5 Chrysler-Family Cars to Not Look Forward To
Automotive News released a series of articles describing its vision for the five-year product pipelines of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (...
https://99pm.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-chrysler-family-cars-to-not-look.html
Automotive News released a series of articles describing its vision for the five-year product pipelines of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) empire — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, and Alfa Romeo. The articles are a compilation of rumors, facts, and inside sources that attempt to paint a picture of what we can expect from GM’s quasi-international competition.
However, as we’ve said before, all that glitters is not gold; there remain more than a handful of upcoming FCA projects that leave us scratching our heads. That said, here are the cars you may want to avoid over the next half-decade:
The biggest reason to avoid the Chrysler 300 until its new generation in 2018 is the lack of a high-powered SRT model. We enjoyed our time in the latest 300 SRT, but sadly, shoving a big engine into a luxury car is no longer in FCA’s master plan. Furthermore, while many other cars (both in this segment and in the FCA family) will have all-new versions releasing in the next year or two, the 300 will soldier on as-is until 2018. You might be able to find some good deals, but if you want the latest and greatest, it wouldn’t hurt to do a little cross-shopping.
(Current Chrysler 300 SRT shown)
Jeep is finally getting rid of the Patriot in 2016, and it will steer buyers toward its other not-really-a-Jeep product, the Compass. With the release of the new Cherokee, and with the compact Renegade also on the way, the Compass fits into a slot that is already occupied (at least partly) by two other models from the same brand. FCA will bestow upon it a Trailhawk badge, but we’re concerned that it will eat into the sales of the Cherokee, as both cars will be built on the same platform. Hey, at least the Patriot is going away.
(Current Jeep Patriot shown)
What exactly is the purpose of the 500X? It’s going to be built off the same platform as the badass-looking Jeep Renegade, but it’ll likely have Fiat’s goofy face plastered onto it. Is it supposed to be the quirky, hipster-friendly version of the Renegade, complete with a lower level of utility? Is it supposed to be Fiat’s attempt at capturing some of the off-road-friendly segment? We really don’t know what its purpose will be, but damn it, FCA will be putting it in Fiat dealerships regardless.
(Fiat 500X spy shots courtesy inautonews.com)
The Dodge (née SRT) Viper is a whole hell of a lot of fun. It’s a great track car, complete with a massive V-10 engine and an aesthetic that clearly hearkens to the original Viper that we all had as a bedroom poster at one point. However, it’s now in a very weird place, because the Dodge Challenger Hellcat is out, and it has more power, and more space, and doesn’t cost as much money. That puts the Viper at a disadvantage. While Chrysler did say that they would give the Viper a boost in power, short of supercharging the Viper’s V-10, it’s hard to say no to the cheap speed that the Hellcat offers.
Unless, of course, you value a car’s handling prowess. Then you can just go ahead and ignore this one.
(Current SRT Viper shown)
There’s not much to like about the upcoming three-row Chrysler crossover that AN is calling the Aspen. First, it’s going to based off the new-for-2016 Town & Country’s platform, making it a crossover based off a minivan. Second, it’s going to be cheaper than its FCA brethren, the Dodge Durango, despite Dodge being the “value” brand to Chrysler’s higher-priced luxury cars. Third, we almost guarantee it’s going to be impossible to see through or around the Aspen in traffic. We’ll obviously hold our judgment until the car comes out, but for now, we’re not too optimistic.
