Filosa, who took over as CEO last year, does not plan to close any of the non-core brands. According to Reuters, Filosa believes those marques can still serve a meaningful purpose within particular geographic markets. Pressure has come from parts of the investment community to eliminate redundant nameplates — especially across European markets — as a cost-cutting measure, with Lancia, DS, Citroën, and Opel among those frequently cited.
"Some of those brands could prove useful to the group in the future, should market conditions evolve," Marco Santino, a partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman, told Reuters, adding that once a brand is closed it is "very hard to bring it back to life."
Reuters reported that Exor, which holds the largest stake in Stellantis $STLA, is among the major investors who have thrown their support behind the restructuring. When contacted, a Stellantis spokesperson pointed to the breadth of its brand portfolio as an asset and emphasized the automaker's ability to operate at international scale while maintaining strong local market ties, but offered no comment on the reported reorganization.
Stellantis formed in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA, the maker of Peugeot. The company has since struggled to regain market share in the U.S. and Europe while facing intensifying competition from Chinese automakers. In February, Stellantis recorded a €22.2 billion charge after pulling back its electric vehicle ambitions.
The company's stock market value has eroded to approximately €21 billion, a figure that puts it in the same range as EV newcomer Rivian $RIVN and represents less than half of Volkswagen's capitalization.
