Jeep, Dodge parent Stellantis makes its biggest US commitment yet
Stellantis' latest move is symbolic, but it speaks volumes.
Monday, June 23, was a big day for new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa.
Filosa officially started his tenure Monday, taking the helm of a company at a crossroads just four years after its creation.
The 2021 merger between Fiat Chrysler — which owned the U.S. brands Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, as well as the European brand Fiat — and PSA Group seemingly turned some of America's most iconic brands into an afterthought at a giant, faceless European conglomerate.
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Under former CEO Carlos Tavares' leadership, Stellantis laid off American factory workers, shuffled its C-suite, and forced its U.S. brands to push products that American customers didn't like.
The results have been predictable.
Stellantis reported that total first-quarter 2025 U.S. sales decreased 12% year-over-year, despite a 16% increase in Ram brand sales and a 1% increase in Chrysler brand sales. Jeep brand sales saw a 2% increase.
The company reported total sales of 293,225 vehicles in the first three months of the year.
Stellantis' former CEO, Carlos Tavares, officially stepped down late last year. Reports following his exit suggested that his management style rubbed American Stellantis execs and employees the wrong way.
Sources noted that Tavares treated Stellantis like a company based in Europe, not one with offices on multiple continents, each with its own work culture.
This is a mistake Filosa is looking to correct with the first official moves of his tenure. 
New Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa makes a special commitment to the U.S. market
In his opening statements to his company and the world, Filosa made it clear that the days of Stellantis being faceless are over.
He referred to Stellantis as “a global company with deep regional roots,“ and the plan going forward is to leverage its institutional knowledge in those regions.
The company said that its “cumulative knowledge“ of each region “is second to none.“
Filosa, 51, went on to name his leadership team, which included Ralph Gilles as head designer and Olivier François as head of marketing.
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Gilles is credited with the interior designs of the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Viper in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
He is also credited with designing the iconic Chrysler 300c.
The lack of changes to the company's leadership team may have contributed to shares falling slightly in trading on June 23; however, perhaps most surprisingly, Filosa made a different commitment to the North American market.
Filosa will continue as director of North America and work from Detroit, Michigan, emphasizing the importance of the American market to Stellantis' future.
When Filosa was named the new head, it was clear that Stellantis was making a play for North America, but he doubled down on the strategy with his first official proclamations.
Stellantis, Filosa have ground to make up following dismal Q1
While Stellantis is celebrating the start of a new journey, the company faces a steep uphill climb to return to its glory days.
The company reported a 14% year-over-year decline in revenue. Consolidated shipments fell 9% to 1.2 million, which the company blamed on lower North American production.
Despite being a partially U.S.-located brand, Stellantis imported 564,000 vehicles last year, well ahead of Ford's 420,000 imports but below GM's total.
Shortly after President Donald Trump announced his reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners, Stellantis temporarily halted production at its auto assembly factories in Mexico and Canada.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Stellantis would idle its minivan plant in Windsor, Canada, for two weeks and shutter its Jeep facility in Toluca, Mexico, for the rest of the month.
More on carmakers:
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- General Motors makes a $4 billion tariff move
“With the new automotive sector tariffs now in effect, it will take our collective resilience and discipline to push through this challenging time,” Filosa told the Journal. “But we will quickly adapt to these policy changes and will protect our company, maintain our competitive edge, and continue delivering great products to our customers.”
Stellantis reported that total first-quarter U.S. sales decreased 12% year-over-year, despite a 16% increase in Ram brand sales and a 1% increase in Chrysler brand sales. Jeep brand sales saw a 2% increase.
The company reported total sales of 293,225 vehicles in the first three months of the year.
Related: Stellantis former CEO made huge mistake with popular Dodge car
