Stellantis announced a development partnership with Jaguar Land Rover, the same morning it inked a deal with Chinese automaker Dongfeng to build more vehicles in Europe. The announcement of the deal between Jaguar Land Rover came on Wednesday, May 20. Stellantis — the parent of brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat — is in the middle of making some serious changes to the company as it overhauls its strategy. Both the deal with Jaguar and Dongfeng appear to be part of the automaker’s
overhaul. What will Stellantis and Jaguar do? Stellantis said in a new release that Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover signed a memorandum of understanding — essentially an agreement — to work together and explore further collaborative opportunities on product development in the United States. Jaguar Land Rover is a luxury automaker based in the United Kingdom. The statement did not offer many details about the partnership beyond that. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in the release that the partnership, focused on joint product development, “can
create meaningful benefits for both sides while remaining focused on delivering the products and experiences our customers love.” More: I dropped my only car key down an elevator shaft. What happened next Welcome back, sedan? Auto industry insiders say the sedan is poised for a comeback What will Stellantis and Dongfeng do? On the same day the Jaguar deal was announced, Stellantis signed a joint venture with Chinese automaker Dongfeng to build Jeep and Peugeot vehicles in China, while Dongfeng seeks to build its vehicles
in European Stellantis plants. Under the plan, which has not yet been finalized, the two automakers would form a Europe-based joint venture, with Stellantis owning 51% and Dongfeng owning 49%. Dongfeng would hope to build its products in European manufacturing plants owned by Stellantis, while Stellantis has said its goal is to build Jeep and Peugeot vehicles in China for the Chinese market. Dongfeng and Stellantis have previously partnered to build Peugeot vehicles in China for the domestic market. This would be the second such
joint venture between Stellantis and a Chinese automaker. Stellantis also leads a 51-49 joint venture with Leapmotor, a new and affordable brand of Chinese EVs. The news of two large partnerships comes a day before Stellantis’ investor day, when the automaker has said it will issue sweeping new guidance as it attempts to improve sales and profits after years of less-than-stellar performance. On Thursday, Stellantis will officially announce its plans. Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
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