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news April 15, 2026

Stellantis Q1 2026 Shipments Jump 12% as North America and Europe Rebound

Stellantis says Q1 2026 consolidated shipments rose 12% year over year to 1.4 million units, with Ram, Jeep, Fiat, Opel, Citroën, and Leapmotor all helping power a broad recovery.

By Marcus Holloway

Stellantis has started 2026 with a result it badly needed. The automaker says Q1 2026 consolidated shipments reached 1.361 million vehicles, up 12 percent from 1.217 million in the first quarter of 2025.

That matters because the recovery was not limited to one market. Stellantis reported year-over-year shipment growth in all five regions, with the biggest gains coming from North America and Enlarged Europe.

For a company that posted its first full-year loss just weeks ago, this is the clearest sign yet that refreshed products and a steadier production rhythm are beginning to move the needle.

North America Did the Heavy Lifting

In North America, Stellantis says shipments rose to 379,000 units, up from 325,000 a year earlier. That is a 17 percent increase, and the company was unusually specific about what drove it.

According to Stellantis, shipments of the Ram 1500 HEMI V8, the refreshed Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and the all-new Jeep Cherokee accounted for more than all of the region’s year-over-year growth, with lower Jeep Compass shipments partially offsetting the gain as Cherokee production ramps at Toluca.

That is an important detail. It suggests the rebound is being powered by nameplates buyers already recognize, not by a one-off inventory spike or a fleet dump. Ram’s continued recovery is especially important for Stellantis because full-size trucks are still one of the few places where legacy automakers can move volume and protect margins at the same time.

Europe’s New Small Cars Are Starting to Click

Enlarged Europe delivered an even bigger raw-unit gain. Stellantis says shipments in the region climbed to 637,000 units, up 12 percent year over year.

The interesting part is where that growth came from. Stellantis says passenger-car gains were driven by new launches on its Smart Car platform, including the Citroën C3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Opel/Vauxhall Frontera, and Fiat Grande Panda. Those nameplates added roughly 48,000 units, an 85 percent jump from a year earlier.

That is a useful reminder that Stellantis does not need every win to come from a headline-grabbing halo EV. Affordable compact cars still matter in Europe, especially when they are offered across multiple powertrains and brands.

Leapmotor Is Becoming More Relevant

One of the more interesting details in the release is Stellantis’ update on Leapmotor International, the Stellantis-controlled joint venture that sells Leapmotor-branded vehicles outside China.

The company says Leapmotor shipments rose by about 22,000 units to roughly 27,000 vehicles in the quarter, helped by the T03 in Europe’s entry-level BEV segment, particularly in Italy.

That does not make Leapmotor a core profit engine yet, but it does show why Stellantis has leaned into the partnership. If low-cost EV demand strengthens in Europe, Leapmotor gives the company a faster route into that part of the market than trying to engineer every answer in-house.

South America and Middle East and Africa Also Moved Up

Stellantis also reported growth in its other major regions.

South America: 219,000 shipments, up 4 percent
Middle East and Africa: 111,000 shipments, up 11 percent
Asia Pacific: 15,000 shipments, up 15 percent

South America remained a leadership market for Stellantis, with Brazil doing most of the work. In Middle East and Africa, the company pointed to stronger performance in Türkiye and continued local production ramp-up in Algeria.

Why This Quarter Matters

This update does not tell us everything about Stellantis’ financial health, because shipments are not the same thing as retail sales, and they are not a direct read on profit. But shipments do matter because they are closely tied to revenue recognition and production momentum.

Just as important, the comparison base was weak. In Q1 2025, Stellantis reported a 9 percent decline in global shipments, with North America down 20 percent and Europe down 8 percent. This quarter’s rebound is not just growth for growth’s sake, it is a measurable reversal from the slump the company was fighting a year ago.

The bigger question now is whether Stellantis can turn stronger shipments into a steadier full-year recovery. Ram and Jeep are clearly helping in North America, and the Smart Car family is gaining traction in Europe, but the company still needs those product wins to hold up in a market that is getting more competitive, especially at the lower end of the EV space.

The Motorlinks Take

There is nothing flashy about this report, but it is still a meaningful one.

Stellantis needed proof that its turnaround was showing up in actual volume, not just in executive talking points. A 12 percent global shipment gain, with strength in North America, Europe, and even Leapmotor’s European push, gives it that proof.

The real test comes next. If Ram, Jeep, Grande Panda, Frontera, and Leapmotor can keep building momentum into the second quarter, Stellantis might finally be moving from damage control to an actual recovery story.