Stellantis to move Doblo production to Spain

ISTANBUL

Stellantis Group, a major shareholder in Turkish carmaker Tofaş, has announced that the new Fiat Doblo will be produced in Spain.

Tofaş has been manufacturing Fiat Doblo since 2000 at its plant in the northwestern province of Bursa.

The Turkish carmaker has produced more than 2 million Fiat Doblo vehicles over the past two decades and exported 75 percent of those vehicles to 80 countries.

Fiat Doblo has been the favorite vehicle of small and medium-sized companies in Turkey.

Stellantis, which was formed in 2021 following the merger between France’s PSA and Fiat Chrysler, announced that the all-new Doblo and E-Doblo will be manufactured at the Stellantis plant in Spain (Vigo).

In a filing with Borsa Istanbul, Tofaş recalled an earlier statement it made in October 2020 that the current Fiat Doblo production will continue at the Tofaş factory until the end of 2022.

“However, the assessments on the prolongation of the current version of Fiat Doblo production until the end of 2023 to serve the end markets in Turkey, NAFTA, Middle East and Africa region, as well as potential production of new models, are ongoing,” Tofaş said in the filing on June 7.

Tofaş produced 49,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022, which accounted for 16.1 percent of the total output of the local automotive industry.

In the quarter, the company’s export volumes contracted by 16 percent on an annual basis to 27,800 units due to the ongoing microchip crisis. Light commercial vehicle shipments, however, recovered by 22 percent thanks to good e-commerce activity as well as lower production constraints compared to passenger cars, which were down 58 percent, Tofaş said in a presentation.

Following the merger between PSA and Fiat Chrysler, Stellantis became a joint venture partner in Tofaş, currently owning 37.85 percent of Tofaş. Koç Holding’s stake in the carmaker is also 37.85 percent, while 24.3 percent of Tofaş shares are traded on Borsa Istanbul.