FiatChrysler and PSA merge to form the fourth largest car company in the world. This is particularly strong in small cars and SUVs, as a look at the bestseller lists of the individual brands shows.
With Stellantis, a new mega-car company is emerging. The portfolio includes 14 brands - Italian, German, French, English and American. We show the respective bestseller models.
Peugeot 208
The small car, which was newly released at the end of 2019, is stable in the top ten of the most popular cars in Europe. The Opel Corsa has recently been using the technology of the French, but overall it appears a bit more extroverted than its German cousin. In the Peugeot model range, the 208 is clearly number one, followed by its 2008 crossover offshoot.
Opel / Vauxhall Corsa
The Rüsselsheim Variant of the Peugeot 208 was recently in the lead in sales in Europe, which is not least due to the loyal German customers. Technically and in terms of price, however, the differences to the French cousin are small. Here as there, an optional electric drive is one of the special features. In second place in the Opel sales charts is the compact Astra, which is currently the number one Golf hunter group-wide.
Citroen C3
Third in the small car group is the Citroen C3, which, unlike the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa, is still based on the previous platform. In return, it is a little cheaper, and a decidedly youthful appearance hides the somewhat older technology. Compared to his younger brothers, he still falls noticeably in terms of sales.
DS7 Crossback
While Citroen now marks the lower price segment in the portfolio of PSA brands, the former offshoot DS, which has matured into an independent brand, crowns the program. Named after the legendary Citroen DS, the premium supplier relies on a similarly avant-garde design. There are also fine materials and fine workmanship as well as corresponding prices. The flagship DS7 Crossback acts as the state coach in the French President's fleet.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Just before the robust Wrangler off-road vehicle, the luxury four-wheel drive Grand Cherokee is the bestseller in the Jeep portfolio. In general, the traditional off-road vehicle specialist is likely to be one of the strongest brands in the group; All-wheel drive vehicles are popular not only in the USA, but also in China. In addition, the global SUV trend Jeep plays into the cards.
Frame
By far the most important model of the commercial vehicle brand, which was only spun off from Chrysler in 2009, is the Ram pick-up, which has been fighting a bestseller duel with the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado in the USA for decades. The giant flatbed truck was never officially available in Germany, but there is still a large number of fans for imported models. Last but not least, he enjoys the martial logo and appearance.
Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler was once the volume market in the US group of companies, but has now almost disappeared into insignificance, not least because there are no SUVs on offer. The current bestseller is the large Pacifica van, which is also used by Google's sister company Waymo as the basis for its autonomous vehicles. Thanks to all-wheel drive and robust optics, the family car can currently hold its own against the crossover competition. Another argument for him is that the other Stellantis brands are now missing such a model.
Dodge Charger
With around 120 years of brand history, Dodge is one of the most traditional car manufacturers. Over the decades, the brand has had to reorient itself several times, but has recently not made the step to become a volume maker. Dodge currently occupies the profitable niche of the performance brand, the most popular model is the muscle car charger, which plays in a similar league as Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Outside the USA, they also offer relabeled Fiat and Mitsubishi models for the smaller budget.
Fiat Panda
Even just under a decade after its debut, the current Panda is still a practical and affordable small car, which continues to be in high demand, especially in southern Europe. In the new Stellantis group, however, he is clearly the senior - the time for a new edition would be ripe. Just as it recently happened with the slightly smaller Fiat 500, which is now also available in an E version.
Abarth 500
If the Fiat 500 is too feminine for you, you will find the macho version at tuning sister Abarth. The refiners with a long motorsport tradition offer the small car in ever new bang-ball variants, in which up to 132 kW / 180 hp meet a good ton of total weight. It's so fun and bizarre to drive that the slightly more grown-up Abarth 124 roadster can't keep up in popularity. There are currently no more models after the rapid end of the Abarth Punto.
Lancia Ypsilon
The once radiant sports and later luxury brand has meanwhile faded into a local small car provider. With the aged Ypsilon, there is still exactly one model that is also only available on the home market. Quite successful there: In the narrow Italian cities, the fashionable city runabout is a popular lifestyle alternative to the much more frugal cheap competition. In 2019, the brand even overtook Alfa Romeo in terms of sales in Europe, although the sister company has a few more models in its portfolio.
Maserati Levante
With a beautiful sports car and a fast limousine, Maserati almost went bankrupt. The SUV trend, which the Italians are serving particularly successfully with the Levante, became the savior. Thanks to the dynamic crossover, the Italians are again a big number in the automotive luxury league, recently ahead of Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini in terms of sales.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Alfa also lives from the SUV trend, but is more dependent on the IV in comparison. The Stelvio crossover still sells best, but the much-praised Giulia sedan cannot achieve the sales success it had hoped for. And the Giulietta compact sedan, recently discontinued after ten years of construction, recently lagged behind the competition technically.