A long wait for a new Chrysler?

Every brand gets ten years to prove itself.

That’s the promise of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, and it’s going to be a tough wait for Chrysler, which might go down to a single model before it starts expanding again—then to either succeed or, in 2031, be dissolved, ending a 107-year run and being replaced by Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Dodge, DS, or, who knows, Mitsubishi or some other marque not yet in the Stellantis fold.

Chrysler currently sells the 300 sedan, which has remained fairly popular though it shares heavily with the Dodge Charger, and the Voyager and Pacifica minivans, which are separated by minor appearance differences and the richness of standard and optional features. Auto journalists have long been enjoying the occasional pot-shot, predicting the brand’s demise, though Lancia is still alive and Alfa Romeo was brought back.

While Chrysler recently showed its Airflow Vision concept, which was engineered as an electric vehicle from the start, no new vehicles show up in the 2022 or 2023 charts. It’s possible that the first new Chrysler model, whether it’s something completely new or a repurposed Peugeot, won’t show up until 2024—which coincidentally is when many think Brampton will stop making large cars and be refitted. (It may, of course, be refitted to make large electric cars.)

That said, it’s quite possible Chrysler will have new product before 2024, shipped in from Europe and bearing gasoline engines; or in the form of gasoline-powered crossovers based on the lengthened Cherokee platform created for Chinese Jeep Grand Commanders; or even just minivans with a quick conversion to full-size-crossover, courtesy of all wheel drive and four normal doors. Compact cars and crossovers from Peugeot could help Stellantis to wean itself off pollution credits, which are a major source of funding for future-rival Tesla.

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