Top Five small cars we want to see from the Chrysler/Fiat merger
By now, we all know that Chrysler's small car offerings are well below par. The PT Cruiser may have been a hot seller in its day, but it's well past its expiration date and is currently on life support. The Dodge Caliber isn't particularly competitive in its segment either. Beyond those two machines, there's nothing smaller than a midsize sedan or compact SUV from any of the Pentastar divisions. What's more, before the announcement of a certain Italian partnership, the prospects of Chrysler becoming quickly competitive were awfully bleak, with just one future car on the menu through a partnership with Nissan. Fiat, on the other hand, has an abundance of proper compact and subcompact cars from which to choose, and we've assembled a list of five of our favorites. Here's hoping that the impending strategic global alliance between the two automakers allows for the entrance of a few of these small cars in the American market in short order. Predictions are mixed that the partnership will be good for Chrysler (no, it won't / yes, it will), but at the very least we can dream about these five cars while we find out.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BoneHeadOtto 12:15AM (1/22/2009)
That Bravo is nice looking. And i would love a 1.4L turbo... so long as the car does not weigh too much. But that is one good looking 5dr
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rob 9:10PM (1/21/2009)
Small cars? They need help with all their cars.
Sign me up for an Alfa 159 or a Brera, please.
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noz 11:00PM (1/21/2009)
This has to be one of the worst possible ideas Fiat management has ever thought about....just WTF were they thinking?
The LAST thing I would want to do is associate myself with a POS car company like Chrysler while trying to recover from a damaged reputation.
Man....this was stupid.
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Paul Sallmen 12:56AM (1/22/2009)
I certainly have asked myself that same question. But I think Fiat was mostly interested in Chrysler due to the extensive dealer network in North America (Fiat currently has none). Selective Chrysler dealerships can be converted to Fiat dealerships (Chrysler has too many as it is). All those 5 models are very classy. They should sell well. They have to make sure that quality is their top priority.
As for Chrysler products, they can certainly share platforms, but I would be careful not just to simply re-badge identical cars a la GM (like the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5). They should resurrect some of Chrysler's iconic cars (like they did with the Challenger) like the Valiant and use one of the Fiat platforms.
If they focus on quality, this will definitely resurrect Chrysler, plus it'll bring Fiat back to North America after a long absence. If quality remains sketchy, however, then both will suffer.
Savitaipale 5:46AM (1/22/2009)
Latest in individual motoring! The Fiat 500 Single. It comfortably accomodates one average sized american in a centrally mounted sofa seat...
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Mirko 5:56AM (1/22/2009)
The Linea is not the largest Fiat. It's just a Grande Punto with a bit longer wheelbase and a sedan body.
The Croma is a proper midsize wagon, and a lot larger in every dimension than the Linea.
The 2-cylinder Panda is not available yet - and not even formally announced. That engine is still in early development.
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David 6:18AM (1/22/2009)
I would prefer some of PSA's offerings to these, to be honest.
I wish they'd find an "in" back to North America.
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megan 3:46PM (1/22/2009)
The Bravo looks similar, though sleeker, to the Dodge Caliber that I drive, seems like they'd be competing with themselves unless they ditch the Caliber. I wouldn't mind those Fiat engines though.
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stas peterson 10:45AM (1/26/2009)
Before this I thought the prospects for Chrysler was looking up.
Rick Waggoner was thinking like Al Sloan. You know actually growing the business rather than trying to downsize to prosperity. Our Friendly government Antitrust busters thought it better to let Studebaker, Kaiser Packard and AMC to simply die, putting everybody out of work. Rather than let them get absorbed by a big company like GM. That is how Sloan built GM on those principles, while acquiring the hidden gems and scrapping the rest.
Chrysler has some attractive items that do NOT overlap the CM products at all. GM builds no Minivans. That is a couple of hundred thousand ADDITIONAL sales.. It also doesn't really build small off roaders just gargantuan ones. Chrysler builds no big SUVS any longer. Kill all of Hummer and simply add the mammoth Hummer/Jeep to the top of the Jeep line for the shoppers who continue to buy Toyota Land Cruisers. Tthe H1 was a Jeep originally anyway. It also anwers the Hummer Dealer concerns and LAWSUITS.
GM is capacity constrained in High Feature v6s, the new Phoenix v6 factories wil help. GM is capacity constrained in Ecotec GDI and HCCI ready i4s. The GEMA factories are the most efficient in the World per JD Powers. Both save /conserve future cash outlays. GM is capacity constrained in DSG 6 speed automatics, Chrysler has those new factories set to build its DSG 6 speeds ( and truck 7-speed Super- Duties Trannies) needing only a little tooling. Much cash can be saved there. GM wil have to invest in the Duramax diesels for T2 B5 etc.
The Chrysler tie up with Cummins has those two new Cummins factories all set to build the 4.2 L v6, the 5.6 L v8 and the original 6.7 L I6 super duty, T2B5 compliant diesels. Even more cash to be saved. Chrysler even has a very good RWD platform for GM to use for a few specialty models. It was based on the Mercedes E Class platform features a multi-point IRS and is well sorted out and highly performant. With the Zeta RWD platform DEAD there is even more benefits to GM.
All we had to do was wait for Rick Waggoner et al, to sort through the immediate cash concerns and then turn their attention back to that. h e has said that was the only reason they stopped. h ecan then return to Chrysler absorption, with no Anti-Trust nonsense and probably even government cooperation.
Now this tie up with FIAT is the match made in HELL. The days of "A" and "B" segment cars are drawinfg to a close as mid-size Prius HEVs out-mileage them in much more comfortable packages. People went to the penalty box to purchase them for fuel economy concerns only. Who will want a pregnant roller skate except for the few thousand cranks, that are only comfortable when they can make others miserable,but "only for their own good!" They always talk about OTHERS buying them. So the roads wil be clear for their sea of Black Caddy Limos, (government furnished,naturally !) on such sickening display at the Inaugural by all those eco-phonies.
I now fear for Chrysler.
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dan 11:58AM (5/17/2009)
There are a lot of stupid people out there who don't realize that Fiat builds some of the worst cars in Europe. They are currently having economical issues of their own, and have already tried and failed to enter the US market (because of their low quality cars.) If Fiat runs Chrysler the same way they have been running Fiat, both companies will soon disapear. The government should have let Chysler go under at the begining of the year. The government should have kept out of it. These companies don't just disapear because they declar bankruptcy.
Ohh yeah, Fiat's are UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really?! Who thinks any of them aren't?
You people are all Hippies or losers!!!
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Howard H. 11:21AM (10/25/2009)
I could not agree more. The government should have let Chrysler go bankrupt. Instead Obama gave them money then had them give part of the company to fiat. Fiat is having money trouble of its own. They could not sell enough cars when the US auto market was in good shape. What makes anyone think that they can do better now that everyone is struggling? Fiats are some of the ugliest cars in the world. We don't need more foreign cars in the US. We need more domestic cars in the US. I mean the government needs to tell Ford and Gm to build more cars here. They should not build cars for the US market in canada or mexico Or anywhere else. They should only build cars outside the US if they are sold outside they US. Those cars should not be allowed in the US. The parts for those cars should be built in the US also. They should also put a import tax on all autos built outside the US regardless of the brand.