Stellantis has started producing vehicles based on its new Smart Car platform at its factory in Kenitra. The move makes the site one of the group’s main production hubs for the Middle East and Africa. The first models to roll off the production line are the Fiat Fastback and Fiat Grizzly. Both will be sold with petrol, hybrid and fully electric powertrains. They are expected to go on sale in the final quarter of 2026.
The Fiat Fastback is a sporty crossover, while the Grizzly is a larger family vehicle. Both will be exported to several international markets.
The launch comes as the Kénitra factory continues to expand. Since opening in 2019, the site has doubled its annual vehicle production capacity to 400,000 cars after investments worth more than €300 million.
The factory can also produce 135,000 micromobility vehicles each year, including models such as the Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino, as well as 350,000 engines. Overall, the site can build close to 700,000 vehicles and engines a year.
Stellantis has also added new production lines for dashboard crossmembers and battery packs for electric vehicles. This means the factory is now making more parts locally instead of only assembling vehicles.
Around 70% of the parts used at the plant already come from suppliers in Morocco. Stellantis wants to raise that figure to 75% by 2030 by working with more local suppliers.
The Smart Car platform is designed to build affordable vehicles. It is based on Stellantis’ Common Modular Platform, or CMP, but has been simplified to reduce production costs.
One of its main features is that the same production line can build petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles. Electric models use Lithium Iron Phosphate, or LFP, batteries, which are cheaper than the Nickel Manganese Cobalt batteries used in many other electric cars.
Stellantis expects vehicles built on the Smart Car platform to make up about 40% of its range in the Middle East and Africa by 2030.
The Fiat Fastback and Grizzly join other models built on the same platform, including the Citroën C3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Opel Frontera and Fiat Grande Panda.
