SRT Reunites With Dodge In Huge Chrysler Brand Shakeup
Fiat-Chrysler Five Year Plan Reveals Huge Changes For The Brand
Imthishan Giado
The newly-christened Fiat-Chrysler Automotive (FCA) revealed its Five Year Plan today as part of a briefing to investors, and there’s a ton of changes coming to the brands in the group Here are the highlights:
- SRT will cease to exist as a separate entity from the rest of FCA’s brands. It will now exist as a provider of halo vehicles for the Dodge brand, meaning the mighty Viper is now once again a Dodge Viper. Speaking of the snake, it’ll get a refresh in 2015.
- Biggest news of all is that Dodge is now the ‘performance brand’ of the group. That means goodbye slow-selling Dodge Avenger and Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, and hello all-new Challenger and Charger in July 2018, SRT versions set to follow in December of thaTt year. The Dodge Dart – which we are the only journalists in the Middle East to drive – will get a turbocharged, four-wheel drive version at the end of 2016.
- On the Chrysler front a fully-refreshed 300 will arrive later this year at the LA Auto Show. In 2016, a C-segment saloon called the Chrysler 100 will finally arrive to do battle with the likes of the Corolla and the Honda Civic. That’s also when the new Town & Country minivan will debut on the scene. In 2017, expect as-yet unnamed midsize-crossover to appear, likely to be based on the new KK Jeep Cherokee platform.
- That Alfa Romeo version of the new Miata? It’s going to be a Fiat now.
- Don’t cry for Alfa Romeo though. They’re going rear-wheel drive and premium to take on the BMW of this world. That means the MiTo and Giuletta don’t have too much longer to survive. It also means a faster Alfa 4c with even more power!
- Next year sees a refresh for the RAM 1500 with an all-new car due in 2017.
- On the Maserati side, the gorgeous Alfieri concept is a dead cert for production in 2016, but with turbocharged V6 power, good for 400-500bhp. Oh, and there’ll be a convertible. Take a moment to mourn for the gorgeous GranTurismo – this year is its last, with a 560bhp V8 replacement pencilled in for 2018, the engine also due to make its way to the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante. Levante, wait – what’s that? Yes, Maserati’s long-rumoured SUV will finally appear next year sporting a pair of blown V6s good for 350bhp and 425bhp.
- Let’s not forget about Ferrari’s part in the Fiat Empire. The Prancing Horse will launch a new car every year until 2018, each vehicle having a four year lifecycle.
- Finally, Jeep. The brand already has the tiny Renegade on the way (we hear it may reach the UAE as early as this year!) but the big news – there’s a bigger, more luxurious version of the Grand Cherokee on the way. Could it be called Grand Wagoneer? Very, very likely. As for the Wrangler, hold on faithful – the new version’s scheduled for 2016, as is the redesigned Grand Cherokee.
Sources: AB, Jalopnik
