cars news 10: Report: Next Chrysler 300 May Adopt Pacifica Architecture

Sales for Chrysler were down 19 percent during the first four months of the year, but fortunately, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is making some big changes to the brand. One of those changes may include a successor to the Chrysler 300 that uses the Pacifica minivan’s architecture.

Speaking at FCA’s plant in Windsor, Ontario, CEO Sergio Marchionne told Reuters that the next Chrysler 300 sedan could share its underpinnings with the Pacifica. He also said the Windsor plant is “capable” of making a front- and all-wheel-drive Chrysler 300 in the future, although he clarified that FCA hasn’t yet committed to such a version of the sedan. The current rear-wheel-drive 300 is produced in Brampton, Ontario.

Marchionne also announced that FCA will officially stop producing the Chrysler 200 by the end of this year or early 2017. FCA still wants to secure a partner that can take over production of the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart, allowing the automaker to focus on big-ticket items like trucks, crossovers, and large cars.

One of FCA’s high-margin vehicles is the Ram pickup truck, its best-selling vehicle in North America. The next-gen Ram will go on sale by January 2018, Marchionne also announced. Recently, we heard FCA is also mulling a midsize Ram pickup to expand the brand’s reach in the truck market.

Source: Reuters