Rising output of Stellantis plant to create new jobs in Kragujevac

KRAGUJEVAC - The output of the Stellantis car plant in Kragujevac, central Serbia, continues to rise in 2026 and could reach 150,000 vehicles a year thanks to high demand for the Fiat Grande Panda model, says Petar Veselinovic, a professor at the Kragujevac Faculty of Economics.

The increased demand is expected to lead to introduction of weekend shifts in June and, consequently, to hundreds of new jobs being created, Veselinovic told the RTS.

That means the output in Kragujevac would be equivalent to nearly 45 pct of the entire Stellantis production in Italy, he said, noting that more than 90 pct of vehicles manufactured in the Serbian city were exported to Europe, with some of the cars going to Africa and Asia.

Serbia is no longer just a country of cheap labour - its position on the global automotive industry map is changing, Veselinovic said, noting that Kragujevac was also home to Chinese factories manufacturing parts for Mercedes and BMW.

"Serbia is one of the few countries in Europe that has production of both electric and hybrid car models. That is a significant contribution to exports, economic growth and competitiveness," Veselinovic said.