A World Cup Under High Tension for Stellantis

Between electric deployment and disappointing financial goals, Stellantis is unlikely to have a peaceful Paris Motor Show.

First and foremost, Stellantis deserves recognition for its efforts to engage with customers and its genuine desire to support a Paris Motor Show that has faced significant challenges in recent years. The group’s flagship brands, Citroën, Peugeot, and Alfa Romeo, will showcase their new electric models with three world premieres for Citroën and one world premiere for Peugeot. For the first time, the latest addition to the alliance, the Chinese brand Leapmotor, will share a stand with its European counterparts.

The brand new Peugeot E-408 will be unveiled in its world premiere alongside the long-range versions of the E-3008 and E-5008 electric SUVs, which offer up to 700 km and 668 km of range, respectively. For fans of the lion brand or the most curious, a testing center for the entire range will be set up in Boulogne-Billancourt, on the Île Seguin, where La Seine Musicale is located.

On the Citroën side, the C3 and C3 Aircross will be in the spotlight, while the AMI will celebrate its 4th birthday with an unprecedented “AMI Tower.” Alfa Romeo will make its grand return at Porte de Versailles by presenting its complete range. Emphasis will be placed on sportiness with the new Junior VELOCE 280hp, the most sporty version of the range, and the enchanting 33 Stradale Fuoriserie, produced in only 33 units.

A Chinese Fox in the Stellantis Henhouse

The major attraction will undoubtedly be the world premiere of Leapmotor as a fully-fledged brand under Stellantis. It will be a great opportunity for a family photo with Zhu Jiangming, founder and CEO of Leapmotor, and Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis. While the urban T03 and SUV C10 are already well-known, the two men will present the highly anticipated B10, a C-segment SUV that is already set to be a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y, Renault Scenic, and… Peugeot E-3008!

So, a lot of pedagogical effort will be needed throughout the week to explain the positioning and ambitions of this Chinese Trojan horse. This is a challenge given that the group’s financial outlook has shifted from green to bright orange amid performance issues in North America, a global deterioration in operating margin, and more seriously, negative free cash flow, indicating a cash flow entirely in the red.

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