Stellantis: CEO Carlos Tavares explains his vision of a car's nationality

Since the merger of FCA and PSA that gave birth to Stellantis, a recurring question has been on the minds of car enthusiasts: what happened to the DNA of Italian cars? With the arrival of new models such as the Lancia Ypsilon and Alfa Romeo JuniorOne is assembled in Spain, the other in Poland, using advanced PSA platforms and PureTech engines, the question of Italian identity is more relevant than ever.

Take the Fiat 500, for example, which for a long time was manufactured in Poland. Nobody questioned its Italian identity, since it was based on a Fiat platform, with a Fiat engine and a Fiat design. But with new models like the Fiat 600, Lancia Ypsilon and Alfa Romeo Juniorthe question persists: what's left of Italian in these cars?

For Guillaume Clerc, Product Manager at Fiat, whom we interviewed several months ago, the answer is clear: "Simplicity, accessibility in terms of price, the joyful and fresh side, the smile." Olivier François, CEO of Fiat, agrees, saying that the Italian identity is based on "Italian design, simplicity and joie de vivre ('la dolce vita')". At no point is there any mention of technical elements.

Carlos Tavaresat the presentation of the new Lancia Ypsilon HFoffered an even more pragmatic view of the issue. Taking this model as an example, he said: "This product was created in Turin in our design studio, developed in Turin by our team of engineers, and set up on the Balocco track. In terms of features, this car is Italian. Whether you're for or against it, the real value lies in the fact that the design was done in Turin, the development was done in Turin, and the driving and comfort specifics were defined in this region."

Tavares goes on to explain an often overlooked aspect of the automotive industry For those who don't understand and are not well-informed, the total cost of a car before it is delivered to the dealer, the place of assembly on which everyone focuses, represents only 10 % of the cost of the car. So, tell me, where is the value created? Is it in the design studio, in the development and configuration team, or at the assembly site? I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

All in all, According to Tavares, the identity of a car is not simply its place of assembly. It's a whole set of factors - design, development, configuration - that determine the essence and soul of a vehicle. In the case of the new Lancia Ypsilon and other Stellantis models, he insists that Italianness is very much present, rooted in the creative and technical processes carried out in Italy. It's a subject that's sure to be the talk of the town!