With the formal merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in January 2021, a new global car manufacturing behemoth was born. Stellantis is the new group that owns a total of 18 brand names, including some of the best-loved marques on the market. In the short time that they've been formed, the group has put out a series of press releases summarizing how they view each of their brands.
That means car fans now have some idea of what the future of their favorite brand might look like, albeit with few details available just yet. Thankfully, it seems like Stellantis isn't planning to kill off any automakers just yet, although they haven't ruled it out in the long run. So who exactly are these brands? Let's take a look at the coolest and most iconic manufacturers owned by Stellantis and what the future might hold for them.
8 Lancia
Italian automaker Lancia was originally formed in 1906 under the stewardship of Vincenzo Lancia, a racing driver, and entrepreneur. They're most famous for their rallying heritage, having made off-road icons like the Lancia Stratos and Delta Integrale.
That's not all though: the automaker has also made a series of sports cars and regular passenger vehicles too. A lack of investment in the brand for several decades has meant that at present the company is relegated to only selling a single model of hatchback in its native Italy. However, the new Stellantis documents class Lancia as a "Premium" brand alongside Alfa Romeo, so hopefully that means a new wave of investment is imminent.
7 Dodge
Dodge has hit its stride among car fans in recent years with a string of Hellcat models based on the almighty 717hp motor. However, the brand's lineup is rapidly aging and there are rumors that the marque may not last for too much longer.
It doesn't help that Stellantis have classified Dodge under the generic category "American Brands", alongside Chrysler and Ram. For Dodge to survive, it will need serious amounts of investment for an all-new lineup. It also needs to find a way to diversify its image from the cool-but-unsustainable 'Hellcat everything' ethos. Would Dodge fans buy an electric model? If not, its future looks uncertain.
6 Abarth
Abarth is inseparably intertwined with fellow Stellantis stablemate Fiat. Abarth's role in the group is to take Fiat's economy city cars and tune them with more power and some Italian flair. They've been doing it almost constantly since Fiat took them over in 1971.
Abarths are cool because they're an affordable way to own a traditionally Italian car, without compromising on practicality. Many Italian sports cars are either a nightmare to daily drive or horrendously expensive to maintain, or both. Abarth drivers don't have to worry about either of those things, making them a pretty unique offering within the market right now.
5 Citroën
French oddballs Citroën have produced some weird cars over the years, but they've produced some jaw-droppers too. The Citroën GT pictured above is a good example of the latter. The brand has never shied away from introducing experimental components into its cars, making it consistently one of the most cutting-edge consumer automakers.
That willingness to experiment is alive and kicking today, as evidenced by their highly divisive but innovative Cactus line of cars. Stellantis documents class them as a "Core" brand, so they should be safe to continue innovating into the future.
4 Mopar
Mopar's role in the new Stellantis lineup is as the group's primary parts and service provider. The brand were associated with Chrysler historically but has also produced special variants of other FCA manufacturers' models like Dodge.
It looks like Mopar might get a wider role in the new group as a parts provider to other makes recently merged from PSA. This is unconfirmed as of yet, but at the very least Mopar will continue to provide its vital service of parts and maintenance to the American section of Stellantis' lineup.
3 Alfa Romeo
A brand famed for its beautiful but temperamental cars, Alfa Romeo has been cranking out automobiles since 1910. They epitomize many stereotypes about the Italian car industry: they make fast cars that look great but have a habit of breaking at inopportune moments. The good news is that in recent years Alfa has made improvements to their reliability, and their sales have slightly increased as a result.
Their lineup is still inconsistent though, with models like the Guilietta actually faring well in reliability tests but others falling to the bottom of their segments. Hopefully, with the Stellantis merger, the brand will be able to co-develop solutions with more dependable brands. Their goal should surely be to make cars that are both great to drive and don't break down.
2 Jeep
They're probably the world's most famous off-road brand, so much so that in certain places in the world the word "Jeep" can be used interchangeably for any off-roader. They're also a roaring sales success and are one of the only reasons FCA still made any money before the merger.
Stellantis has said they're looking to expand on Jeep's success and take them into even more markets around the world, classifying them as the "Global SUV" brand. With extra funding to build on their already-impressive cars, it seems like the future for Jeep looks very bright indeed.
1 Maserati
Maserati has been through years of stagnating sales and aging lineups, but with the release of the MC20 it looks like the brand is aiming to make a comeback. That should be helped along by Stellantis, who have classified the brand as the sole entry in their "Luxury" tier.
There have been suggestions that Stellantis is looking to make the brand solely electric, in an effort to compete with the likes of Tesla and the Porsche Taycan. The world is slowly but surely switching to EVs over ICE vehicles, so that seems like a very sustainable long-term plan. Let's hope that Maserati gets the investment it needs from Stellantis to make a lineup full of interesting cars again.