’t, and neither is marketing, and Dodge’s effort here is good evidence of that.

Further, in three years, the electric market’s going to look vastly different, with a lot more competitors, though it will be on-brand when Dodge finally shows up with its battery-electric entry, years and years behind the curve.

Dodge Is American Cringe

Dodge will not make electric cars, it says it will make American "eMuscle"

jalopnik.com