Chrysler to stay in Australia

There are no plans to bench the Chrysler brand in Australia, parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles insists.

This assurance comes from Steve Zanlunghi, the recently installed local boss of FCA, even though he was given direction to phase out the American nameplate during his previous job as the head of FCA in the United Kingdom.

This was, he says, about focussing attention more on the group's other core brands in that market.

Sluggish Australian sales of the big four-door 300C and 300C SRT models - the only current Chryslers offered here  - had led to speculation that the marque may be euthanised in this part of the world, with greater emphasis instead given over to the sister Dodge brand.

Zanlunghi has brushed off suggestions that Chrysler has a limited time left here, instead suggesting that he senses opportunities for the 300 and 300 SRT with the Holden Commodore range soon to follow the Ford Falcon out of Australian manufacturing.

But for how long?

Parent company FCA is currently working to determine the future large-car line-up under its Chrysler and Dodge brands. The Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger sedan and the two-door Challenger, are up for replacements by the end of the decade. However in this era of rationalisation, we can expect one to get the chop. FCA is aiming to reduce sales cannibalisation between its brands so two similar large sedans - one selling as a Chrysler and the other as a Dodge does not sound like an ongoing scenario.

Probably with the help of an update, the Chrysler 300 will likely stay in production until 2020.

Then it looks like game over for the car favoured by those after the gangsta rapper look.

Local muscle car enthusiasts have been calling loudly for the Dodge Charger and Challenger to be imported here, and this push will have been helped due to the resounding initial success of the Ford Mustang in Australia.

The current Dodges, first introduced in 2008, are not built in right-hand drive. However FCA's next-generation of American large cars is expected to be based around a stretched version of the very versatile "Giorgio" platform (upon which the Alfa Romeo Giulia and coming Stelvio SUV are built). This architecture is engineered to take a right-hand-drive layout, meaning there is the opportunity at least to export these cars to Australia.

FCA Asia-Pacific overlord Mike Manley has discussed with Zanlunghi the popularity of the Mustang and whether losing the Commodore and Falcon here will present opportunities to import the next-generation Dodges. But a decision is some years off.

"If we make a business case, you might see them in Australia," Manley said. "Helping the cause, it's easier to package these cars in right-hand drive with component sharing and using the next-generation global platform."

This would be great news for Dodge fans, especially those keen to see, hear and maybe own the flagship Hellcat model powered by a 527kW supercharged Hemi V8.

The popularity of workhorse/lifestyle utes in Australia is also fuelling FCA Australia's argument to secure right-hand drive production of the next-generation of Dodges.   This includes the Ram 1500 pick-up as a rival to the likes of the hot-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton.

Earlier this year, Zanlunghi's FCA Australia predecessor, Pat Dougherty, indicated to Drive that he wanted to see more Dodge products in Australia, and this included light-duty Ram pick-ups, currently only produced in left-hand drive, but converted and sold locally in a collaboration between American Special Vehicles and Ateco.

Zanlunghi has deflected any discussion on whether FCA might want to import factory right-hand-drive Ram products in the future.

"Right now we are supporting Ateco with the distribution of the Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks in Australia and New Zealand," he said.

From that, we could almost assume the next-generation factory Ram 1500 pick-up, if built in right-hand drive, could be heading our way.

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