Stellantis, Melfi says goodbye to Renegade, waiting for meeting with CEO Filosa
Stop to the production of the Jeep model made in Italy since 2014 - In the early afternoon the meeting in Turin between the trade unions and the CEO
Last week of production for the Jeep Renegade, the American manufacturer's historic model with a production base in Italy since 2014. Last Friday the last car rolled off the assembly line at the Melfi factory while production will continue for some time in Brazil, at the Goiânia plant.
"Production of the Jeep Renegade at the Stellantis plant in Melfi is coming to an end,' said Ugl Basilicata regional secretary Florence Costanzo, and Ugl Metalmeccanici Potenza provincial secretary Giuseppe Palumbo, 'while production of the Fiat 500X crossover similar to it ceased here last year. Ten years ago, recalls Fim Cisl Basilicata secretary Gerardo Evangelista, 'with the arrival of the Jeep Renegade and the 500X at Fiat Chrysler's Lucania plant in Melfi, a new season opened for the car industry in Basilicata and Italy.
In July 2015, 1,848 young people were hired on permanent contracts, bringing the total number of workers to around 7,240, Evangelista recalls, 'an extraordinary result, which strengthened the employment base and contributed significantly to the growth of GDP, exports, and the development of southern Italy. For Melfi and the entire sector, Evangelista concludes, 'the meeting with CEO Antonio Filosa and the unions will be crucial. It is there that we expect concrete answers to guarantee the future and continuity of employment.
Melfi has started production of the new family of models on the new Stla Medium platform, starting with the DS8 car, together with the Jeep Compass, while next year assembly of the new Lancia Gamma and the new DS7 will begin. "The Jeep Renegade will give way to larger models and will not have a direct heir in the next few years," point out the unions, who point out that the Lucania automotive district runs the risk of "heavy employment consequences not only for the direct employees of Stellantis, but also for the entire supply chain of the San Nicola di Melfi automotive sector, already heavily penalised by European policies and where companies are already laying off their staff.
Last year, notes the Fim-Cisl report, Melfi saw production at the Lucania plant halve, reaching 26,850 units produced from January to September. Compared to the pre-Covid period, the loss is 87 per cent. The loss of volumes has already had employment consequences, recalls the Fim: since 2021, about 2,370 workers have left with voluntary incentives, bringing the workforce to 4,670. In the first half of 2026, the DS7 will be produced and in the second half of the year the Lancia Gamma will be produced, both in the two versions (electric and hybrid).
