Stellantis Just KILLED These Car Brands

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:01]It's noon here in Ventner City, New Jersey and our nation's capital, Washington DC. And this is Car Edge Live for Thursday, May 21st. 1st May 21st with your hosts, me, Ray, here in my living room in Ventner and Zach hanging out one last day with his life ring in Washington.

[00:00:22]How are you today, handsome?

[00:00:23]>> Doing well, Pops. Excited to see you this evening for dinner. Can't wait to celebrate our younger my younger. I guess he's both of our cousin. Our cousin's graduation.

[00:00:32]>> Yeah. Our cousin's graduation from college. So, can't wait to do that this afternoon. But before, >> yes, >> we're gonna do today's show. And before we do today's show, we're gonna remind y'all that me and my dad for the past six years have been working on caredge.com.

[00:00:47]Save $2,487 on your next car. Let us do the work.

[00:00:51]>> On average. On average. On average. For those of you that are unfamiliar, we work for you, not car dealers. We're in your corner. You can learn more about our car buying services or our research tools or even dealer reviews back at caredge.com. And I strongly encourage anyone that's interested in learning more or sharing with us where you are in your car buying journey. You can get a free consultation call with our team back at car edge.com.

[00:01:17]We have an incredible group of people that work here at Car Edge. Lots and lots and lots of industry experience. We are here to help you. Now, Dad, the big story this morning. Yes, it is Stellantis investor day update and they have effectively decided that they are going to kill a few of their brands. At least that's our read on the room.

[00:01:35]Stantis plans nine new North American vehicles under $40,000 by 2030. If I'm not mistaken, three vehicles under $30,000 as well is their goal. But the big headline is right here, Dad. The company's new $70 billion five-year plan being unveiled by CEO Antonio Felosa and other executives during a May 21st dayong presentation to investors calls for directing 70% of their global investment to Jeep, Ram, Pujo, Fiat, and the Pro One commercial division. There are a couple brands, Dad, not listed in that uh lineup right there. What's that say to you? Um, it says to me you're going to be going to your Jeep Ram dealers in the future, not your Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealers in the future.

[00:02:22]Um, yeah, seems as if Chrysler, which was the the founder, Walter Chrysler of of the Chrysler Corporation, um, and and the Chrysler brand, seems as if, um, you know, when you look at that that well, perhaps Chrysler and and Dodge that were a big part of Stalantis at one time are are ultimately eventually going to find themselves uh um, out of business are on the wayside or or just a second thought at best.

[00:02:57]>> You and I've made many videos over the years talking about automotive brands that may go by the wayside to your point there and Chrysler and Dodge have been on them from time to time. It is interesting, Deb. This is their big reset over at Stalantis and they intentionally left off Chrysler and Dodge, which leads me to want to do my favorite thing that we do on this show, which is a bit of a live experiment. in that live experiment that is what the heck do Chrysler and Dodge even sell right now? So, I'm going to come here.

[00:03:22]Let's shop cars, new cars. What's going on in the world of Chrysler and Dodge?

[00:03:26]Because again, it looks like those two brands are on their way out. And if I sort here, let's let's look at it.

[00:03:32]>> Well, I you know, I I you know, I saw that and I said to myself, okay, they're they're they're on the way out. I mean only 70 only 30% of that 70 billion will be for other brands in Stalantis's lineup and well those other brands are many above and beyond uh Chrysler and Dodge you know um Alfa Romeo is one and and there are others so it it it >> that Maserati is another yeah no there are there are quite a few that are going to be spread across that 30%. It It's very It seems clear to me >> that they're saying those brands are either going to be dissolved, sold off, go by the wayside. Like that's what it says to me. But then look at this, Dad.

[00:04:21]Chrysler nationwide right now >> Yeah.

[00:04:23]>> only has 17,397 new cars for sale.

[00:04:28]>> Is it only the Is it only the Pacifica?

[00:04:31]>> No. Okay.

[00:04:32]>> No.

[00:04:32]>> Yeah, it is. It's the Pacifically. Yes.

