2010 Chrysler 300 Preview

Chrysler’s big rear-drive sedan will be re-invented sometime during the 2010 calendar year, by the fine engineering people in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and some of its design and engineering aspects might even be leveraged by the parent company, Fiat, for its big Lancia and Alfa Romeo products.


In the meantime, there are a few new items of note for model-year 2010…

300 Touring and 300 Limited are equipped with the 250-hp 3.5-litre V6, while 300C gets its motivation from the 360-hp 5.7-litre HEMI V8, and 300C SRT goes one better, with the 425-hp 6.1-litre HEMI V8.

Standard transmission is a 4-speed automatic. But optional on V6 models and standard on AWD and V8 models is the 5-speed automatic with Auto-Stick. Models equipped with this 5-speed debuted Chrysler’s fuel shut off technology (iDFSO), as a running change in model-year 2009.

Another recent Chrysler advance that debuted on the 300, is adaptive speed control, which uses radar to maintain a specific distance between the vehicle and the one in front of it.

This year 300 also gets a Fuel Saver Indicator (FSI), and Passive Entry. The latter is an enhancement to the remote keyless entry system, which allows you to lock and unlock the doors without having to press the transmitter lock or unlock the buttons.

Available on all Chrysler models for 2010 is the new uconnect Hands-Free Communication System, which allows you to place and receive calls over the stereo system (with your Bluetooth phone), and connect your i-Pod to the stereo via a factory-installed cable.

Pricing starts at $32,995.

Chrysler will display electric car at Detroit auto show

Chrysler Group LLC will show off new products at the Detroit auto show, after all, a source familiar with Chrysler's planning told The Detroit News.

The Auburn Hills automaker will show a battery-powered version of the Fiat 500 subcompact, a product of the company's partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA, the source said Tuesday. It also will present a Chrysler model based on Fiat's Lancia Delta, the source said.

Details of the company's plans are not public, and Chrysler recently said it would not show anything new at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, saying its plans were to show new vehicles that were actually ready for consumers to buy.

It isn't known whether Chrysler has decided to put the car into production, the source said. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne, who holds the same title at Fiat, said last month the company plans to produce about 56,000 electric vehicles annually by 2014, and Chrysler may base its initial model on the Fiat Doblo van.

The cars to be shown in Detroit will signal how Fiat's designs will be incorporated into the lineup of Chrysler's products to help the company attempt to end losses after it emerged from bankruptcy.

Even with the news Chrysler will show two new vehicles, the company isn't on the press conference list.

The show opens to the media Jan. 11-12 and the public Jan. 14. Gualberto Ranieri, a Chrysler spokesman, declined to comment.

Chrysler 300 LX Platform To Be Used In Fiat’s Two New Sedans

Fiat announced that it will be bringing out two sedan models based on the Chrysler 300 LX platforms. This new development is as a result of Chrysler’s newly formed with the Italian auto giant. The news arose after a recent report that a former Bertone plant in Italy lately acquired by Fiat, is in preparation to build several new car models based on the existing Chrysler platforms.

Senior Vice President of Business Development of Fiat Group Automobiles and Fiat Powertrain Technologies Chief Executive Officer Alfredo Altavilla told the company’s union that the new vehicles would be based on Chrysler’s large car platform. Also, he announced that the company’s recently revealed Pentstar V-6 engine would be used for those cars. Based on latest reports, Fiat will build 50,000 units of Lancia and Maserati, two large rear wheel drive sedans. The former Bertone plant, renamed Officine Automobilistiche Grugliasco (OAG), will give the lead to the productions. The choice of LX platform from Chrysler can be justified with respect to the reports as they are rear-wheel drives commonly used in full-size cars. Introduced in 2005, it is also used in Dodge’s Magnum Charger.

2010 Chrysler Spotted

Though plans of Chrysler’s new vehicle’s announcement came as early as in February itself, and a few pictures were also released, the outcome was not yet clear as certain crucial details were left out. However, now that we have seen what the car looks like, it does cast an opinion that this is going to be one hell of a show stopper. The spy shots make it clear that Chrysler has gone for a rounded exterior instead of its usual pimp look.

From the front it has a definitive executive image, displaying an exceptionally smooth front side that looks less ferocious and more like a diplomat. Good combination of leather and wood paneling in the interior too adds up to the same result. Even though no official statement about the performance is out, fuel economy is said to be better by 22 percent. Options in the engine are a 2.7-litre, a 3.5-litre, a 5.7-litre and a 6.1-litre HEMI V8.

