All eyes on are Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as CEO Sergio Marchionne will present the company’s future product roadmap on June 1st.
We’ve already heard countless rumors about what could be announced but Automotive News is hinting at something unthinkable: killing off Chrysler. While nothing is official, the publication says “A source told a European colleague that such an announcement could come Friday.”
Eliminating the Chrysler brand sounds extreme, but its lineup only consists of the ageing 300 and the relatively new Pacifica. Given that, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that FCA could simply phase out the 300 and rebadge the Pacifica as a Dodge Grand Caravan.
While the rumor should be taken with a grain of a salt, FCA hasn’t said much about the future of Chrysler. The last time we heard about upcoming products was back in January when Marchionne said design work has been completed on a new crossover that will ride on that same platform that underpins the Pacifica. At the time, Marchionne said “We can probably get it up and running in 18 months.”
The model was originally announced as part of Chrysler’s five-year plan which was unveiled in 2014. At the time, the automaker said the crossover would be a “full-size” model that would arrive in 2017 with conventional and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
That report seems to suggest FCA still has plans for Chrysler but, as we reported a few days ago, many of the vehicles mentioned in the five-year plan failed to materialize. The Chrysler 200 was axed and the company never launched the entry-level 100 sedan. Chrysler was also planning to introduce a new mid-size crossover and a redesigned 300 this year but that isn’t happening.
