Stellantis North American Shipments Surge, Helped By The Hemi V8’s Return

• The return of models like the iconic HEMI V8 is thought to have been a key driver.
• In North America, shipments climbed 38 percent through the second quarter this year.
• Updates to the Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and Cherokee have also helped.

Stellantis has reported a sharp spike in shipments through the second quarter of this year, thanks mostly to a surge across North America and the company’s renewed commitment to models that people actually want to drive.

In the second quarter, Stellantis shipped a total of 1,597,000 vehicles worldwide, representing a 10 percent increase from the 1,447,000 sold in the same period last year. In North America, shipments surged 38 percent from roughly 323,000 units to 445,000 units.

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A caveat on the math. These are shipments rather than deliveries, so they count vehicles sent to dealers and distributors along with those bound for retail and fleet buyers. Stellantis credits the North American jump to fresh metal and powertrains, the Ram 1500 HEMI V8, the new Ram 1500 TRX SRT, the updated Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee, and the reworked Chrysler Pacifica, plus the ramp-up of the all-new Jeep Cherokee. Building stock ahead of the summer production shutdown padded the figure too.

Ram

During the second quarter of last year, Stellantis also wasn’t selling either the two-door or four-door versions of the Charger with its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine, as it is now. Initially, this model was sold exclusively as an EV.

It’s not just North America where things are going well. In Europe, shipments have increased by 5 percent year-over-year, the equivalent of approximately 39,000 additional units. Key drivers for the company included the Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross, as well as the Opel/Vauxhall Frontera and Fiat Grande Panda. Similarly, demand for the Jeep Compass has risen. Shipments of Leapmotor models have also jumped from roughly 25,000 units to 33,000.

Old Models And Market Declines

Leapmotor

Not everything is rosy. Shipments of several other Stellantis models across Europe have declined, including the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600, Opel Mokka, and Peugeot 2008.

Declines were noted in certain markets. For example, shipments have dropped 4 percent in the Middle East & Africa from 125,000 units to 121,000 units. Similarly, shipments were down 7 percent in South America to 253,000, while remaining steady at 16,000 across Asia Pacific.

Citroen