Chrysler to Double Its Model Count with a New EV

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

This is a marque which will celebrate its centenary next year with only a single model on sale in its showrooms, showing up as the Pacifica and its numerous variants. Suits in corner offices seek to right this detail with an electric vehicle they will unveil early next week.

And, no, it’s not likely to be the Airflow – at least not the concept car which was looking all but production-ready over two years ago. It is alleged by some in the industry that certain company leaders wanted a do-over with that model, meaning the vehicle set to drop next Tuesday may not look anything like the handsome show car. There’s every chance in the world it will likely carry a fresh name, as well.


The hero shot at the top of this post doesn’t give us much to go on, though two more photos are promised before the car itself shows up next week. Yes, that means there will be a trio of teasers for a concept car which, by definition, is itself a teaser. Few companies play that particular game like Stellantis, it must be said. Hedging its own bets, Chrysler is calling the concept reveal an “advance look at one potential path” to the brand’s all-electric future.


That’s a heckuva lot of wiggle room for what’s actually in the pipeline. Saul Goodman would be proud. Nevertheless, one of the STLA platforms will surely underpin the forthcoming concept car, though we’d be pleasantly surprised if Chrysler engineers spill any beans about battery size or total driving range at this stage in the car’s development. One can hope. Same goes for the likes of horsepower stats and the like.


After sunsetting the burly 300 sedan, Chrysler showrooms could use an infusion of new product, though it has been some spell since there were any more than three different things on sale at at any one time (200, 300, and minivan variants).


Reaching back a bit further to just the late 2000s in the waning days of Cerberus, we find a variety of products including the Crossfire and PT Cruiser plus the Pacifica when it was a crossover and a Durango-based Aspen SUV. Buyers with families could choose the 300 or Sebring, not to mention the (then) ubiquitous minivans.


[Image: Stellantis]


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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Geozinger Geozinger on Feb 11, 2024

    "The 3rd option would be a more upscale Outback fighter but cautious because of the failure of the Buick Regal TourX. But that wasn't a bad car it was just priced and promoted wrong."


    What? When was the TourX ever promoted? I live in GM Country and if they ever promoted the TourX, it was very, very, very subtle. Maybe they moved one out of the way to get a better shot of an Enclave for a TV commercial.


    We have all kinds of oddball GM rolling stock around here, but I don't think I have ever seen more than two TourX in the last several years.

  • CanadaCraig CanadaCraig on Feb 15, 2024

    I won't buy an EV Chrysler sedan. But I might if that all-new Chrysler sedan had one of the Hurricane Straight 6 engines under the hood. It's silly of Chrysler to declare itself an EV-ONLY brand. Why box themselves in like that?

  • TheMrFreeze JD Power's surveys mean nothing to me. We live in an age where we have unprecedented access to actual, relevant data, and by that I mean working mechanics who see all of these cars up close and are willing to share what's good and what's crap. The wife drives a Fiat 500...had I listened to JD Power or Consumer Reports or whatnot we never would have bought one, but more than one mechanic I talked to said they were pretty reliable cars. Bought one, guess what...it's been reliable.
  • Akear Mary Barra has little or no feel for the market. This is yet another reason why GM will perform better when she retires. Barra's track record at GM is about as good as Biden debate performance last week.
  • Peter Nissan should hire someone to explain basic economics to their Board of Directors.
  • Jeff China now has the manufacturing capacity to produce 1/3 of the World's vehicles but under the current geopolitical environment this will not happen. As someone above stated all bets are off if China invades Taiwan. What many don't understand is that China plans for the long term and can wait it out till the geopolitical environment becomes less hostile toward China. I am not endorsing Chinese trade just stating that China is preparing for the future.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Im glad it was fixed in time that would’ve been a huge pain and inconvenience to you if it had broke. My 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 has been great with no recalls. My 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 actually had a recall for the gas tank and seat belt warning stickers about 10 years go and Toyota fixed it, got a new tank, fuel lines and stickers.
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