Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Opel Insignia, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Fiat 500 and other models that could help new Stellantis merger in Australia
The Grand Wagoneer is looking to make big headway in the US, but will it also be coming to Australia?
The company, which was supposed to be the world's fourth-largest auto company by sales, is one step closer to becoming a reality this week. The multi-year merger saga between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group looks set to be completed by early 2021, after the two parties signed the terms of the cross-border merger.
But what does this mean for Australia? Well, the new company, which will be called Stellantis, will bring together several well-known brands. Under the deal, the new company will control Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Opel and Vauxhall.
However, all of these brands have small sales volumes in the local market, with the largest being Jeep, which has sold 3791 vehicles since the beginning of the year (as of September). In fact, even combined, the Stellantis brands sold just 7644 new vehicles in 2020, trailing even newer brands including MG.
With details still being worked out globally, it's still too early to tell what this will mean for local operations, but there are a few key brand models that could make a big impact. We have selected five models from five of the most famous brands that will be part of Stellantis and explain what they can mean for local buyers.
Jeep Grand Wagon
There are few models more important to the future of Stellantis than the Grand Wagoneer. It is the largest and most luxurious model of the American SUV brand to date, and the Range Rover is clearly the target for this full-size SUV.
Adding it to the local lineup would give Jeep a new flagship right after the highly anticipated next-generation Grand Cherokee arrives in the fourth quarter of 2021. decline in sales.
The catch is that there has been no confirmation that the Grand Wagoneer will be built right-hand drive because it uses the same left-hand drive-only platform as the Ram 1500 pickup.
Opel Insignia
Can Stellaantis bring back the Commodore? This idea may seem minor, but since the PSA Group owns Opel, they have the rights to the car we knew as the ZB Commodore. Although it was not as popular as the locally built Commodores, the ZB was still the top selling big car in the country. This is a market that most have left, but Peugeot still believes it has value, recently launching the all-new 508 here.
So, will a Commodore with the original Opel Insignia badge sell better? It's hard to say, but the Opel brand definitely has potential. General Motors tried to launch Opel here, but failed, and branding just one model would be expensive and stupid. But with the all-new electric Mokka, as well as the Crossland X and Grandland X, Opel has a range of vehicles that could work in the local market. In addition, the Astra nameplate is still relevant if the brand wants to play in the small car market.
Alfa Romeo Tonale
To be fair, the Italian brand's planned reemergence as a premium player is once again underwhelming. Although both the Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV were critical successes, sales were not affected. Sales of the Giulia this year overtook the Jaguar XE and Volvo S60, while the Stelvio is even worse in its class with just 352 units sold, while the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC sold over 3000 units. .
This is where the tonal comes into play. While it's unlikely to be a bestseller, a cheaper, smaller SUV variant will not only expand the range, but also give the Italian brand the type of model that's popular right now.
Alfa Romeo Australia has yet to officially commit to the Tonale and production was delayed earlier this year, but it would be surprising if they chose to ignore it given the growing popularity of luxury SUVs.
Fiat 500e
The beauty of good retro design is that it never gets old. This is good news for Fiat Australia because globally, the company is committed to the electric future of the pint-sized 500e city car, which likely comes with a hefty price tag, making it unattractive for Fiat locally.
Luckily, Fiat has committed to continue production of the current petrol-powered 500 indefinitely, which is good news for Australia as it is the brand's best-selling model and still holds a 10 percent share of the "micro-car" market.
Still, the 500e looks promising - with its retro look and modern zero-emission powertrain - so who would want to see that too?
Peugeot 2008
The French brand is the second largest contributor to the potential Stellantis conglomerate, with 1555 units sold in 2020. Nearly half of those sales come from the 3008, the French alternative to the Volkswagen Tiguan.
That's why the brand's latest 2008 model is so important. It's a new small SUV that will compete against the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30, so if it succeeds, Peugeot has significant (albeit relative) upside potential.
