Stellantis Is Fighting Back, Has Had Enough of Cheap Chinese Cars

For the move, Stellantis will be rolling out a new low-cost platform, the sixth built for the cars in the 14-brand group created in 2021 through the merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler. Over time, there will be only four architecture: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large, and STLA Frame.

The Small, Medium, and Large are engineered as unibody architectures, being able to support front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive setups. The Frame, as the name suggests, will be underpinned the body-on-frame pickup trucks and SUVs. Each of these platforms can support the production of two million vehicles per year, according to Stellantis.

Before that moment comes, Stellantis-owned Citroen unveiled the new e-C3, is based on none of these platforms. It is based on the Smart Car platform, a low-cost architecture derived from PSA’s CMP.

It integrates a battery pack made in China and is built at the Trnava plant in Slovakia, but it could also be manufactured in other plants from Europe or Morocco. Tagged as an affordable car from the very start, the e-C3 is coming to the market as a counterattack against the cheap Chinese EV’s.

Renault’s Dacia Spring bestseller, which is also made in China, is also a target for the tiny Citroen. The new model starts at 23,300 euros, which is the equivalent of $24,598, before any governmental incentives.

The e-C3 will be available in France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, and Portugal starting early 2024. A lower-range variant will show up sometime in 2025, with a starting price of around 19,990 euros ($21,114), Citroen’s CEO Thierry Kostas announced. The subcompact Citroen can now drive as far as 199 miles (320 kilometers) on a single charge. The upcoming variant will probably be able to drive as far as 155 miles (around 250 kilometers).

Stellantis will launch seven more cars, all based on the Smart Car, according to the head of development for the platform, Renaud Tourte. The platform is mainly designed for EVs, but can also be used for cars powered by internal combustion engines.

The automotive giant will launch a larger model in 2024, with the upcoming Fiat Panda being expected to sit on the same architecture. "Not completely foolish to think that," Tourte said. The debut of the Italian model has already been confirmed for July 11, 2024, to mark Fiat’s 125th anniversary.

Stellantis-owned Opel will also come up with an EV in the 25,000 euro ($26,406) area. Renault Tourte revealed that there will be at least on more carmaker launching a model soon.