If you’ve been wondering where all the new cars and SUVs from Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler are lately you are about to see a parade of them in the next two years, all of them sharing a flexible new platform called STLA Large.
As Stellantis begins its transition to an all-electric future they are soon rolling out the first new vehicles on the highly flexible chassis platform that can be full battery electric (BEV) and also offer hybrid and full internal combustion engine powertrains.
The STLA Large platform will be global and underpin a full range of upcoming vehicles including the new Dodge Challenger and Charger replacements, upcoming Jeep Grand Wagoneer S as well as the off-road Trail Rated Recon just to name a few for North America. These will be followed by models from Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Maserati. A total of eight vehicles on the new STLA Large platform will be unveiled by 2026.
The STLA Large platform vehicles will be mechanically modular and built at several plants in Europe and North America. It’s design flexibility allows it to be used for cars, crossovers, and SUVs with a scalable wheelbase, length and ride height. Key dimensions of front spindle to the driver foot, front and rear overhangs, and floor height can be varied.
You will note that it has a center tunnel, which will allow it to offer a host of conventional internal combustion engines and transmissions such as the new Hurricane in-line sixes, four cylinders and hybrid electric variants – all to make the transition to full electric offerings in the coming decades a little easier on the business and buying public. Design flexibility includes transverse and longitudinal engine mounting making front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants possible.
Battery Electric variations of the STLA Large platform will offer quite a lot though. The BEV architecture also allows for front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Both 400-volt and 800-volt electric architectures and battery sizes ranging from 85 and 118 kilowatt hours (kWh) will be offered depending on price and performance parameters. The largest battery pack can offer up to 500 miles of range.
This accomplished with three-in-one electric drive modules (EDMs) that incorporate the motor, the power inverter and gearbox. For performance on and off the road there can be limited slip differentials and wheel disconnects built in too.
Stellantis tells us that extreme power available from the EDMs can outperform any vehicle made with the current Hellcat V-8. We’re talking 0-60 mph in the 2-second range. And these are just the first generation. Down the road, powertrain performance can be upgraded via over-the-air software updates.
The flexibility provides a bridge for customers around the world during the transition to electric propulsion and the development of a robust and widely available charging network. Design flexibility includes transverse and longitudinal engine mounting configurations, supporting FWD/RWD/AWD drivetrains.
We will first see the new STLA Large Platform in North America with the soon to be revealed Jeep Grand Wagoneer S as well as cars replacing the Dodge Challenger and Charger. The Jeep Recon with its Wrangler-like capabilities will come soon as well.
