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Fiat Chrysler and Renault are in advanced partnership talks

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are in advanced discussions about a possible alliance, according to a report from the Financial Times citing an anonymous "person familiar with the matter." The news isn't particularly surprising, as FCA has been a constant subject of merger and alliance talks for as long as many of us can remember. We've reported on a potential tie-up between these two automakers several times, as far back as 2008 and as recently as two months ago. FCA CEO Mike Manley has mentioned the company's openness to merging with another automaker. At the Geneva Motor Show a few months back, he said, "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that." It's no secret that FCA is much stronger in the United States than it is in Europe. For its part, Renault has basically zero presence in the United States. A partnership or potential alliance between the two could shore up each automaker's weak spots and allow the group to split investment money into new technologies, including electric vehicles and autonomy. Of course, Renault is already tied up with Nissan and Mitsubishi, but that partnership has been a little tattered since the arrest of former Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct in Japan. And in addition to Renault, FCA is understood to have discussed various partnership strategies with the PSA Peugeot Citroen group. What a final agreement – if there's any agreement at all – could look like between the two global automakers remains to be seen, and the report from Financial Times cautions that many different options for FCA and Renault are currently on the table. In other words, stay tuned.

Stellantis is open to putting a gas engine in its EVs to meet demand

With the EV segment caught in a tug-of-war between market demand and government regulations, carmakers are having to adapt to avoid losing both money and sales. Stellantis is keeping every option on the table, including putting a gasoline engine in its electric models. Natalie Knight, the chief financial officer for Stellantis, made the announcement while presenting the carmaker's first-quarter shipment and revenues results. She cited the Jeep Wagoneer S as an example: Unveiled in January 2024, it will go on sale with an electric powertrain, but the brand hasn't ruled out expanding the lineup with a gasoline-powered model later on, according to Wards Auto. It could be a hybrid, or it might not get any type of electrification. The call will depend on whether there is "a clear demand for that in the market," the executive said. Compare that with comments from new Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa, who has said hybridizing the Wagoneer S isn't in the cards — but making a PHEV version of the all-electric upcoming Recon, however, might be. "I don't want to ignore the fact that we want to stay close to the consumer, and if we see there's an opportunity with those models that we introduced as BEVs first, we'll look into that," Knight said. Stellantis plans to launch 25 new models globally in 2024, and 18 of those will go on sale with electric power. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll remain electric-only throughout their production run. The brands that live under the Stellantis umbrella can build a gasoline-powered version of an EV with relative ease because many of the cars in the group's portfolio ride on a multi-energy platform. For example, the new Dodge Charger (pictured) will go on sale with an electric drivetrain later in 2024, but the range will grow with the addition of a 3.0-liter straight-six in 2025. Across the pond, the Jeep Avenger (a small, hatchback-like crossover not designed with our market in mind) was hyped as an all-electric model when it made its debut in 2023, but it quietly gained a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain in early 2024. The city-friendly Peugeot 208 is offered with piston or battery power, too. One of the next electric recipients of a gasoline engine might be the new-to-us Fiat 500e. The retro-styled hatchback has exclusively been available as an EV since it went on sale in Europe in 2020, but executives are reportedly looking at turning it into a hybrid due to slow sales.

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Although a little bit later than expected, Mazda and Fiat have signed a final agreement that will bring a next-generation MX-5 Miata to the Japanese automaker and a new roadster to Alfa Romeo. When the proposed arrangement was announced back in May, the two automakers had hoped to seal the deal last year, but it doesn't appear that the production timeline for these cars has slipped any, with both expected to start rolling off assembly lines in 2015.
Other than a shared chassis with a rear-wheel-drive layout, it sounds like the two cars are still planned to be distinct in their own ways from their styling right down to their engines. Mazda will produce both cars at a plant in Hiroshima, Japan, but it isn't clear what role each automaker will play in the cars' developmental process. The big question, of course, is what clever portmanteau name we can come up with, like Toyobaru. Mazda Romeo is the easy choice, but Alfazda might roll off the tongue a little better.
Scroll down for a brief press release from both automakers.