Stellantis has quite a collection of brands in the UK: in theory, it has four mainstream (Peugeot, Vauxhall, Citroen, Fiat), three premium (DS, Alfa Romeo, Maserati) one sports (Abarth) and one off-road (Jeep).

The truth is rather less rosy. According to SMMT registration figures, the UK market shares for Stellantis brands over the last 10 years are:

Citroen and Fiat are now being outsold by Suzuki, Porsche and Lexus - hence they hardly count as mainstream brands anymore. Abarth (Fiat) and DS (Citroen) started as sub-brands, but it is hard to be a sub-brand when the parent brands are on life-support. Alfa Romeo and Maserati exist on a permanent promise that the next model will transform their fortunes (Alfa has been saying that since the launch of the 156 in 1998 and Maserati since the announcement of the 2013 Ghibli). Jeep is finally starting to make progress with the Avenger, but the world’s biggest off-road brand should be doing three or four times better in SUV-obsessed Britain.

Recently-departed CEO, Carlos Tavares, had said in 2021 that all Stellantis brands would have 10 years of funding, although his tone towards the under-performing brands became frostier in the months leading up to his forced resignation (those two developments being not entirely unconnected).

Given the crises facing the car industry (electrification, Chinese competition, tariffs- take your pick), what is the point of persevering with DS as a French luxury car brand? Being French sells haute couture, but it is a toxic adjective in front of a luxury car, as shown by the Citroen C6, Renault Val Setis and Peugeot 607 (and if you can’t remember them, well, that is kind of the point). Meanwhile, Abarth is a trim level masquerading as a brand. Maserati was meant to offer Ferrari charisma at BMW prices, but too many people saw it as offering Fiat quality at Mercedes prices.

VW expressed interest in buying Alfa Romeo in 2011, but then-owner Fiat refused to sell, so VW created Cupra as a standalone brand, which is now far more successful than Alfa. Today, it would more be a question of who would take Alfa Romeo off Stellantis’ hands. The Chinese might see Alfa as the next MG: a storied European brand that would make a Chinese design more palatable to Europeans. However, the nationalistic Italian government of Georgia Meloni would have a coronary at the thought of historic Alfa Romeo becoming no more than a nice badge on yet another Chinese family crossover.

Ironically, rather than cutting brands, Stellantis is currently relaunching Lancia across the EU, to give them yet another ex-premium brand. That reflects decisions made years ago, but it sums up how Tavares’s brand strategy set Stellantis steaming determinedly in the wrong direction.

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