Chrysler has a problem on its hands that begins with its current vehicle lineup – a number that stands at just one today. This situation arises just a year before the company’s 100th anniversary. However, Chrysler’s CEO, Christine Feuell, is optimistic about the future, stating in a recent interview that more models are in the pipeline and laying out a brighter vision for Chrysler than many might perceive.
For quite some time, Chrysler has appeared to be a largely forgotten brand, even by its own parent company. Feuell even called that out in a recent interview with Automotive News Canada saying “Today, Chrysler is the minivan brand, rather than a brand that happens to make minivans… and a big part of that is the fact that over the last 10 years, the former FCA did not invest in new products for the Chrysler brand.”
“That’s why it’s so critical for us to not only invest in the new products for Chrysler but bring them to market as quickly as possible,” she continued. The last notable Chrysler concept, the Airflow, debuted back in 2021. Before that, there was the Portal concept in 2017. Neither car is going into production and Chrysler needs to figure out what direction it wants to go in.
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When asked about whether or not Chrysler is a luxury brand she tried to clarify its position. “We do play in the upper quartile of the segment,” Feuell said. “So we’re not really luxury, but definitely a bit more premium and aspirational.” How truly aspirational is a Pacifica? Perhaps only parents can tell. For now, Feuell tells Auto News that Chrysler is, unsurprisingly, focusing on a production EV.
“While not exactly representative of the Airflow concept vehicle, I think we’ll see it take on more edgy, contemporary design cues,” Feuell said. “When we took it to customer research, it tested number one by far for both interior and exterior design, and customers chose it first over Tesla, [the Kia] EV6 and other battery-electric competitors.”
She even hinted at the idea that Chrysler will likely return to the sedan segment. “It would definitely be something completely reimagined from what we have in the market today so that we can be relevant and consistent with how we’re positioning the brand for the future,” she said. “But I definitely would not rule out the possibility that Chrysler comes out with a car sometime in the future.”
Sedans are losing popularity in much of the USA but Chrysler has almost always been competitive in that segment. The 300 is a great example of that and an all-new pseudo-luxury sedan with an Imperial badge could make a lot of sense. Of course, it could be too little too late at this stage. Whatever happens, Feuell couldn’t be more right about needing these cars as quickly as possible.
