Earlier this year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Groupe merged to form a new entity called Stellantis. This new conglomerate now has access to a ton of brands, and it plans to take full advantage. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has already confirmed that Alfa Romeo and Maserati should benefit from this merger, but a new report from Automotive News Europe claims that the historic Lancia brand could also get in on the action.

"We are working with our Italian colleagues on specific premium modules, powertrains, and features to differentiate the premium brands from the mainstream brands," said Marion David, product director for the DS brand.

For those in America who are unfamiliar, DS is a French luxury brand owned by the PSA Groupe, and the company recently introduced a new model.

The 2021 DS 4 (pictured above and below) debuted just a few days ago, and from the photos, we can already tell that this car is a stunner. It may be a while before we see anything concrete, but DS will begin co-developing future models with Alfa Romeo, and Lancia, so beautiful creations like the DS 4 could end up coming stateside in some capacity.

As a warning, these cars are still far from fruition. "The cars that are already a work in progress will continue and be launched," David iterated. "And then for the next generation, we are focused on making the synergies that are the reason for the merger." This means upcoming products like the Alfa Romeo Tonale won't have any DS influence.

So although it will be a while before we see any of the DS-inspired Alfa Romeo or Lancia models, the future looks bright for these historic Italian brands. Once the 4C ends production, Alfa Romeo will be left with just two models here in the US, the Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV. Lancia is in a worse position, only selling a single model in Italy, the Ypsilon (pictured below). The Ypsilon just received a facelift for the 2021 model year, but it's still not a product we could ever see succeeding in the US.

Perhaps with help from DS, Lancia can finally bring back its greatest models like the Delta or the Stratos.