When Stellantis When the company presented its business plan a few weeks ago, one detail caught our attention: The group plans to launch 24 HEV hybrid models by 2030. At the time, one question arose: What technology lies behind these future hybrids capable of competing with market leaders like Toyota or Renault E-Tech? Since then, new information from Italy has shed much more light on the matter. And it reveals that Stellantis is developing a solution quite different from the one recently launched in the United States on the new Jeep Cherokee.
A future hybrid based on the… 1.2L engine
According to the latest information provided by Emanuele Cappellano, head of Stellantis Europe, the future European full-hybrid system will be developed in-house and will be available starting in 2027.
The first surprise concerns the internal combustion engine. Contrary to what one might have expected following the launch of the American Jeep Cherokee Hybrid, the new 1.6L HEV will not serve as the basis for the European models. Stellantis has reportedly chosen to rely on an engine already widely used across its lineup: the famous latest-generation 1.2L turbo three-cylinder, now known as the Turbo 100.
This engine is already well known. It is currently found in many of the group’s models, particularly in its 145 ch mild-hybrid version paired with the eDCT transmission, as in the’Alfa Romeo Junior, the Jeep Avenger, and several Peugeot, Opel, and Fiat models.
But this time, it won’t just be a mild hybrid system. The goal is to offer a true full hybrid, capable of running in electric mode more frequently, with significantly greater power assistance and without requiring charging from an outlet—much like the most advanced hybrid systems on the market.
Technology that differs from the U.S. system
This confirmation also puts an end to another assumption. It was thought that Stellantis would simply import to Europe the technology used in the new American Jeep Cherokee. This model combines a 1.6L turbo engine with a hybrid powertrain supplied by Blue Nexus, a Japanese company affiliated with Toyota. Its architecture is based on a system similar to that of Toyota hybrids, with heavy reliance on the electric motor.
However, Emanuele Cappellano has made it clear that the future European full hybrid will be «developed in-house» and not in partnership with an outside supplier. In other words, the American technology will not make its way across the Atlantic in its current form. Reports published in Italy suggest instead that the eDCT transmission already used by Stellantis will be further developed. This automated dual-clutch transmission already incorporates an electric motor in the group’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. This architecture would serve as the basis for the future European HEV system.
A type of motorization set to become widespread
The stakes are high for Stellantis. At its Investor Day, the group announced that this new hybrid technology will be used in vehicles in the B, C, and D segments. According to Stellantis’ presentation, this represents 24 of the 60 models that will be launched by 2030.
Future generations of vehicles based on the STLA One platform could thus benefit from this, whether they are compact SUVs, sedans, or crossovers. The next generation of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, expected around 2028 on the STLA Medium platform, is already among the most likely candidates.
However, this does not mean that the 1.6L engine is definitively off the table for the European market. Cappellano’s clarification is important: what is off the table today is the use of hybrid technology developed with external partners. Nothing, however, prevents Stellantis from adapting other engines in the future—such as the 1.6L EP6 or even the 2.0L GME—to a hybrid technology developed in-house.
With the complete acquisition of Stellantis e-Transmissions, the former joint venture established with Punch Powertrain, the group now has all the tools it needs to develop its own hybrid systems. And as 2027 approaches rapidly, this future 1.2L full hybrid could well become one of the most important powertrains in Stellantis’ entire European lineup by the end of the decade. The eDCT transmission is produced at three plants: Metz (France), Mirafiori (Italy), and Termoli (Italy). Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis, stated that this represents approximately 1.5 million units to be produced per year.
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I'm completely confused: I thought we'd already agreed to bring back engines from FCA?
Me neither, but in the end, there was the announcement of the Turbo 100, and the fact that this EB2 engine will indeed be updated to meet the Euro 7 standard. And all we know officially about the GSE is that it will continue to be produced in Termoli (this has been repeated several times), but I don’t see how Stellantis could logically offer both the Turbo 100 and Firefly engines. I think—and this is just my opinion—that we’re heading toward a lineup consisting of a 1.0L (GSE), a 1.2L (EB2), and a 1.6L (EP6).
As far as I’m concerned, when Stellantis explained that they were going to adapt the GSE to meet the Euro 7 standard, I didn’t understand it to mean that they were going to make it widely available across all brands as a replacement for the Pur… sorry, Turbo. Rather, I thought they were going to keep the Pandina and 500 Ibrida in production for a very long time. And because of that, they had to adapt it to Euro 7 in order to continue selling those models—and therefore that engine. With Stellantis, I think you have to read between the lines to understand the group’s strategy…
At least I know for sure what my next car won't be—it won't be a Stellantis.
We'll just have to get used to the idea of no longer driving an Italian car.
That’s the end of the road for Italian brands with the 1.2 PureTech 3-cylinder full-hybrid engine, which seems to be showing up everywhere. As much as I love Italian cars, there are limits.