• Chrysler's first electric model will not be called Airflow.
• The future EV will also adopt a different style than the concept.
• Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell wants to reposition the brand within the Stellantis group.
Chrysler's current lineup is thin, to say the least, and it will fatten with EVs and EVs only, that much is clear. To that end, the automaker presented the Airflow concept a couple of years back and pushed it along the development process to a production model.
The name, first used to designate a car back in the 1930s, was both a nice nod to the past and appropriate for the electric age.
It looks now like the past is where it’s going to stay, at least for the time being. Chrysler has decided it won’t use the name. In fact, it says it is reviewing its previous approach to electric model design.
Clearly, reaction to the Airflow concept was not universal applause. Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell had previously told Motor Trend that while many loved the name internally, just as many were against the company using it.
Motor Trend also Stellantis head of design Ralph Gilles, who said that Feuell wanted a model that would make a statement. He added that meant what’s coming has no relation to what we’ve seen with the Airflow, either in terms of name or design.
That surely means the brand is readying to choose a new name for the model. The idea is that Chrysler wants to make a complete break with the past to help it relaunch successfully. The electric model now in development in the works has received very positive response so far, said Ralph Gilles who himself finds the design quite stunning.
We won't see this vehicle until next year, though. And no one at the brand has given any clues about what changes have been made to the now two-year-old Airflow concept. Chances are some of the basic element are being retained, but with a design that’s completely different.
CEO Feuell is also preparing a complete overhaul of the customer experience at Chrysler, from online and dealer purchases to after-sales service. She has previously stated she wants Chrysler to become the gateway to Stellantis, while offering “clean mobility, seamless technology” and affordable pricing.
In other words, we have no idea what’s coming from Chrysler. Stay tuned.