What's in a name? Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot get weird.

Thursday, 16 July 2020

The all-electric Peugeot e-2008 is expected to land in New Zealand partway through 2021.

FCA and PSA are merging and are creating a new science-fiction film at the same time.

No, not really, but the two automakers have chosen a rather interstellar name for the new corporation. The combined company will be called ‘Stellantis’, though it’s a bit unclear as to why. Apparently the name is “rooted in the Latin verb ‘stello’ meaning ‘to brighten with stars’.

“It draws inspiration from this new and ambitious alignment of storied automotive brands and strong company cultures that in coming together are creating one of the new leaders in the next era of mobility while at the same time preserving all the exceptional value and the values of its constituent parts.”

It sounds like a sci-fi Netflix special but it’s actually the new corporate name of the merged PSA/FCA companies.

The press release goes on to say the name’s Latin origins “pay tribute to the rich history of its founding companies while the evocation of astronomy captures the true spirit of optimism, energy, and renewal driving this industry-changing merger.' Right.

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Don’t worry though, names like Peugeot aren’t going anywhere. Stellantis is just the corporate name.

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Don’t expect to see any Stellantis-branded vehicles though, this is only the corporate name. The vehicle brands like Peugeot, Jeep, Citroen, Alfa, Dodge and Fiat will continue.

The completion of the FCA/PSA merger is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2021. When that happens, Stellantis will be the world’s fourth-largest automaker with annual deliveries of around 8.7 million vehicles globally.

When things get underway later in 2021, Stellantis wants to create two new platforms to underpin two-thirds of its 13 brands’ models in order to save money.

We should also expect the Stellantis Netflix adaption around the same time. Kidding.