Stellantis accused of trying to ‘force the market’ despite failure to deliver cars

Stellantis franchisees have accused the car manufacturer of trying to “force the market” with pre-registrations despite an inability to deliver on customers’ new vehicle orders.

The OEM giant behind Abarth, Citroen, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall has risked friction with retailers and customers alike by demanding early registration of, and up-front payments for, vehicles that might not be delivered for months.

For the OEM’s customers it could mean paying up to three-months’ worth of finance payments up front – or the risk of losing a long-awaiting new car – while retailers have reported their bonuses threatened for non-compliance with the measures.