MILAN - Italian premium car brands Alfa Romeo and Lancia will enjoy stronger investments under Stellantis, the new automotive giant’s Chairman John Elkann revealed in a TV interview.
With 14 brands under one roof, Stellantis is the world's fourth largest carmaker. It was officially born in January when Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot parent company PSA completed their long awaited merger.
Asked about what role FCA's hometown of Turin would play in Stellantis, Elkann told Italian State TV Rai that, as part of a bigger group, it would have greater opportunities.
"We've seen it clearly with some brands like Alfa Romeo and Lancia, on which we could not invest or give resources as much as we wanted in recent years," said Elkann, who led FCA into the PSA merger as chairman of the Italian American carmaker.
"In this new group there will be much greater opportunities than in the past for these two brands, which are based in Turin," he said.
Alfa Romeo has in recent years cancelled a few of its projects, such as a revival of the GTV, while Lancia is a shadow of its former (and glorious) self, currently only producing a dated compact hatchback.
Stellantis is creating a pool with Alfa Romeo, Lancia and former PSA's DS brand to cooperate in the premium market.
Maserati will slot above that premium trio, while Opel, Vauxhall and Peugeot will fall below them as ‘upper mainstream’ brands. Citroen, Fiat and Abarth will be positioned as ‘core’ brands.
IOL & Reuters