The automotive industry can be a hostile place. Many brands that once sold bucketloads of cars are today defunct. Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, Edsel, Saab, and Scion were all once popular among buyers, but poor sales and financial practices ended them prematurely.
The truth is, many auto brands that sell cars today will also not survive. In fact, Stellantis, the fifth biggest automaker globally in terms of sales in 2024, was established in 2021 with the idea of saving many existing brands from extinction.
Stellantis today controls 14 auto brands across the globe. Here is every brand that Stellantis owns in alphabetical order: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall.
The idea of Stellantis is to streamline development and production. How do you do that? Develop a few scalable platforms, and let automakers build vehicle models over them. But there is a problem with this approach — a lack of differentiation. Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale? Same vehicles. Apparently, Alfa isn't happy about this, and for good reason — no Alfa fan wants a Dodge, and the other way around.
Of course, letting every brand develop its own platform is also a no-go because of high costs. So, the natural step for Stellantis is to let go of some unsuccessful brands. But which are most likely to go? Let's break it down!
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Chrysler
Search for Chrysler on Google, and the first hit reads: Minivans: Pacifica & Voyager Models. Chrysler is a minivan brand , but don't let that title fool you — they only really sell one model. The Voyager is really a cheaper, base trim of the Pacifica minivan. Same car, just less equipment.
The Pacifica/Voyager is America's best-selling minivan. Chrysler sold 107,356 units in 2024, compared to 80,293 Honda Odysseys and 73,982 Toyota Siennas. But sales of the Pacifica are dwindling, while Japanese rivals have gained market share. Also, Honda and Toyota sell other vehicles that are significantly more popular. For instance, Toyota sold a whopping 475,193 RAV4s last year and replaced it with a brand-new model recently.
You get the point — Chrysler is going nowhere with just one model, no matter how good it sells. The American automaker attempted to demonstrate its commitment with a Pacifica plug-in hybrid model, but it features an unproven powertrain that broke during our testing.
Oh, but it gets better — Stellantis plans to save Chrysler with an electric crossover just as EV sales in America are slowing down. The Chrysler brand won't sell in other markets — it's really an America-only affair. So, where does that leave Chrysler? Well, Stellantis could use the next-gen Pacifica with a Chrysler badge, which may even include an electric powertrain. Still, in our eyes, the brand needs a total revival, with a brand-new range that will showcase Chrysler's values. Right now, this is only a fantasy.
DS Automobiles
The Citroën DS was a car that was ahead of its time, and a truly luxurious vehicle focused on maximum comfort. It was also amazingly successful, with 1.5 million D-series cars being sold. Still, Citroën couldn't repeat the success with the subsequent CX, XM, or C6. French automakers have generally tried to crack the luxury car market in Europe ever since, but German hegemony in the niche was simply too tough to beat.
Enter DS Automobiles — a Citroën arm that was launched in 2014 specifically to tackle the luxury sphere with outlandish, avant-garde-styled luxury vehicles. Although it's reasonably successful in Europe, DS Automobile's first decade wasn't without its setbacks. Due to slowing sales, the company had to discontinue its S-Class beater, the DS9, becoming predominantly a crossover brand. Even the brand's faux sedan, the N°8, has a higher road clearance, and the same is true for the DS 4 compact hatchback.
As you'd expect, DS Automobiles' cars ride on Stellantis platforms. Moreover, the brand currently focuses on fully electrifying its lineup, with many new models powered exclusively by batteries. Although this approach should've given DS Automobiles a sure footing in China, where electrified vehicles are the norm, sales have declined from 26,008 in 2014 to just 1,373 in 2022.
DS Automobiles can't even tackle its home, the European market, where sales fell from 48,276 vehicles in 2023 to 37,480 in 2024. For reference, BMW sold a staggering 947,235 vehicles in Europe in 2024. DS Automobile's response? A new goal to rival Rolls-Royce and Bentley instead of BMW and Audi.
Lancia
Few brands in Stellantis' range carry the cachet of Lancia. Always the innovative automaker, Lancia brought many world-firsts to the industry. First production V4 and V6 engines? Lancia. The first car with an electrical system? The 1913 Lancia Theta. The legendary Italian brand also pioneered the unibody chassis and independent front suspension in the 1922 Lambda. Let's also not forget about the Delta HF Integrale, possibly the greatest homologation-special rally car of all time.
