Renowned automotive giant: will not split the group, will not sell the Maserati brand!

On March 13, Wang Chao, member of the Stellantis Group Asia-Pacific Executive Committee and Vice President of Communications, responded to rumors such as “Stellantis Group may disintegrate” and “Maserati brand may be sold” to a reporter from the Daily Economic News, stating: “The Maserati brand is not for sale to outsiders. The claim that Stellantis Group plans to split the group is completely unfounded; such assertions are purely speculation and fabrication.”

In addition, there are reports that Stellantis Group is exploring cooperation plans with Chinese automakers, hoping to inject funds into European operations by introducing Chinese capital, and has already contacted Xiaomi Group and Xpeng Motors to discuss restructuring plans for Stellantis Group’s European business. One possibility is that Chinese companies may acquire stakes in Maserati or other brands. Against the backdrop of Chinese automakers seeking to expand their presence in the European market, both sides are also discussing the use of Stellantis Group’s production capacity in Europe.

In response, Wang Chao said: “As part of Stellantis Group’s normal business operations, we are engaging in discussions with excellent industry companies around the world on various topics. Stellantis Group always aims to ‘provide the best mobility solutions for customers.’ We do not comment on speculative reports.”

Although the official statement denies the rumors, Stellantis Group still faces certain operational challenges. Financial reports show that in 2025, Stellantis Group achieved a net revenue of 153.51B euros, a 2% decline from 156.88B euros in 2024.

Stellantis Group stated that the decline in revenue was mainly due to two factors: first, adverse effects from foreign exchange fluctuations; second, a decrease in net product prices in the first half of 2025. Despite a slight increase in full-year sales, these negative factors could not be offset.

Stellantis Group CEO Antonio Filosa said: “The group’s full-year performance in 2025 reflects that we overestimated the pace of energy transition, and also highlights the need to realign our business around customer needs, allowing all customers to freely choose among various models powered by pure electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engines.”

Industry analysts believe that Chinese automakers’ technology and capital may help Stellantis improve its European operations, especially in electric vehicle technology and software.

Currently, Stellantis has established a partnership with Leap Motor, jointly forming a 51%-owned joint venture, Leap International, with Stellantis holding a 15% stake in Leap Motor, becoming an important strategic shareholder.

Based on this cooperation framework, models such as Leap C10 have successfully entered Stellantis’s mature European dealership network. By the end of 2025, Leap will have established over 750 sales outlets in Europe through this channel, and both parties have finalized plans for localized production. Leap’s first global model, B10, will be produced in the fourth quarter of 2026 at Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant in Spain, alongside other group models, with an annual capacity of 300k units.