At Stellantis, the focus has returned to affordable small cars, seen as a key tool to revive a European market in deep crisis. At the IAA Mobility 2025 show in Munich, Jean-Philippe Imparato also took a clear stance. The Chief Operating Officer for the Enlarged Europe region strongly reiterated the group’s intentions. Long critical of the European Union’s rigid EV deadlines, Imparato called on Brussels for concrete guarantees to allow new investments in compact, low-cost models.
Stellantis calls for new EU rules to bring back A-segment cars
The stated goal is to bring A-segment cars back to the lineup, seen as essential for both the market and consumers. Today, small city cars have almost disappeared from European catalogs. It’s a concern repeatedly raised by Chairman John Elkann and, more recently, by new CEO Antonio Filosa, who told Italian magazine Il Sole 24 Ore he would like to see a category of vehicles inspired by Japan’s kei cars. Highlighting the severity of the problem, Imparato recalled: “In 2019 there were 49 models in Europe priced under €15,000. Today, only one remains.”
The executive echoed a theme first raised months ago by Elkann during a discussion with then-Renault CEO Luca de Meo. But compared to those early remarks, Imparato’s proposal appears more concrete and closer to a defined plan. Stellantis intends to present the EU with a project that ensures price lists remain sustainable from an industrial standpoint, without abandoning the environmental and social goals demanded by new generations. According to company data, Europe’s car fleet includes 260 million vehicles with an average age of 12 years, ranging from 10 years in some countries to 17 in others. For Imparato, the challenge is to renew at least 10% of this fleet each year, which would also have clear environmental benefits. In this context, he argues, the Commission should “recognize an ecological benefit for scrapping cars older than 15 years.” Until now, however, EU rules on emissions and homologation have made the production of entry-level cars largely unprofitable.
According to Imparato, what’s needed is a specific category of vehicles with dedicated rules, capable of guaranteeing a starting price below €15,000. The idea is to offer gasoline versions with mild-hybrid technology, top speeds limited to 120 km/h, and solutions designed to be ecological, affordable, and truly European. All models would be designed and built within the continent, under a regulatory framework shaped by both automakers and regulators. What remains to be seen is how the European Commission will respond to this challenge.