Today, though, Lancia is on the same footing as Chrysler in Stellantis' pecking order, and perhaps even worse. The brand sells only one vehicle in Europe — the Ypsilon — which was recently relaunched as a brand-new model. Stellantis hoped that the avant-garde styling would attract more buyers, but the brand-new Ypsilon has sold worse than its hatchback predecessor. And it's not an insignificant difference — sales dropped by a staggering 72.7% in the first 2 months of 2025, compared to the same period last year. That translates to just 2,208 sold in the first 2 months of 2024.
The fact is, the Lancia name is dying out. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as Stellantis did just the bare minimum to keep the brand afloat. The Ypsilon is really a Peugeot 208 underneath, without any real Lancia magic. Yes, Lancia launched the Ypsilon HF, which packs a 280-hp all-electric drivetrain to appease Delta HF Integrale enthusiasts. Again, though, it's the same powertrain found in the e-208 GTi. In more recent, good news, Stellantis confirmed a new Delta HF Integrale for 2026, but as a performance EV. In other words, zero differentiation from other models in Stellantis' lineup.
Maserati
If you look just at model launches alone, Maserati is firing on all cylinders. The MC20 brought the brand back in the supercar game in 2020 with a mid-engine layout, carbon fiber chassis, and a potent 630-hp Nettuno V6 that allowed a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint of just 2.9 seconds. Just 2 years later, the open-top MC20 Cielo was also introduced.
Then, in 2022, the Grecale SUV arrived as a new entry point into Maserati ownership, and there was enough performance in the Trofeo model to rival the Porsche Macan. An all-electric Folgore version was also available from the beginning. That same year, we also saw the second-gen GranTurismo. Available with a Nettuno V6 and a 749-hp electric drivetrain in the Folgore version, Maserati's grand tourer again wowed with its elegant, sporty design. Maserati didn't forget about its convertible-loving customers, so in 2024, it announced the GranCabrio. This year, the Levante was also significantly updated, and the MC20 got its track-oriented variant, the MC20 GT2 Stradale.
Unfortunately, this offensive didn't bear much fruit. Most notably, the Folgore electric variants proved very unsuccessful, which has cost Stellantis $1.5B. But the internal combustion variants also suffered the same fate — overall Maserati sales dropped more than 50% in 2024! That's unacceptable for an automaker that has just launched many new models. Accordingly, rumors that Maserati is for sale are louder than ever, although Stellantis denies it. But if sales continue to drop, chances are Maserati's days are numbered — at least as a Stellantis brand.
Alfa Romeo
This last entry is probably the hardest to swallow for most enthusiasts. Despite all the setbacks, Alfa Romeo is one of the most beloved brands in the automotive world. From exotic yet timeless design to the unique driving experience, Alfa Romeos have always captured the imagination of car enthusiasts.
The best part is that Alfa Romeo always thought about its budget-strapped fans. Prime example — the 1954 Giulia Sprint Veloce, which had a tiny 1.3-liter engine, yet provided performance similar to high-end coupes thanks to its featherlight aluminum chassis. Even today, Alfa Romeo can truly compete with the best in the industry. Powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 co-developed with Ferrari and Alfa's tremendous chassis, the Giulia Quadrifoglio is still one of the most enjoyable performance sedans out there.
Alfa Romeo's current European lineup also has cool-looking crossovers in the Junior, Tonale, and Stelvio, and every powertrain you could imagine on offer. These helped Alfa Romeo on the Old Continent, where the brand sold 43% more vehicles in Q1 this year compared to the same period in 2024. Global sales were also up by a solid 29%. The brand-new Stelvio, which should arrive next year, could expand Alfa's reach even further.
Unfortunately, the iconic Italian brand again couldn't crack the U.S. This June, sales were down by 34%, which may be due to the aging lineup, not including the entry-level Junior. So, there is a possibility that Alfa Romeo is discontinued in the U.S., though the brand may be staying put in other markets. Still, it will be a big blow for American enthusiasts!
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