Also, for the diesel lover, there is a 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine. Since the news of the Fiat-Chrysler tie-up, there has been a rumor that in the very near future, Maseratis and Lancias would be on the road running on the RWD 300 platform. Also expected is the Lancia, featuring a new V6 engine that would be debuting in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. However, for the moment the focus is on the 2010 Chrysler. These pictures make it clear that the diplomat in Chrysler is finally out to ride the roads. What remains to be seen in this regard is will it rule the world or will it join the sidelines.

Chrysler Dreams of Electric Fiats

Chrysler will show some signs of life when it rolls into the Detroit auto show with — get this — an electric version of the Fiat 500.

Sweet!

Chrysler is bringing the electric 500 and a Lancia Delta sporting a Chrysler grille to the show, says Automotive News, citing “two sources familiar with the plans.” They’re just showpieces, and the sources tell Automotive News Chrysler has no plans to produce either one, but at least we’re seeing something outta Chrysler– even if it isn’t holding a press conference at the show.

We already knew Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne planned to bring the Fiat 500 to America, and if he includes the hot Abarth 500 in the deal we’ll ask to have him canonized. Chrysler reportedly disbanded its ENVI electric car team, but Marchionne’s plan included having many of those engineers work on other EVs.

The 500 — which, by the way, we love — is perfect for electric power. It’s small, it’s reasonably light and it’s perfectly suited to urban driving, so big range won’t be an issue. Finding room for the battery could be tricky, but that’s what engineers are for.

Chrysler to show electric minicar at 2010 Detroit auto show

A Fiat 500 vehicle is shown during a media preview of the 2009 New York International Auto Show in New York,
So Chrysler will display a battery-powered version of the Fiat 500 minicar at the show, but no decision has been made whether the car will be offered for sale in the U.S., according to people familiar with the plans.

The company will also show a version of the Lancia Delta mid-size hatchback with a Chrysler grille, as well as one or two models from Fiat’s luxury nameplates, Ferrari and Maserati.

Micro-Vett SpA, an Italian company, has produced a few Fiat 500s powered by a lithium polymer Kokam battery with 22 kilowatt-hours of capacity and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. The vehicle, which was unveiled at the London Motor Show in July 2008, can be driven 70 miles between recharging, which take between six and eight hours.

Last month, when Chrysler executives laid out their five-year plan there was no plan for a mass-market gas-electric hybrid or plug-in hybrid car before 2015. A hybrid powertrain offered in 2008 on a handful of Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen SUVs will be available in 2010 on the Dodge Ram light-duty pickup truck.

In 2011, Chrysler will launch a test fleet of 200 plug-in minivans and pickups developed through a federal grant.

Fiat’s green and gas-saving technologies revolve less around electric vehicles than its small cars and its Multiair electric valve technology, which it will fit to future Chryslers, said John Voelker editor-in-chief of GreenCarReports.com.

Chrysler will build the 500 at its plant in Toluca, Mexico, beginning late 2010. Initial plans are to produce 100,000 of the car a year -- half for sale in North America and half for sale in Brazil and Argentina. In addition, Chrysler is investing $179 million in its Dundee, Mich., engine plant to produce Fiat’s 1.4-liter engines with Multiair technology.

Multiair is a sophisticated technology that delivers up to 10% more power while cutting fuel consumption and carbon emissions by as much as 10% compared to similar engines.

2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser Preview

Not too long ago it looked like model-year 2009 would be the last for the Chrysler PT Cruiser.


It is the only Chrysler vehicle still based on the Neon platform, and the only one still using the Neon's old 2.4-litre engine.

Chrysler has now said that 2010 models will definitely be built, though maybe not a whole year's worth. And that there will only be one model — PT Cruiser Classic.

The sold powerplant for Cruiser Classic will be that 2.4-litre I4 hooked up to a 4-speed automatic.

The model is equipped, with standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Electronic Vehicle Information Center, 16-inch aluminum wheels, tire pressure monitoring, cruise, air conditioning, and traction control.

There is also a bit of cosmetic razzle-dazzle to distinguish it as the last of the breed: Inside and outside are more chrome pieces.

But maybe 2010 won't even be its last year. Fiat boss, Sergio Marchionne, has gone on record that he likes the PT Cruiser. Considering it is already sold in Europe, maybe Fiat will find some future niche for the PT brand, either here in North American or elsewhere.

PT was one of the original "tall wagons," and its style is weathering well. Might it even be timeless?

Time has been harsher to other aspects of PT. The dash is definitely more dated, with lots of hard plastic and long-ago conceived switchgear. But the rear seats, and the front passenger seat fold forward, and there's that "parcel shelf" which PT pioneered.

With that older engine and a 4-speed automatic, the PT has never been a fuel economy leader. It handles quite well, even though it does exhibit some body roll.

If you've ever hankered for one of these retro-styled ride, model year 2010 might be your last chance to buy one new off the lot.