Stellantis Won't Bring Peugeot To The US In Favor Of Chrysler

A few years back, Peugeot released plans of returning to the US after a thirty-year absence. It seemed that Peugeot's merger with Fiat Chrysler (FCA) would be their bridge to the United States, but now it seems that won't happen anytime soon. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has confirmed during a media call that Peugeot is not coming to the US market in 2023. Instead, Stellantis wants to focus on "improving what needs to be improved."

He thinks they "already have a very strong presence in [the US market]." He also said that "Chrysler is one of the historical pillars of Stellantis." This definitely confirms that Chrysler is going to stick around, rather than being dropped, as earlier reports suggested. Now we just have to find out what's in store for Chrysler within the next few years. The American brand currently sells three models: the Pacifica and Voyager minivans (the Voyager is basically a cheaper Pacifica) and the decade-old 300 sedan. Chrysler sold about 93,000 Pacifica's last year, which was a slight decrease from 2019. We should see sales increase this year, though, as the minivan is receiving a quite luxurious refresh this year.

However, the 300 saw a 43% decrease in sales last year, and Chrysler dropped the sedan's most luxurious trim level, the 300C, and several options such as wood accents and Nappa leather. The 300 is also a bit over ten years old at this point, so as slowly Chrysler cuts trim levels and options from the 300's lineup, the sedan could be on the chopping block.

Peugeot is full of fun and family-friendly vehicles, like the 508 sedan and 3008 crossover, but it would be very costly to bring an entire foreign brand into the US market, and it wouldn't make sense to do such a thing when there is a historical automaker like Chrysler that needs help.

Source Credits: Motor1

Image Credits: Chrysler, Peugeot