Dodge & Chrysler Are Both Working On New Crossovers

Stellantis has been making the headlines a lot of late, with most of the recent news concerning the future of its 14 brands. The conglomerate has reaffirmed its commitment to the entire portfolio, and if a report from Canadian regional news outlet Windsor Star is to be believed, two of its most at-risk marques are ready for rejuvenation with a pair of new crossovers. The outlet spoke to Sam Fiorani, who’s in charge of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, and he says that a new midsize Chrysler crossover will arrive by 2027, and the replacement for the Dodge Durango will appear by the end of 2026 or early the following year. Fiorani has correctly predicted what Stellantis would produce at its Windsor Assembly Plant in the past, so it’s worth considering his view now.

Gas And Electric Powertrains

Dodge has begun saying goodbye to the Durango Hellcat with Last Call special editions, but it is expected to continue being built through 2025 before a replacement arrives with both combustion and all-electric powertrain options. Fiorani says that this will be built in Windsor, the same place that the new Dodge Charger is built at. Speaking of, the muscle car is “scheduled to be produced in the thousands in the last quarter of the year,” says the analyst.

Since both cars sit on the STLA Large architecture, it’s not inconceivable to think that the Durango will be mechanically similar. If so, we expect a 100.5 kWh battery pack to feed dual electric motors in an electric variant, while a 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane engine option could attempt to placate those who aren’t ready for electric power. As for Chrysler, its CEO, Christine Feuell, has suggested the Pacifica will be forced to soldier on until the end of the decade, but it won’t be the brand’s sole offering.

Chrysler Ready To Make A Comeback

The 300 sedan was killed off late last year after a decade on sale, and that was thanks to dwindling interest in sedans as much as it was down to the age of the car. The Pacifica, however, remains immensely popular and is still one of the best vehicles in its class, so it’s not a surprise to hear that its replacement is further away. But as well as it sells (400,000 vehicles annually in the US and even more in Canada), it’s only one product, and a second one is reportedly in the works.

As part of a large conglomerate, the Chrysler brand has plenty of technologies to leverage, but first, it needs to recapture the interest of the American public as more than just a maker of minivans. Hopefully, this new crossover will help attract new buyers, inject some youthfulness into the brand, and lay the groundwork for a resurgence in American manufacturing excellence. It’s just going to take a few years to get there.

Source:
Windsor Star