pumadog

It's not like other car makers have golden times. This is a recent accessment for the German car industry: https://www.n-tv.de/wirtschaft/Die-Autoindustrie-rettet-sich-aber-nicht-mehr-in-Deutschland-article26083351.html

I'm no fan of those hollow light clusters with dirt corners everywhere. As we tend to interpret headlights as eyes they remember me of a hypnotised smurf. And why those vertical bumpers? The original was cleaner.

And still there's the illogical decision to build the smallest (500), cheapest (Panda) models in Italy — and that in different plants while on the same platform family.

It's still about this shared Alfa-Maserati project, right? https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/maserati-plots-new-manual-super-gt-flagship-twinned-alfa

Oh, the 500 production didn't last long. I wondered about the North African market for such a little, rather impractical city car. Was it a real full production or sort of kit after as well? Is Serbia ready to feed the Algerian CDK production or will components come from Morocco?

Yeah, that's the article. But he doesn't indicate a specific source for anything. Apart from something like "Stellantis has 14 brands. Analysts think that's too much." Anyway, I can imagine some investor having interest in buying a luxury brand with "craft" production, but nothing with mass production, big factories and many workers. If Stellantis has "excess" brands, that would be Lancia and DS of course. Too bad the rumour speculating analysts don't know them. 😉

Let's face it: This whole discussion doesn't make any sense. As if any Arab investor group had know-how for car production. They have money, but they don't want to burn it. If anything it's about exotic Maserati production only. What is this rumour based on? Is the rumour spreader/speculator trustworthy in stories like this? It's only a couple of days since the last "Alfa Romeo is not for sale" dementi by Stellantis to AMuS. It's way too easy to fill headlines with brain farts nowadays.

So what does it test?

I don't think continuous postponing helps the carmakers. They need to decide too many years in advance.

The Americans got a 25k Jeep promised, that should be Renegade. For what it's worth. https://www.electrive.com/2024/06/17/stellantis-reveals-plans-for-jeep-under-25000-dollars/

Yes, but one must not forget that all these models should have had one or two successors before Stellantis was formed: Grande Punto: 2005 > 2012 > 2019 Panda: 2012 > 2019 Ypsilon: 2011 > 2018 500x/Renegade: 2014 > 2021 There were simply no up-to-date FCA platforms anymore. 500x was much of a flop with bad reviews outside of Italy, the Tonale flop shows that Small Wide isn't competitive anymore. The evolution of Giorgio for Maserati was an expensive dead end, so Giulia/Stelvio are pretty much unchanged mechanically since 2016. Even for the only fresh product 500e they didn't prepare a battery update for 2023–2025, as we see. Until 2020 the stretched eMini was supposedly in the works. But would that platform with ancient 350 cm city car origin be a success in B and lower C segments? BEV only? So Stellantis had to build everything on CMP variants for a start and the products had to adapt in charcter. For the model name and marketing confusion we can only hope on Olivier's retirement soon.

What's the reason for Tychy and how long? I guess Pomigliano will produce Tonale MY26 after the break?

That may be correct for base management. But the global cost for brand distribution, showrooms, advertising etc. gets multi-plicated for the brands. It looks like not enough importers and dealers outside the initial markets see return of investment in the Lancia relaunch. That's Citroën's identity since the beginning. 2CV on the one end, DS on the other. Which doesn't have to mean it still works today.

Not bigger interest. But if "DS" becomes 1 or 2 top models for Citroën again, "Citroën DS x" like it originally was, they can cut all the expenses of a standalone brand with management, design, marketing, distribution … Maybe add a "DS line" for all Citroën models. Same should be done for Abarth. It was Fiat's tuning and racing division and in reality it has never been more than that. Not even one exclusive model. Kill the "standalone" brand, name the models "Fiat XY Abarth", add an "Abarth line" for cheaper models and you're fine. Those two core brands would even benefit from their "halo" sub-brands. Then Lancia … I don't know. It sold less cars than Ferrari in 2025 so far. I don't think it can survive in current state. If you want to relaunch a brand you need at least one real hit model and biiig money to get the word out. And the right market conditions. Like BMW's MINI relaunch in 2000–2002. Not this slow and quiet effort surrounded by dozens of Chinese newcomers. How many people (who might buy new cars) remember a glorious Lancia? Outside of Italy? When was the last time Lancia had success apart from low-budget sales? When in C or D segment? The other option for Lancia/DS would be a brand duo like Opel/Vauxhall with local badge swap. If the combined numbers would be enough and friends of the brands would get along with that.

German article about the future of DS: https://ecomento.de/2025/09/23/zukunft-von-ds-unklar-rueckkehr-zu-citroen-im-gespraech/

At least there's almost free wheel choice now. If we could trust page 6, the Icona seats are cloth/vinyl for Sprint now. And all standard armrests are listed as cloth and not vinyl anymore. I guess it's just errors. The Junior is Serie 1 now, according to the last page. But what did really change apart from trim packs?

I don't see any reason for the upper picture. Corsa and 208 get the same treatment. And the ongoing production of their hybrid variants is the only hope to not see the lower picture soon.

They might have realized a premium brand needs more options than mainstream. Is the Italian price list available already?

The Aero wheels are in the marketing material and price lists since the beginning. So what has really changed apart from reshuffled packs? I hope for redesigned door cards and materials.

They have D segment and looong C with Alfa Giulia, Stelvio, DS 7, 8, Citroën C5 Aircross, Opel Grandland, Peugeot 5008, Lancia Gamma. But also normal C segment would benefit. How much power can we expect from a 1.2 FHEV? The Renault 1.8 HEV doesn't deliver much more than the STLA 1.2 MHEV.

Articles say they only built marine and industry engines since 2022, so the vehicle role for Stellantis is gone since years. Stellantis joins VW in playing catch-up on full hybrids for Europe Behind a paywall, maybe someone can read when we can expect them.

Cladding on the dashboard? 🙃

As every new Renault looks different at the moment I wonder if Renault has a common design identity at all. In contrast the interiors of R5, R4 and this are quite similar. A little bit strange that the soft/cloth parts of the Clio's dashboard and door cards are where you don't touch normally and not at the arm rests.

The open (and double rear) lights are interesting and cool but might be a pain to keep clean with all the cracks and holes. Overall the car looks ok, but the front is very busy, anonymous and – for me – plain ugly. Too bad the Clio got 6–7 cm longer without offering more wheelbase or space. They cheapened the car in some elements, like the missing adjustable boot floor.

The next Corsa on STLA Small will come electric-only in 2027. It's planned to start under 25k Euro to rival the upcoming VW ID Polo. The current generation might be sold alongside as ICE/HEV, at least in south Europe. Top Gear had an interview with CEO Florian Huettl: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/next-vauxhall-corsa-will-be-electric-only-cost-ps22k-and-look-a-bit-gse