Vehicles to Look Forward to in Chrysler, Fiat Alliance

So the deal between Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. was ugly, but it’s finally done. Union squabbles and debt consolidations aside, the U.S. Government finally OK’d the partnership between the smallest of Detroit’s Big Three and the Italian-based Fiat that is expected to be a win-win for both automakers. While the full details behind what’s in store for Chrysler’s future lineup will probably not come out anytime soon, with an extensive lineup of quality midsize and compact cars in its arsenal, any number of Fiat’s vehicles could make it into Chrysler’s North American lineup. The main point of the alliance is to get Chrysler some competitive small cars while giving Fiat access to the North American market. One thing is for sure, though, what ever vehicle this alliance brings to the North American market, a name change for all of the models will be required.

As projected by the arrival of Jim Press at the 2009 New York International Auto Show in a Fiat 500 (pictured), this may very well be the first car to make the Chrysler transition. Pulling up onto stage in a bright blue Fiat 500, Press seemed very impressed with the car’s ability to fit in with Chrysler’s lineup. Having access to Fiat’s vehicle platforms is crucial to Chrysler’s future success. Cars like the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger may exude classic coolness, but when it comes to fuel-efficient cars, Chrysler doesn’t really offer anything competitive.

Fiat vehicles such as the 500, Bravo five-door hatchback, Grande Punto or even the Panda could all give Chrysler much needed credibility among small, fuel-efficient cars without skimping on stylish designs. The Fiat 500 is a stylish mini car that is available as either a three-door hatchback or an open-top pseudo convertible, while the Bravo and Grande Punto are both slightly larger hatchbacks. The Fiat Sedici, based on the Suzuki SX4, or the Panda 4x4 could make a great replacement for the Jeep Compass and would probably be able to attain Jeep’s coveted trail rated badge as well.

As a subsidiary of Fiat, Alfa Romeo’s vehicles could also make it to U.S. showrooms with cars based on the 147 or 159 being perfect candidates for Chrysler or Dodge vehicles. The 159 is available as either a sedan or Sportwagon that would be a stylish replacement for the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring. A relative flop in its segment, the Avenger and Sebring are capable vehicles that are often criticized for their vanilla styling both inside and out, but the Alfa Romeo 159 could fix all that. As far as the 147, it offers numerous body styles in addition to the five-door hatchback design. Cars like the GT, the Brera could replace the once popular Sebring and Avenger coupes, while the Spider might hold a place as a Sebring Convertible replacement. While we’re dreaming about future Chrysler vehicles, why not imagine a Chrysler-badged Alfa Romeo 8C Competizone as a possible consolation for never getting the Chrysler Firepower based on the Dodge Viper.

Only time will tell as to what models will actually make it to showrooms here in the U.S., but we’re already more impressed with this partnership than we were when Daimler took over… uh, merged… with Chrysler back in 1998.