Stellantis is escalating a program of lower prices on new cars in France as part of a concerted effort to revive sales volumes in its largest market in Europe. The company began implementing price reductions in late 2025 and has moved to intensify those measures at the start of 2026, according to a statement from the automaker's French leadership.
Xavier Duchemin, who runs Stellantis operations in France, set out the company's approach on Wednesday, describing the package of measures as a deliberate repositioning intended to increase sales. "We are cutting prices, we are repositioning some brands. We take a bet, we need to get volumes back," he told reporters.
Those moves are already visible in the retail offers available to consumers. Stellantis has put in place discounts on a number of its smaller models. The Opel Corsa, for example, is now offered with a starting price of 5,900, while the Fiat Pandina has a starting price of 9,900. In addition, the Peugeot 208 is being marketed with a monthly leasing rate of 208.
The company framed the strategy as a volume-first play in a market it described as its largest in Europe. Executives began cutting prices toward the end of 2025 and are now increasing the intensity of those cuts as 2026 begins. Duchemin's remarks underline the deliberate nature of the program - a combination of price reductions and brand repositioning intended to boost unit sales.
The initial measures have concentrated on smaller models, where the automaker has introduced concrete, consumer-facing pricing and leasing options. Beyond the specific offers cited, Stellantis has not released additional financial details or quantified targets for the volume recovery in France.
At this stage the company characterizes the initiative as a calculated bet to restore sales volumes in a key market. How the program will perform over the coming months remains to be seen, as the approach depends on whether discounted pricing and brand repositioning succeed in driving the higher volumes Stellantis is seeking.