Remember just a few months back when the Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Dealer Council published an open letter to Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis? I’d never seen anything like this done before, and wrote about it here.
It’s the car biz kids, and things change quickly. Tavares is thankfully gone, our friend of the Car Pro Show Tim Kuniskis is back, and it appears that all all is well, once again, between the DCJR dealers and Stellantis. I can tell you the Car Pro Show dealers I have spoken with are very encouraged about 2025 and beyond.

Stellantis Meets With Dealers
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers recently heard from Stellantis North America executives during a closed-door meeting during the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans. During the session, Stellantis says it shared a a comprehensive plan to drive growth and strengthen dealer relationships in the year ahead. The plan focuses on four areas: collaboration, consistent incentive programs, increased advertising and product actions. The automaker told dealers it plans to meet those goals with a series of initiatives, including consistent incentive programs, increased advertising efforts, and what it calls "exciting product actions" designed to support dealers and meet evolving customer needs.
“We are fully committed to strengthening our partnerships with dealers, and that begins with a renewed focus on collaboration,” said Antonio Filosa, North America Chief Operating Officer. “Our new approach is centered on removing unnecessary limits for our dealers, and ensuring we are aligned and able to succeed together in a competitive market.”
“As we look at the year ahead, we recognize that consistency is what our dealers are seeking from us,” said Jeff Kommor, Head of U.S. Sales. “Following a challenging 2024, we told dealers – directly – that we will be consistent and focus on gaining their trust, especially when it comes to our products, our pricing and our incentives. We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response based on these promises and commitments, and we have confidence that 2025 is going to be a great year for the company and dealers alike.”
One key initiative: a return to pre-pandemic advertising levels, highlighted by a return to the Big Game on Sunday, Feb. 9 for both Jeep and Ram, a move that's designed to boost consumer engagement. The company also says it will place an emphasis on maintaining competitive and predictable incentive programs. Stellantis is also planning to expand its product lineup, including:
- Offering more affordable trims for the Ram 1500 and the introduction of the all-new range extended Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
- Launching gas-powered Dodge Charger models by summer 2025.
- Introducing three all-new Jeep nameplates and three new powertrains – ICE, hybrid and electric.
Stellantis says its dealers expressed optimism following the two-hour session, underscoring its "leadership team’s dedication to collaboration, transparency and mutual success."
The automaker says it's set an ambitious target to increase sales for its key brands such as Jeep and Ram while focusing on quality, customer experience, and effective inventory management.