Executive believes that brand can reach 1 million vehicles sold in the country
Antonio Filosa has a very difficult mission in his new professional challenge. Backed by the good work carried out at the head of Stellantis in South AmericaJeep’s new CEO has the mission of improving the brand’s performance in the United States.
Despite the good results at the end of the last decade, when it sold almost 1 million vehicles in 2018, Jeep has never repeated its commercial performance since then.
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Even so, Filosa believes that it is not only possible to repeat the feat achieved six years ago, but also to increase global sales to 2 million units.
“We are building a path to achieve growth, both in volume and profitability”, assured the executive to “Automotive News Europe”.
Jeep pays the price for abandoning market niches
Renegade left the scene in North America due to low sales
Filosa believes that one of the reasons for Jeep’s poor performance was that it abandoned niches in the SUV market.
The Cherokee, for example, had very few updates in its last generation before being discontinued in 2023. The Renegadewhich was the company’s entry car in the country, was also discontinued there.
With just under 643,000 units sold in the United States in 2023, Jeep intends to recover ground with the launch of two electric cars: the Wagoneer S and the Recon, both scheduled to debut this year.
“When you are not present in the fight for medium SUVs, you are out of a segment that in the US represents more than four million units per year. This volume is greater than an entire year of good sales in Germany and the same size of the entire Latin American region”, compared the executive.
“We will cover the market more efficiently from the end of this year with our launches. If we want sustainable growth, we need to be consistent in the debut of new models and never again be caught off guard in crucial segments”, he stated.
In an attempt to increase sales in its home country, Jeep reduced the prices of some models, such as the Grand Cherokee and Compass, by up to US$4,000. The strategy had an effect and caused the brand’s sales to grow 1.8% in the first quarter. Optimistically, Filosa hopes that the company will be able to match or exceed this volume for the remainder of the year.
Wagoneer will have a tough mission to face Tesla
Wagoneer S was well received by dealers
But this task will not be easy. The Wagoneer S will face competition from heavyweights in the electric SUV category, such as the Tesla Model Y, which dominates the segment in the United States, China and Europe. In addition to it, brands like Cadillac and Genesis are also fighting for space.
Despite the difficulties, Filosa believes that Jeep can win over Tesla customers “who are looking for something more sophisticated.” The Italian believes that the Wagoneer S will be able to seduce younger buyers, especially in the northeastern regions of the USA and Florida – and even outside of North America.
“It is a very iconic product that needs to fight against competitors with good acceptance in the United States and other markets. I am honestly optimistic about the model’s acceptance, including in other regions of the planet. We have just shown it to our dealer network in Italy and they loved the vehicle,” he said.
Recon could hook Wrangler customers
Recon wants to hook Wrangler customers who like electrification
As for the Recon, a type of electric Wrangler with removable doors and roof, Filosa believes that the product will attract Jeep fans interested in electrification. Dealers praised the product for its design, which lives up to the Jeep brand identity.
“We need to talk to a huge community of happy Wrangler owners to explain to them that the Recon matches our values and our ability (to tackle trails). I think many will realize this, and I believe we will revolutionize the industry,” he said.
Filosa boosted Stellantis results
Filosa made brands like Fiat grow even more during his management
The current CEO of Jeep was in charge of Stellantis’ operations in South America from 2018 to 2023, when he was appointed to replace Christian Meunier, who left command of Jeep in the United States.
The executive also took the then director of product strategy at Stellantis and vice president of the Ram brand in Brazil, Breno Kamei, there to be globally responsible for Jeep products.
During his “term”, Filosa repositioned all Stellantis brands in Brazil. Fiat is no longer seen as just a popular car brand with the launch of the new Strada and the updated Toro. Jeep launched new launches, such as the Commander, the brand’s first product entirely developed in Brazil.
Ram also did well during the period, which gained autonomy to design and manufacture a vehicle outside the United States, and became a more aspirational brand. Peugeot and Citroën have also stabilized and are experiencing calmer days with new developments and better defined positions.
Capellano voltou ao Brasil para replacer Filosa no commando da Stellantis
With Filosa’s departure, Stellantis called Emmanuel Chaplain to command activities in the region. The Italian, who took office at the beginning of the year, had already worked in Brazil when Stellantis was still called FCA. At the time, Cappellano became the company’s financial director.