On Friday, at its test track in Balocco, Italy, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revealed its bold new plan for the future. The past few weeks have seen plenty of speculation about the automaker’s future and whether or not it was going to kill off storied brands like Dodge or Fiat. But as expected, the announcements mainly focused on four of the names in FCA’s portfolio: Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo, each of which has big things in store.
Jeep is arguably FCA’s crown jewel now that it has spun off Ferrari, and the company wants to launch a bevy of new models in the next few years. These will hit each of the different size segments in the SUV and crossover classes, from a crossover smaller than the soon-to-be-revised Renegade all the way up to a new Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer. By 2022, Jeep should also have ten plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) and four battery EVs (BEVs) on sale. Some of these will be focused more on life in an urban environment, but, from the sounds of it, Jeep is not prepared to compromise its off-road chops just because it’s adding some electric motors.
Next up is Ram, the vehicles formerly known as Dodge trucks. FCA wants Ram to occupy the number-two position for commercial vehicles in North America by 2022, which might just happen given the brand’s growth in the past few years. The five-year plan calls for a new midsize truck to fit in between the light and heavy-duty versions, as well as replacements for the Promaster City and Promaster vans. Expect a hybrid powertrain option for the light-duty truck but probably no BEV truck. Oh, and that Ram TRX concept I liked so much has been greenlit for production. A performance truck to rival the Ford Raptor, it hits the streets (and dunes) in 2022.
Over at Maserati, there will be a production version of the Alfieri concept, available as a hybrid, PHEV, or BEV. There’s also a new SUV coming, one that’ll be smaller than the Levante—a review of which you’ll be able to read here in the near future. This midsize SUV will also come in hybrid and PHEV variants.
Alfa Romeo doesn’t appear to have any BEVs in store for us, but every segment, bar the tiny MiTo (which may not be replaced), will have a PHEV by 2022. The Giulia and Stelvio will both be refreshed, and there is a smaller car and crossover planned to fit in below them in the range, plus a bigger SUV—oh so important for the US market. The GTV nameplate is going to return by then as a new sports car, and we also learned that there’s going to be a new 8C high-performance supercar.
As we understand it, Chrysler and Dodge are not facing the chopping block, and the latter will continue to build performance cars based on a rear-wheel drive platform (possibly borrowed from the Giulia). But neither Marchionne nor any of the other executives who gave presentations mentioned those brands or Lancia.
