Need product refreshes every 6-12 months in India: Stellantis India’s Shailesh Hazela

In a departure from the usual European practice, Stellantis aims to reduce the model intervention from a three-year cycle, to around a year, to ensure that cars remain relevant for the domestic Indian market.

The fourth largest automaker in the world aims to capitalise on its local R&D network, and is working on several interventions of the existing models to stake a claim in the highly competitive Indian passenger vehicle market.

Planning to capitalize on its local R&D network, the global auto giant is working on several interventions of the existing models to stake a claim in a highly competitive Indian passenger vehicle market.

Shailesh Hazela, the MD and CEO of Stellantis India said, “We have learned that the Indian market needs freshness frequently. Unlike the product action seen in 18-24 months in European markets, in India, we need to introduce freshness every six months.”

Interestingly, within a year of launching the C3 AirCross, upgrades have already been recently introduced and the company will keep introducing upgrades as well as updates on models to ensure they remain relevant to the market’s changing needs. The global auto giant also added that the automatic transmission to its C3 sub-compact SUV will offer a broader alternative to the consumers.

Upgrades have already been introduced recently, and even with future models, Hazela assures that Stellantis will keep bringing upgrades and updates on its models to ensure they remain relevant to the market's changing needs. The company also added the automatic transmission to its C3 sub-compact SUV to offer a broader alternative to the consumers.

While Citroen-branded models are very attractive in the market due to their frugal engineering, the cars are considered under-equipped in features and tech—a facet that Hazela is keen on addressing.

“We are challenging local engineers to do more. So, instead of moving from goal post 1 to 2, can the local engineers deliver a 1.2 solution relevant to India, yet (in a) cost-effective (manner)?,” Hazela noted, adding that this was how they were amalgamating these changes so they don’t have to “resort to big shifts and tear up the cost.”

Stellantis's three key technology pillars are STLA Autodrive, STLA Brain, and STLA Smart Cockpit. A significant part of that work is happening in India, and Hazela wants the engineers here to deliver an accessible solution and progressively introduce it in the market.  

“We do not want to deviate from our core, which is to remain affordable. The theory is that if we are successful in India, we can be successful elsewhere,” he asserted.

Jeep to get a few upgrades

Besides revamping the Citroen models designed by its local R&D Centre in OMR Road in Chennai, upgrades and refreshes have also been planned for the Compass and Meridian for the upcoming festive season.

“You will have models starting next month with Compass. We will have Meridian 2.0 in October,” assured Hazela. The Meridian 2.0 is likely to be a two row SUV,  sources said. 

Stellantis operates three manufacturing plants (Ranjangaon, Hosur, Thiruvallur), an ICT Hub (Hyderabad) & Software Centre (Bengaluru), and two R&D centres in Chennai and Pune. Stellantis's Make in India initiative is ongoing, with India being the only country to locally produce four Jeep nameplates outside North America (Wrangler, Compass, Meridian, and Grand Cherokee) and the Citroën C5 Aircross outside France.