Chrysler’s Airflow concept, unveiled at CES in January 2022 and then reappeared with a refreshed design at the New York Auto Show in April of that year, is nipped in the bud, so to speak. The one that was to eventually become the brand’s first electric vehicle does not suit the chief executive, Christine Feuell, who took office in September 2021.
In an interview for motor-trendStellantis design director Ralph Gilles explained that Feuell wants to “send a message” and have a vehicle that “is nothing like what we’ve seen so far”, including the Airflow concept.
In fact, even the name will be dropped. Apparently, there are as many people who hate him as those who love him. Recall that the original Chrysler Airflow was a car renowned for its aerodynamics in the mid-1930s.
In short, a new concept will take shape and we won’t see it until next year. The company doesn’t give any clues about what kind of vehicle we can expect and how it will differ from the Airflow, which you’ll find in the photo gallery at the top of the page.
Photo: Chrysler
It seems Fuell wants a product that hits harder and better embodies the radical transformation that Chrysler is about to undergo, committed to becoming an all-electric brand by 2028.
As reported at the end of April, Stellantis would also have secretly presented to its dealers a future Chrysler-branded electric sedan, obviously as a replacement for the 300. This would have a coupe-like silhouette that is not without recall the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept.
The Brampton, Ontario plant, which assembles the 300 as well as the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, will manufacture vehicles built on one of Stellantis’ new platforms starting in 2025, including at least one electric model. His identity will be revealed this summer.
In Windsor, the birthplace of the Pacifica and Grand Caravan minivans, the plant will be converted this year to produce vehicles based on the STLA Large platform. Here again, their identity remains to be clarified.