[00:04:36]>> The Pacifica and the Voyager. all that Chrysler dealers have right now. So, so essentially what you're saying is Chrysler is out of business as as we sit here today and as we speak that there would only be 17,000 brand new Chryslers available.

[00:04:56]>> And Dodge has the Charger, the Durango, and the Hornet, which is interesting because the Hornet is actually one of the vehicles that they called out by name in automotive news as a vehicle that they want to relaunch. This is like absolutely >> when did they say that I what >> they're supposedly going to do three new Chrysler crossovers and a Dodge Hornet doover. So like that is the investment that they're making is they're going to do over like it seems like either they're going down the path of they're going to get rid of these brands or they're going to make them they're super inexpensive options coming to the market. So yeah, you can see here Chrysler is going to add three crossovers to their lineup by 2030 that are smaller than the current Pacifica minivan. Okay. All right. See, >> and you're b you're betting Dodge.

[00:05:40]You're betting the resurrection of Dodge is on the back of a redone Dodge Hornet.

[00:05:44]>> Okay.

[00:05:46]>> Here here's here's what I would say to to to that. Especially the Well, we're going to bring out three models under $30,000 and we're going to bring out what was it? Seven or nine models under $40,000.

[00:06:00]>> Yep.

[00:06:01]>> In 2030. Okay. So, we we we keep we keep saying we're going to >> these brands even survive until 2030.

[00:06:09]>> Yeah, but but who cares? Here's the point. We keep saying that we're going to bring out vehicles at price points that could be might be possibly be attainable today.

[00:06:27]and we're going to announce that it'll fall under a certain price point at today's numbers when in reality we know three or four years from now those numbers won't exist, won't be doable. Um, every every manufacturer who has said in the past that we're bringing this out or we're bringing that out and they've and they've quoted a price that it was going to be, oh, it's going to be under 40,000, it's going to be under third, whatever. It's it's never come out anywhere near that price. Okay. The Ford Lightning the day they took 150,000 deposits was going to be $39,995.

[00:07:16]You couldn't find one at that price if your life depended on it. Okay. The Cyber Truck was going to be $39,995.

[00:07:30]Never happened. So if if if you if if the headlines are going to be and Ford has done it and now Stellantis is doing it. If the headline's going to be we're going to be bringing out three models that are under $30,000.

[00:07:47]That sounds good based on today's dollars. That sounds not doable based on the fact that well in 2030 that's four freaking years from now. Okay.

[00:07:58]>> Yeah. You think you think there's going to be any inflation between now and then?

[00:08:03]>> Of course, Dad. Of course. But I mean, at least they are doing the things that you would want them to do. Like they are t they are they're talking about it. But dad, do you think >> Oh, come on. That's like me talking about being six foot. I'm 55 and a half on a good day, you know. Yeah. I I Yeah.

[00:08:20]Yeah. I always wanted to be 5'7. Never never happened. Never will happen. Do you think this is setting the path to sunset these brands or do you think they actually have conviction behind what it will take time? So they're saying by 2030 it seems like Chrysler and Dodge are going to be their down market low price options.

[00:08:40]That's what it looks like.

[00:08:41]>> Well, let me question I ask is are we actually going to get to 2030 and they're still going to be solvent?

[00:08:46]They're still going to want to invest in that. I don't know.

[00:08:48]>> Well, here's the real question.

[00:08:51]>> They couldn't they couldn't sell the Hornet the first time around. Yeah, but you know they priced the Hornet really really really expensively, didn't they?

[00:08:58]>> No, they did not. That that that was there were Hornets that were in the low30s when they when they first came out.

[00:09:07]>> This is crazy. By the way, there's 347 new 2024 Dodge Hornets still just sitting out there.

[00:09:13]>> Okay. So, so there were >> But they some of them got expensive, Dad. 50,000.

[00:09:18]>> Some got expensive. But my point is they were in the low30s and they couldn't sell them.

[00:09:26]>> Okay. No one tries harder. I love that.

