When PSA Group purchased Fiat Chrysler Motors (FCA) to create Stellantis, one of the first proclamations pertained to bringing historically French automotive brands back to North America. But that apparently isn’t on the table anymore.
Based on statements from Stellantis Canada CEO Jeff Hines made during last week’s Automotive News Canada Congress, the company has more pressing matters to attend to.
“No, I don’t think so,” Hines responded when pressed about European brands migrating across the Atlantic. “ I don’t think we’ll have Opel or Peugeot or any of the European-centric brands here.”
While guaranteed to disappoint some enthusiasts, it’s probably not a bad idea to pump the brakes. Dealer inventories are bloated right following last year’s sales decline. Stellantis has likewise taken some criticism for how it’s handling American brands like Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep. Some of this is down to the position those brands were left in. FCA was anticipating being sold and was doing solid business on some of its oldest models, so the company wasn’t exactly bending over backward to develop new models.
But Stellantis’ replacements haven’t been hits. The STLA Large Longitudinal platform used for the new Dodge Charger received some backlash for ending V8 availability and prioritizing electrification. Meanwhile, the first new model the brand has seen in ages — the Dodge Hornet — was a rebadged Alfa Romeo that hasn’t sold well.
From the perspective of your author, effectively trying to make Dodge the Americanized version of Alfa Romeo with an emphasis on EVs wasn’t ever a sound strategy. Introducing higher-priced models (often with smaller engines) across several brands, right when consumers were signaling they’re tapped out financially, probably wasn’t going to appeal to Mopar fans.
The upside to this is that most Stellantis brands are offering juicy discounts on models in a bid to clear out overflowing lots. But the downside is that figuring out how to navigate that means there’s basically zero chance that you’ll see French brands returning. We also know that Fiat and Alfa Romeo’s return to North America could have gone better, perhaps serving as a warning of what not to do.
Fiat only managed to sell about 1,500 units in the U.S. last year and that was actually a massive improvement over both 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo is looking like it will be lucky to sell 10,000 vehicles in the United States this year.
Trying to maintain the struggling American brands while the Italian marquees look to be on death’s door is already a lot for Stellantis to contend with. Additionally, its strategy to implement more platform sharing and further integration between brands also facing headwinds. This means shifting investments to pave the way for French brands to come to our market would almost certainly be foolish at this juncture.
The best case for a Citroën, Peugeot or Opel would probably be becoming another low-volume niche brand in North America, much like Alfa Romeo. But even that could be wishful thinking. Most French-built models come with extremely small combustion engines or all-electric drivetrains that simply aren’t likely to resonate with Americans considering an outside-of-the-box car brand. Europe, like North America, is also brimming with crossovers — meaning there are fewer models that could be imported and then marketed as one of a kind.
Peugeot arguably has the only mainstream lineup that could offer something Americans have been missing (sedans and hatchbacks). But making them work for our market would still be tricky, especially considering a meaningful number of Peugeot models are actually manufactured in China at this point.
It also has to be said that modern French vehicles aren’t nearly as unique as their predecessors. Note the Citroën CX pictured in this article for how French luxury vehicles used to have their own distinctive vibe.
Automotive homogenization is peaking right now. Global sales means more vehicles have to adhere to a broader range of safety and emission regulations, resulting in less variety. At the same time, widespread implementation of electronic steering and touch controls has further reduced uniqueness between individual models — regardless of what country they originally stemmed from.
The prospect of new import tariffs being suggested by the Trump administration is probably the final nail in the coffin, even if they just end up being another negotiating tactic and fail to actually take hold. Why make the gamble when the proposition is already risky and only seems to be getting riskier?
It’s almost assuredly wiser for Stellantis to focus on the fundamentals and learn how to navigate the North American market a little better before introducing more brands. That said, we’re still likely to see rebadged Euro models coming to our shores in the years ahead. So you may yet have an opportunity to purchase your favorite French automobile, albeit wearing a different emblem.
[Image: Stellantis]
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