Stellantis Is Turning Lancia Into A Specialty Brand

Going forward, Lancia will be managed by Fiat.

Photo by: Lancia

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

May 22, at 4:28am ET

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The Breakdown

Stellantis is reorganizing Lancia and DS Automobiles into specialty brands.
Fiat will manage Lancia, while Citroën will be responsible for DS Automobiles.
Stellantis is keeping all 14 brands, including Maserati.

When PSA merged with FCA in early 2021 to create Stellantis, then-CEO Carlos Tavares vowed to keep all 14 brands under one massive corporate umbrella. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for reports to emerge claiming some brands could be offloaded or even shuttered to streamline the portfolio. The gossip turned out to be false, as all the companies survived throughout the controversial Tavares era.

However, rumors resurfaced soon after Antonio Filosa was named CEO in May 2025. Fast-forward a year, and all 14 brands are still safe. Yes, that even includes Maserati, which was the subject of multiple reports claiming Stellantis would sell the company with the trident logo to a third party. What about Lancia and DS Automobiles? They’re safe, too.

Announced this week, the FaSTLAne 2030 strategy calls for turning Lancia and DS Automobiles into specialty brands. Stellantis is putting Fiat in charge of Lancia, while Citroën will oversee DS. Although details about potential new models have not been shared, Filosa promises “every brand in Stellantis will play a clear role in delivering our FaSTLAne 2030 commitments.”

Photo by: Stellantis

A Myriad Of New Models, But How Many From Lancia And DS?

The new industrial plan calls for 110 new or updated models to launch by the end of 2030. It’s reasonable to expect some of these to carry Lancia and DS badges. Logic suggests the two struggling brands will introduce more upscale versions of mainstream Fiat and Citroën products, respectively. Developing completely bespoke products wouldn’t make much sense given that both are likely to remain niche brands.

Stellantis still considers Lancia and DS separate entities, so they won’t become high-end trim levels of Fiat and Citroën models. As for what “specialty brands” actually means, the automotive conglomerate doesn’t elaborate, but expect significantly lower volumes compared to the companies that will manage them going forward.

How Are Sales Numbers?

According to registration figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) for 2025, Lancia (bundled with Chrysler) plunged 64 percent to 11,754 units. This year is shaping up to be better, with first-quarter registrations rising 15.5 percent to 4,072 units.

As for DS Automobiles, ACEA figures show a 22.5-percent decline last year to 29,042 vehicles. Q1 2026 continued the downward trend, with registrations falling 17.1 percent to 6,771 units.

Stellantis’ new strategic plan covers the 2026–2030 period, and unless anything changes, Lancia and DS Automobiles will remain separate entities. Fiat is now one of the group’s four global brands, alongside Peugeot, Jeep, and Ram. Citroën is categorized as a regional brand together with Opel/Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, and Chrysler.

2025 Lancia Ypsilon HF test drive

Lancia Ypsilon HF 2025, test

Source: Motor1.com Spain

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Motor1's Take: Some will be surprised to hear Stellantis isn’t merging or killing off some of its struggling brands. While we’ve always rooted for the underdog, it’ll be difficult for Lancia and DS Automobiles to attract buyers given the intense internal and external competition.

Hopefully, Stellantis has found a way to keep the two brands relevant. Lancia deserves to remain its own thing, but DS would probably work better as a flagship trim level for Citroën, which is exactly what it was before being spun off into a separate entity.

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