- Automakers shifted direction as EV sales missed expectations.
- Several companies cut models and adjusted their lineups.
- Stellantis made major changes and gained stronger footing.
2025 was a year of revision as numerous automakers drastically change course. While much of the focus was on shifting resources away from electric vehicles, some companies had to improve their fundamentals.
With that in mind, we’re asking our readers which automaker improved the most in 2025? That’s pretty open-ended, but two candidates easily spring to mind.
More: Jeep Cherokee Returns As A Luxurious Hybrid With A Price To Match
Stellantis is an obvious choice as they’re putting the Carlos Tavares era in the rearview mirror. This can easily be seen in North America, where Jeep is getting the attention it desperately needs.
Once a perennial cash cow, the off-road brand was wounded by a series of blatant missteps. We’ve covered these ad nauseam, but they include a disastrous push up market and the elimination of popular models such as the Cherokee and Renegade. These mistakes help to explain why U.S. sales plummeted from 923,291 units in 2019 to 587,725 units in 2024.
Thankfully, big changes are in the works as Jeep introduced the redesigned Cherokee and an all-new Recon. While the latter model will likely struggle to find its footing, they’ll be joined by updated versions of the Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer. The company has also announced plans to build the redesigned Compass in America, after giving Canada the shaft.
On top of that, the brand is rolling out a string of new special editions. These are hit or miss, but at least they get people talking and keep the brand visible.
Jeep isn’t the only one benefiting from the change as Ram is being turned into a proper brand with an expanded lineup. Besides a new mid-size Dakota pickup, a full-size SUV will arrive in 2028. It’ll be built in Michigan and offer an internal combustion engine as well as a range-extended powertrain.
The model might be called the Ramcharger and it’s expected to borrow heavily from the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, Ram and its dynamic CEO are listening to fans and making meaningful changes. They brought back the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, killed off their fully-electric pickup, and have an assortment of exciting new products on the horizon. The latest will debut on January 1st – so stay tuned.
While Chrysler hasn’t been worth talking about in years, Dodge finally has a gas-powered muscle car once again. It costs far more than the previous Challenger, but fans can get a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with outputs of 420 hp (313 kW / 426 PS) and 550 hp (410 kW / 558 PS).
Nissan Is Righting The Ship
Besides Stellantis, Nissan is making some much needed changes. The company’s struggles are well-known, but they’re making tough decisions to secure their future. While plant closures are never fun, sometimes you need to acknowledge reality and match production capacity with demand.
More interestingly, the company has been releasing a string of significantly improved products. This has been going on for a few years, but the redesigned Armada is a true contender.
The brand followed up this year with a new Leaf and Sentra. Besides being a big step forward, these models show the company hasn’t forgotten about affordability, which is increasingly important to consumers.
Infiniti is also showing signs of life after years of stagnation. Thanks to a redesign, QX80 sales are up 34.3% through the first nine months of the year. We also got a facelifted QX60, while a new QX65 arrives next year.
Additional models are in the works, although they can’t come soon enough as the QX50 and QX55 are toast.
With all that being said, which automaker do you think improved the most in 2025?