[00:09:28]That's a great That's great. No one tries harder.

[00:09:31]>> No. For for what they grab the to whatever. I don't I don't know anything about so I'm going to keep my but but my point is that if if you if you couldn't sell the Hornet the first time around >> okay and it was based on a uh on on a sportier European vehicle the Alpha Romeo. So, if you couldn't sell that the first time around, what makes you think that anybody's going to clamor for it the second time around? If there was no interest the first time, why would you why would you reboot it? Why wouldn't you just boot it out of the lineup forever? Never never to bring back that name.

[00:10:22]>> It just doesn't make sense to me. Well, maybe dad, there's another piece of work that Stalantis has announced that they're going to do, which maybe is going to be the saving grace. So, let's share this news with our community.

[00:10:32]Stalantis Jaguar Land Rover explore potential US tie-up. The two automakers are exploring a deal to develop vehicles together in the US market. Maybe this, Dad, is going to be the saving grace over its Lantis and Jaguar Land Rover.

[00:10:45]What do you make of this news? Well, uh, you know, we we already know that many Jeeps fail and we and we really know that Land Rover, as the old saying goes, if you're a Land Rover owner and you want to drive one seven days a week, you need two. You need to own two because one of the two will not be in operation the whole week. Um so maybe if they combine forces they can find a whole new way to fail.

[00:11:17]They can bring failure to a whole new level. It it is it it's like I get that that Land Rover has a certain cache associated with it. At one time Jaguar did as well. Certainly doesn't anymore.

[00:11:34]Um, but I mean, are they going to resurrect the Grand Wagon here at 120 grand when they do that? I mean, what is the >> point? But maybe now it'll have Maybe now it'll have a JLR badge on it, too.

[00:11:50]So, you can justify that price point.

[00:11:53]>> You still can you Yeah. Yeah. Okay. What What Yeah. So the the people that buy those are buying the cache of the JLR brand, the Land Rover brand. And it's >> we've talked about that. We've talked about on those brands that may no longer exist. Jaguar has also been on those lists that we've done because there's no real sign. Wait, let's actually do a little pulse check, a momentary pulse check. A sign of life from Jaguar.

[00:12:21]>> Is there a sign of life from Jaguar?

[00:12:23]>> Let's look together. How many new Jaguars are for sale nationwide right now in the United States? You got 1,700.

[00:12:32]>> There you have it. Is that a sign of life or is or is that a sign of well, we're on our deathbed?

[00:12:39]>> I interpret it as a sign that we're on our >> I think they're in hospice care, honestly.

[00:12:43]>> And what's interesting is the strategy to resurrect Jaguar is to pair it up with two other brands, you know, Chrysler, Dodge, and and then everything else under the Santis uh umbrella. Like that's that's the solution here. I just I find it >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Is is that really a solution? Is that Is that >> Look how many days these have been on the market. 234 479 234 480 481 154.

[00:13:07]Okay, here we go. Finally, some fresh inventory. I mean, a lot of >> Wow. Wow. I I don't get I mean I I mean how do those two brands come together and think there's going to be synergies? I mean what what is what is the synergistic force behind those two brands coming together? You have basically one brand in North America, Jaguar, that took the year off because they were they were going to come out the following year with an all electrified offering. Not sure that's still the case. I have no idea what they're doing.

[00:13:49]Um, and you pair them with Stellantis who has struggled mightily but is finally figuring out a way to turn things around. And it seems to me what they have figured out to turn things around is to to some degree go back to their roots and start offering less expensive vehicles that fit their customer base as opposed to going upscale and leaving their customers behind and and then watching sales go down. And and so if if they're going to go back to what their customer base is, how does that match up with Jaguar Land Rover? Uh Jaguar is is a luxury brand. Land Rover is a luxury uh four-wheel drive off-road type brand.

[00:14:44]Where's the synergy? Where where's where's where's it all mesh other than to say, you know, well, we tried the cheap Grand Wagon here at 100 plus thousands and that that that didn't work. So, let's let's mesh up with with Jaguar Land Rover and figure out how we can come up with some products here that that our customers aren't going to want to buy either.

