SHANGHAI – Stellantis will start producing Jeeps in China next year, resuming output of the American icon in the country after a four-year hiatus to export newly developed electrified variants around the world, with the notable exception of one key market: the U.S.
Stellantis will partner with Dongfeng Motor Group to make two electrified models for Jeep and two for Peugeot. The entries will use Dongfeng’s electrified-vehicle technology and get advanced driver-assistance systems from Chinese developer Momenta.
Stellantis will sell the Jeep vehicles in China and in global markets including Canada and Mexico, Lv Haitao, general manager of Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology, said at a Sept. 24 briefing here.
Keep up with product planning news with Automotive News' regularly updated database.
Future Product database: 5-year vehicle timelines
Future Product guide: Our 10-week series on future products by brand
The Jeeps won’t be sold in the U.S. “for reasons we all know,” he said, alluding to the thicket of hurdles facing Chinese-made electric vehicles in the U.S. market, including steep tariffs.
In resuming Jeep output for exports, Stellantis joins a rush of automakers in turning China into a global export hub. Mazda, Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover are among the players tapping the technology and cost competitiveness of their Chinese partners to quickly develop electrified models for the global market.
Shipping abroad also helps automakers soak up underutilized factory capacity in China amid the country’s unprecedented sales slump.
Stellantis and Dongfeng established Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology in the central city of Wuhan in August to develop electrified models for Jeep and Peugeot.
The vehicles will be fully electric and plug-in hybrids, according to a product plan released in August. Stellantis will launch the models in China from the second half of 2027 and distribute the models through its own networks outside China, Lv said.
Stellantis will produce the new models at Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile — the company’s production joint venture with Dongfeng in Wuhan, which now assembles gasoline models for Citroen and Peugeot.
Why China-made Jeeps won’t be sold in the U.S.
Selling the vehicles in the U.S. would be a challenge. In September 2024, the U.S. imposed 100 percent tariffs on China-made electric vehicles. The U.S. also plans to restrict imports and sales of connected vehicles with software from China starting with the 2027 model year and hardware from China starting with the 2030 model year.
Lv didn’t provide further details on his company’s export plan for the Jeep models.
Jeep’s production in China dates to 1985, when American Motors Corp. started assembling the Cherokee crossover at a joint venture with Beijing Automobile Works.
Cherokee production continued in Beijing through Chrysler’s acquisition of American Motors Corp. in 1987 and through the merger between Daimler and Chrysler in 1998.
It ended in 2008 after Daimler split with Chrysler.
In 2014, Fiat Chrysler’s partnership with GAC Group Co. resumed Jeep production and rolled out four Jeep models from 2015 to 2018 — the Cherokee, Compass and Renegade crossovers and the Grand Commander SUV.
In 2022, Stellantis closed the joint venture after sales of the four locally produced models, per GAC’s tally, shrank to some 20,000 vehicles from a peak of 203,000 in 2017 amid the Chinese market’s shift to electrified vehicles.
Jeep sells three imported models in China – the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler SUVs and the Gladiator pickup, according to its local website.
China-made electrified Jeep models will feature ‘intelligent’ driving technology
Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology separately inked a deal Sept. 24 with Momenta, a leading Chinese developer of autonomous driving software. The companies will jointly develop advanced driver-assistance systems based on Momenta’s technology.
Momenta said it will work with Jeep and Peugeot to “create advanced intelligent driving experiences tailored to the distinct character of each brand.”
According to Momenta, the artificial intelligence-powered systems will be installed in the first batch of Jeep and Peugeot electrified models to be sold in China, Europe and other markets. They can deliver advanced urban assisted driving, autonomous parking, smart lane-selection, and agile navigation through narrow and complex spaces.
