In around fifty days’ time, Antonio Filosa will unveil his roadmap for getting the Stellantis group back on track, no doubt with a great deal of pragmatism. Might some brands be fearing the worst? Let’s hope we’ll have an answer by 21 May. As for one of the most illustrious brands in the Stellantis galaxy – Peugeot – the decision would be a foregone conclusion, and that would be a huge surprise!
Not only has Peugeot just demonstrated that its future will continue along mainstream lines, with a focus on the premium segment, but behind the scenes, it is said to have taken a bold gamble: reconnecting with the prestigious Italian design house Pininfarina. But take note: this won’t involve the Italian firm designing the future 208, 3008, etc. That is precisely the ingenuity of this upcoming strategy to move upmarket, which we explain here.
The French manufacturer aims to reconnect with its customers and boost its sales volumes. Alain Favey, the brand’s CEO who was appointed just over a year ago (on 3 February 2025), will be able to rely on the upcoming 208/2008 duo in 2026/2027 to achieve this. Alongside the standard product line-up for the future 308, 3008, 5008, 4008 and possibly a new model, Alain Favey and the Stellantis teams are said to be creating a dedicated range for one or more specific high-end models, with the design work entrusted to Pininfarina, in collaboration with Stellantis’ engineering team. This would be the “Peugeot by Pininfarina” line.
The chosen platform is said to be the new-generation STL Large shown above, designed specifically for Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Maserati. It supports 400- and 800-volt architectures as well as a combustion-engine-powered mode. This Peugeot by Pininfarina product line (one or two models, to be confirmed) would be partly derived from future Alfa Romeo models to compete with Audi and Tesla, whilst the Peugeot brand itself would focus on taking on Volkswagen.
The first model is likely to be a large “Tesla-Killer” saloon, a “Tesla-killer” in the words of an internal manager. This new strategy would allow Peugeot to effectively build on two pillars: mainstream-premium and full-fledged premium. It is somewhat akin to the Citroën-DS line-up from the early 2010s, cleverly brought up to date.
When it comes to design, the brand’s new boss can count on the excellence of the team led by Matthias Hossann and on a clear vision backed by a well-defined product plan. The strategy is equally robust, and the return of Gilles Vidal as head of design for the wider European brands at Stellantis reinforces the strength of Peugeot’s design team. After all, Gilles was head of design at Peugeot for ten years (2010–2020) and Matthias was appointed by Jean-Pierre Ploué to lead the brand’s design in 2020. So they’re a formidable team.
If implemented, this new strategy will prevent competition between Pininfarina and Peugeot over the “classic” range – as was the case during the troubled era of Paul Bouvot and Gérard Welter – by establishing two clearly distinct market segments. This surprising strategy, which holds promise in terms of profit margins, should form part of the Stellantis group’s reorganisation.
We will know more in just under two months’ time when Antonio Filosa (above) has outlined his overall plan. It is conceivable that Stellantis could go further by positioning the Italian brand within the same framework as an Alfa-Romeo/Lancia duo. Economies of scale, a simplified network (Pininfarina models could instead be marketed alongside Alfa, Lancia and DS Automobiles within the same premium hub), clearly distinct ranges within each duo, and perhaps the promise of retaining all the brands? Watch this space…
THE STRENGTHS OF THIS NEW PEUGEOT STRATEGY
– a clear move upmarket
– a partnership with a brand that continues to enjoy a prestigious reputation in Europe and beyond
– no clash in design with Peugeot’s current and future models and ranges
– substantial profit margins on both (?) models
– would increase the number of high-margin premium models, all potentially sold through Lancia-Alfa-DS-Peugeot/Pininfarina hubs..