[00:15:10]>> Yeah. Crazy to see those two getting in bed with one another. Dad, we do got to give uh some credit here, at least in terms of what they're saying they're going to do in 2028, which is sooner than 2030. Yes, >> Ram is going to come out with a compact pickup truck to challenge Ford with the Maverick. Now, this is interesting because Toyota is rumored to be coming out with a compact pickup truck as well.

[00:15:29]So, the expectation here, Dad, is this is going to be a Ford Maverick competitor. This is going to come out 2028 >> and uh you know, based on the Ram Rampage, which is currently sold in South uh South America. This I think Dad could be where the bounce back happens for Stantis. Products like these, a compact S, excuse me, a compact pickup truck. The Maverick has been selling great, you know, ever since it came out.

[00:15:53]This could be Ram's way to get back into the business.

[00:15:56]>> Yes. No, absolutely. You know, is is is there a market for compact, inexpensive pickup trucks? because um full-size pickup trucks have have gotten too expensive. So, yes, I think I think because the the price of full-size pickup trucks has gotten so high that they have artificially created a market for compact, inexpensive pickup trucks.

[00:16:27]it that that that market might never have been as robust as it is now had prices of full-size pickup trucks not gotten ridiculous.

[00:16:40]>> We um we look at me and my dad every single day we look at on automotive newsws.com they put >> this chart right here and it updates every day and it is >> it's damning guys like I don't know another way to say it's damning. So, when we're talking about like the prices of full-size pickups have gotten so expensive, they're about $15,000 more on average than the number you're seeing right there. Year-over-year, we're up $1,813.

[00:17:02]Just in the last 30 days, we're up a grand. The average marketed price for new cars in the United States. Like, yeah, I literally look at this every single day and it's it just keeps going.

[00:17:14]>> I I look at it as well. And so every time I hear a manufacturer talk about how they are going to bring to market more affordable vehicles at at sub $30,000 price points or sub $40,000 price points. I look at this and I say to myself, they are so full of you can fill in the blank. Um that it it's it's not so every one of their actions is the opposite of their words. I I you know, a a $1,800 increase year overyear. I guarantee you most people's incomes haven't gone up $1,800 yearoveryear.

[00:18:03]Um, a $926 higher one than a month ago. It is it is one thing to talk about it.

[00:18:15]>> Y >> okay. It is another thing to actually do it. And I honestly believe that this is just talk, okay? It is nothing more than corporate speak, okay? To make it seem as if they are understanding of what the situation is, but yet their actions never seem to match those words. And every indication is that pricing is continuing to go up and that they that they are more concerned with servicing the small percentage of people who can actually afford to buy the vehicles at the prices that they're at.

[00:19:08]>> I think eventually we're going to see that number that you and I track every single day go in the opposite direction.

[00:19:14]2028 for the new Ram uh small pickup truck. Hopefully it happens sooner than later. But it's an interesting day over in Stalantis land. Some brands seemingly on their path towards uh being a dinosaur, at least is the way I think about that. Let's switch gears here.

[00:19:28]We've got from Scott. Appreciate this, Scott. Thanks.

[00:19:31]>> Got you. Thank you, Scott.

[00:19:33]>> Ram just literally pooped on all the truck market with the release of their new Rumble B and the big V8s for next year. They are also going deep and heavy on internal combustion engine vehicles, so that'll also be interesting to see how that plays out. Tim Kaniscus.

[00:19:46]Everyone was happy when he got put into his position because he seems to really understand his customers.

[00:19:51]>> WELL, THAT'S IT. THAT THAT I MEAN that's it. You know, there there were two types of customers for for those brands. Okay.

[00:20:02]One set of customers. The vast majority of their customers were lower price point vehicles, more affordable vehicles. And the other subset of their customers were muscle car customers, muscle car buyers, the people that wanted the big Hemi V8s, you know, that the big muscle cars, whether it be a muscle car or muscle truck.

