STLA Large Overview
Stellantis has unveiled its STLA Large unibody platform, set to underpin car, crossover, and SUV vehicle types in the global D and E segments.
Able to support electric, hybrid, and internal combustion powertrains, Dodge and Jeep vehicles in North America will see the first applications of STLA Large, followed by Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, and Maserati. Between 2024 and 2026, Stellantis plans to launch eight vehicles across the five brands with the STLA Large platform.
STLA Large is the second of four global platforms to be revealed following the announcement of STLA Medium in July 2023. The other two members of the STLA Platform Family – Small and Frame – have yet to debut as of January 2024. However, each is expected to be essential to the automaker’s Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, which includes a directive for Stellantis to become a carbon net zero emissions company by 2038.
“Our goals for our STLA platforms are ambitious, but this is what our customers need from us today,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “Creating a family of vehicles from a well-engineered set of components that is flexible enough to cover multiple vehicle types and propulsions, overperforming any of our current products, will address each of our iconic brands’ customers.”
Modularity & Malleability
Stellantis engineers and designers can better tailor STLA Large vehicles according to the target customer’s desires, be it a high-performance track car like a Dodge Charger or Challenger or a luxurious off-roader like a Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Key vehicle parameters, like the wheelbase, length, width, height, and ground clearance, can be adjusted accordingly and with respect to suspension and powertrain objectives around ride, handling, and comfort.
Other critical dimensions, like the front spindle to the driver’s foot, front/rear overhangs, and the passenger compartment floor, can be adjusted by Stellantis engineers to dial down a particular vehicle’s capability and performance.
As described by Stallantis, the STLA Large unibody platform will leverage the latest high-strength materials, is optimized for weight and rigidity, and caters to transverse and longitudinal engine mounting configurations. STLA Large has provisions for component packaging to give passengers more interior room and cargo space, an essential feature of popular Jeep SUVs like the aforementioned Grand Wagoneer or Grand Cherokee L.
Stellantis said both comfort and performance components, from the HVAC system to the steering and braking, of the vehicles underpinned by STLA Large will be designed to minimize energy consumption and increase driving range. Likewise, STLA Large will accommodate limited slip differentials and wheel end disconnects to reduce mechanical drag.
BEV Platform
STLA Large is designed and engineered as a native battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform, available in 400-volt or 800-volt architectures.
Three-in-one electric drive modules (EDMs) incorporating the motor, power inverter, and gear reduction can be configured for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive layouts. The power inverter employs silicon carbide semiconductor technology.
STLA Large initially includes battery pack options with energy ratings between 85 and 118 kilowatt hours (kWh). According to Stellantis, fast charging will add up to 4.5 kWh per minute to the 800-volt battery pack. At the time of the unveiling of STLA Large in January 2024, Stellantis is targeting an overall range of 500 miles (800 km) for sedans.
STLA Large & Storied Nameplates
A platform like STLA Large may excite fans of legacy Stellantis brands like Jeep and Dodge.
Both nameplates have gained popularity in the United States and have tremendous historical precedence (Jeep during World War II and Dodge in the American muscle car era). At the center of both brands today is the now legendary Hemi V8, whose engine variations can be found in the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (392), along with the Dodge Charger and Challenger (5.7/345, 6.4/392, 6.2 Supercharged SRT Hellcat).
In its press release detailing STLA Large, Stellantis said the unibody platform will accept future energy storage technologies when they reach production readiness and support over-the-air updates when new propulsion system upgrades become available.
However, the initial generation of propulsion components holds the potential to deliver a zero to 62 mph time in the two-second range. For comparison’s sake, the 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Redeye Jailbreak, the most potent Charger in Dodge’s history with its 807-horsepower 6.2 Supercharged Hemi, has a zero to 60 time of 3.6 seconds.
“The flexibility and agility of this platform is its hallmark and will be a driving force for our success in the shift to electrification in North America,” Tavares said.
STLA Large Key Specifications & Gallery
- Overall Length Range: 187.6 to 201.8 inches (4,764 to 5,126 mm)
- Overall Width Range: 74.7 to 79.9 inches (1,897 to 2,030 mm)
- Wheelbase Range: 113.0 to 121.1 inches (2,870 to 3,075 mm)
- Ground Clearance Range: 5.5 to 11.3 inches (140 to 288 mm)
- Maximum Tire Diameter: 32.6 inches (858 mm)
