Leapmotor to give Stellantis an edge in the budget car market
Stellantis – the parent company of Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Jeep – will use its recently acquired stake in Chinese car brand Leapmotor to “challenge” the influx of new models arriving at vastly reduced prices, Auto Express can reveal.
Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson revealed part of the plan when Stellantis invested in Leapmotor was to “keep [our] friends close, and learn something about them”. She said it gave the group “another weapon to be able to react” to fierce competition from China.
Jackson, while not directly connected to the Leapmotor acquisition, admitted there would be benefits for Peugeot, as well as other brands within the Stellantis stable. “It’s an opportunity to learn,” she told us. “They have a different positioning, a different offering in terms of what they are bringing to market.
“It’s just like having another brand,” she said. “It’s not impinging on [Peugeot’s] position. It gives us the possibility to be even more competitive.”
Leapmotor International – the European arm of the Leapmotor and Stellantis merger – will utilise a number of existing Stellantis-brand dealerships in the UK and Europe, but there are no plans for other Stellantis brands to use the Chinese maker’s platform or battery technology at this stage. Stellantis is spreading its bets over its Smart Car and STLA platforms – the latter of which will eventually be available in Small, Medium and Large forms.
Peugeot is already using the STLA Medium platform on its 3008 and 5008 SUVs, and while unconfirmed, is likely to favour the more advanced STLA Small architecture on its next-generation 208 supermini. All Stellantis platforms are believed to adhere to the company’s multi-fuel approach – supporting petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains.
Leapmotor, which has already confirmed the T03 electric city car and C10 mid-size SUV for Europe, also revealed the more affordable B10 crossover in Paris. The Hyundai Kona and Kia EV3 rival will go on sale here in 2025. The Chinese company has promised one new car each year for the next three years.