[00:20:28]Okay. So at least you you see through the advent of coming out with the the big V8s again and the Hemi engines again that that yes, they they understand that's a that's a pretty sizable chunk of their customer base and okay, we're going to relent and we're going to give you what you want, what you'll actually buy from us. Um, so that's a step in the right direction. And I don't know if you've noticed, but that happened a hell of a lot quicker than them saying, "Well, we're going to by 2030 bring out a >> different timelines for sure." Dad, I want to give everyone a friendly reminder. We have a dealer review platform back at car edge.com that is pretty crazy if I may say so myself. For those of you that are unfamiliar, go to car edge.com, dealer reviews, or more and more often now, if you search things like, is there an honest Subaru dealer near me? Something like that. It's showing up more and more in Google and in the AI stuff. Now, what's interesting here is Capital Subaru, unfortunately, they got an Fgrade from Car Edge. And the reason they did, I'm going to scroll on down here, is because, okay, no crazy dock fee, but they have insane add-ons.

[00:21:42]And what's incredible about this is we can actually view the quotes right here.

[00:21:46]The first uh out the door price quote from this dealership dad on a used Subaru >> included all of these add-ons.

[00:21:55]>> Oh my god.

[00:21:58]That's that's that's that that's $13,400 worth of stuff.

[00:22:05]>> Now, no dock fee, right? They just put it in other fees down here. But this is insanity. So this is But you got to love the $599 and other accessories.

[00:22:14]>> Yeah.

[00:22:16]Spaceless accessories.

[00:22:18]>> In case you didn't have all your accessories, we got you with the other accessories as well. This is the type of stuff we're calling dealers out for back on our dealer reviews. So, please, please, please, car edge.com/deers.

[00:22:30]If you're not using this, you need to use this in your car shopping experience because, well, now you know not to waste your time with that particular dealer who's going to give you a quote that adds $13,000 in add-ons. Absolute insanity. Again, just wanted to bring awareness to that.

[00:22:46]We're going to call the show a little bit early today. I am moving. All right.

[00:22:49]The mover is going to be here in 8 minutes.

[00:22:52]>> Okay.

[00:22:52]>> I am so grateful no one can see what's going on in this apartment right now.

[00:22:55]So, today's moving day, which is very exciting. I'll be in a new office tomorrow, Dad. Very excited for that.

[00:23:01]I'm going to get someone to come in and help me design it because I really want to have like a good feel in there. I want it to feel nice. I want the background to look nice. If you have suggestions for what should be in my background in the new office, I'm all yours. I would love some community input there. And as always, if we can help anyone with anything, car edge.com is where we have all of our products, services, and support.

[00:23:20]>> Well, I can't wait to see the new office and actually uh um maybe do a show from the new office. Or maybe I can wait because that requires me to go to DC, which requires me first to get to Philadelphia, then take the train, and then D. But but may I say it'll be wonderful to see you and your sister y >> and may I say girlfriend.

[00:23:44]>> Yeah. Girlfriend. Yeah.

[00:23:46]>> Who I've never met. Um um at dinner tonight. Um celebrating Jason's graduation from uh from John's Hopkins University.

[00:23:56]>> John Hopkins.

[00:23:58]>> I thought it was John's Hopkins. Is >> it John Hopkins or John's Hopkins?

[00:24:02]>> John's Hopkins.

[00:24:04]John's hop John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John Hopkins >> John Hopkins >> they got rid Yeah, they got rid of K.

[00:24:11]All right, folks. We're back tomorrow. I love you, Dad. I'll see you. Safe travel.

[00:24:14]>> I love you, too. Safe travels to Baltimore. I'll see you there this afternoon.

[00:24:19]>> John's Hopkins.

[00:24:22]>> John's Hopkins.

[00:24:25]>> Yes. Isn't that what it is? John's Hopkins.

[00:24:28]>> Yeah, probably.

[00:24:29]>> Yeah. kind of like