How Hybridization And Biofuel Could Save Your Favorite Stellantis Models

The current state of the automotive world is tumultuous. BEVs, hybrids, and PHEVs are replacing traditional gasoline-powered vehicles at an ever-increasing rate, and that spells doom for some models that don’t exactly have a penchant for fuel economy. Many of the automotive conglomerate Stellantis’ past models, such as the Dodge Charger, fit this description.

Some less-than-environmentally friendly nameplates are being canceled to meet current federal CAFE or Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations. However, these regulations don’t have to spell disaster for lovers of speed and power. Stellantis is hard at work scheming and devising new, novel ways of saving some of our favorite models with the use of hybrid and battery-electric tech, along with biofuels.

This CarBuzz write-up aims to touch on a few Stellantis models that could be saved, and even resurrected, by the company’s investment in alternative means of fuel.

Chrysler 300C

300C Discontinuation Facts

• 2023 marked its last model year.
• Came standard with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8.
• Produced for 18 years.

The 300C was Chrysler’s flagship sedan and was recently discontinued, to many Chrysler fans’ dismay. Produced for 18 years, from 2005 to 2023, the 300C saw relative notoriety thanks to its well-balanced combination of flashy looks and optional HEMI power. At the very end of its life, you could choose a 300C with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pushing out 485 horsepower, which made for a respectable and loud sendoff. It sold out in less than 12 hours.

However, now that Stellantis is investing about $6 billion in a myriad of ways including new powertrains, the 300C could potentially come back to life. Because of its muscle-inspired heritage, we could see a Hurricane six-cylinder iteration of the Chrysler sedan. Seeing as the engine can reliably handle up to 550 horsepower, it would pay the perfect homage to what the 300C once was: a large displacement, rear-wheel drive sedan.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Giulia Discontinuation Facts

• 2024 marks its last model year.
• Quadrifoglio is rumored to return as a 1,000 hp EV.
• Will be discontinued alongside the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV.

The Giulia has been Alfa Romeo’s compact executive sedan for the past eight years, and has competed with the likes of the BMW 3 Series and the Lexus IS. Unfortunately, the Giulia hasn’t seen the same level of success as those two, even despite its pretty face and powerful Quadrifoglio package. Those reasons, along with Stellantis’ pledge to reduce emissions across the board, have led to the discontinuation of the Giulia after the 2024 model year.

The Giulia doesn’t have to die, however. Due to its compact sedan nature, it could very well benefit from a new hybrid powertrain. For example, Stellantis recently unveiled a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid motor, which is reported to be one of the most fuel-efficient four-cylinder hybrid engines produced yet. Couple that with the rumored-to-return Quadrifoglio badge, and the Giulia could have a new life ahead of it.

Maserati Ghibli And Quattroporte

Ghibli And Quattroporte Discontinuation Facts

• Both the Ghibli and the Quattroporte, as we know them, were discontinued as of Q4 2023.
• A Quattroporte EV is in the works but is currently stalled.
• The Ghibli has no plans to return.

Two Italian icons have been met with Stellantis’ proverbial ax, the Maserati models Quattroporte and Ghibli. The discontinuation was announced at the end of the fourth fiscal quarter in 2023 and is set to go into effect this year. This news came as a shock, especially since the Maserati Quattroporte has been one of the Italian automakers’ staple models for a handful of decades.

The time isn’t officially over for the Quattroporte yet, however.

Stellantis was working on an EV replacement which would still bear the same name. This EV project has been canceled for now, but the company does plan to revisit it later on, with a tentative release year of 2028. An EV Quattroporte would be fitting for the nameplate, and would fit well into the heated-up luxury EV sedan market.

The Ghibli, however, currently has no plans to return to the fold. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. As we discussed previously with the Alfa Romeo Giulia, this Ghibli would be a perfect candidate for a peppy hybrid powertrain. With the rise of the aforementioned CAFE standards, hybrids make more and more sense as time drags on, and the Ghibli could very well get its second wind from the Stellantis 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain.

Jeep Cherokee

Cherokee Discontinuation Facts

• Discontinued in early 2023.
• Rumored to return sometime in 2025.
• Canceled in favor of other Jeep SUVs offered currently, such as the Renegade.

The Jeep Cherokee is one of Jeep’s most iconic models and is heavily rooted in 4×4 culture. Sadly, the Cherokee KL, in production since 2013, was given the ax in early 2023. The reasoning behind its departure was to make way for other Jeep SUVs, such as the Renegade and Grand Cherokee, and help diversify Jeep’s lineup. However, the Cherokee hasn’t forded its last stream yet, if we have anything to say about it.

The Cherokee is an excellent contender for Stellantis’ biofuel initiative. A small, rugged SUV that can run on environmentally friendly fuel would be an excellent idea and would help further Jeep’s reputation as a whole. Stellantis’ current STLA Large platform could easily accommodate the biofuel Cherokee, and because of its reported ease of manufacture, it would also help keep the price down.