Would FCA Have A Hit If It Brought The Giulia Downmarket And Rebadged It As The New 300?

I know a few potential buyers that would like to see a slimmed, more-svelte 300 model version, but thats just a few people. It's entirely possible that making a Guilia-based 300 may kill the nameplate altogether. This current 300 is known for being a full-size vehicle offering a generous range of engines with AWD options.

If FCA ever ventures into making a much smaller 300, they will have to absolutely nail the exterior design but offer a range of powertrain options (v6, turbo-4, turbo/tt-v6) to keep US consumer interest high. And they will need to drastically redesign the interior (think Cadillac, Lincoln) with LCD screen options.

Also, making a small 300 will put in further competition with Camry (which is more sporty Avalon today) & Accord. It's in a weird marketing category now that the Impala & Taurus will probably be discontinued next year. Also, the Giulia isn't much bigger than the 200 was. Despite all that the 200 offered, it basically tanked in sales.

Chrysler brand is what ? 2 vehicles now ? shovel to the head.

No - it would not

THe 300 is a full size car - the Giulia is a compact. THe Giulia could not replace the 300 - although I guess it could be a small Chrysler. Either way - the Giulia is made in Italy - it will not sell well here - and the 300 barely sells outside of North America.

What Chrysler needs to do is decide if they want to continue with an American 2nd tier (Chrysler was an equal to Buick and Mercury) luxury car line. My guess is that they do not have the money to actually produce the cars. SO - either they merge with a company that has a car line (Fca does not have competitive cars that would work in the USA) - or they simply drop the cars and leave the Pacifica to itself.

I agree but they could to a major redo on this ancient platform. Its weathered alot of storms and its still a very popular series (Charger & Challenger included). Best to keep it going as the tooling is long since paid for, though its old it has a following (think Ford-Panther platform). Use the cash from Ram & Jeep to figure out the future. Mike Manley is a creative guy and I think he has a fondness for Chrysler and its legacy. I think it would be a shame to kill it but since Daimler looted the place a decade ago, its never been the same...

I agree that they could do another MAJOR restyling on that platform - BUT that was not the question. THe question was - could they rename the Giulia - the Chrysler 300 -and then would it sell. THe Giulia is still TOO small to replace the 300.

The CHRYSLER name has a long history and there is a lot of Advertising value in its name - which will continue as being part of FCA to begin with. It would take BILLIONS to create an equal from scratch - which is why few try that - and FCA could not afford it. However - cars are not selling well right now. ANd adding another line of crossovers to their mix is something that FCA does not really need to do - it would be poor badge engineering at best.

Using the Chrysler name - they COULD - using essentially the same platform - produce a Very high level Luxury car - as a Halo to their "Brand" - BUT again - that would mean using money they do not have and using a really old platform. I do not see a way out for FCA unless they try a merger to get cars to fill out their lineup.

Without thinking about the 300 nameplate history...if Chrysler used a rebadged Giulia as a revised 300, it would be a huge industry joke.

With the SUV-craze still going strong, Chrysler & Dodge are in a position to sell a crap-ton of CUV's based off their current platforms. The LX platform is huge, why the fcuk had they not made a CUV off of it yet?! Why didn't they use the Dart platform to make a small CUV?

Depending on Jeep to carry the bulk of vehicle sales was high in risks & was highly arrogant. The Grand Cherokee is nice, but it's like 15yrs old...fcuk!!!! And where is the full-sizer top Jeep SUV?!! I'm thinking they had planned to give the US that Chinese version & discovered that design was complete siht!

I cant imagine the FCA CAFE ratings are all that great either. They're barely selling cars with decent fuel consumption ratings. When your brand is selling only 2 vehicles, then you've got to stop the insanity & just re-organize. B/c now Tesla got a better vehicle lineup than both Chrysler & Dodge. Old-azz product is getting stale - even with 700hp/700tq engines thrown in.

The 300 outsells all the American Alfa Romeo by more than 2:1. The Charger and Challenger outsell the rest-of-the-world Alfa Romeo volume by nearly 3:1.

Wait is the Giulia a hit now? Chrysler should just sell trucks, their cars are trash.. Vette included

The Giulia is an unmitigated sales failure worldwide and the Stelvio is right behind it. Immediately reskinning it as a new Charger, building it in the USA for better quality control and dropping in the Hemi would be the ticket. As for the 300 borrow the Azera from Hyundai.

the Hemi probably wouldn't fit & wld be too heavy of a front load for the Giulia.

It very well might fit given how the Giorgio was derived. The Hemi will fit in a Ghibli, but the hood won't close.

Chrysler should keep the 300 c and add at least one more smaller sedan. Yes suv's are hot now but i thick you should give people options. Oh I'm a automobile designer and i have a perfect design for the Chrysler 300 C .This design could out sale so many suv's and cars out there right now.It may be could be the number one seller of all cars today. I wish i could get in contact with fiat Chrysler.I think cars are here to stay.

people still actually buy Chryslers?

250% more than Alfa Romeos.

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Someone who does no research

They still have one class leader using the Chrysler name - the Pacifica. There is no other Mini-van with 2nd row hideable seats on the market. The Major Flaw in the Kia was fixed 2nd row that could not be removed as an example.

And yet the doddering old Caravan handily outsells the pacifica.

First of all, I am surprised we are taking so much time discussing a patently absurd idea--turning a Giulia into a 300. A new 200, maybe, and perhaps the American badging might help sell the car (if QC can be worked out).

At present, however, I fear for the 300's future. I am sure there is a market for a full-sized near luxury car, and especially one as competent as the 300. (I just drove it as a mere rental, and it is still quiet and stable on the road and peppy with its V-6.) But it needs a new skin and, of course, a rethought interior, although I doubt they can afford to do much.

I thought FCA was going to use the Giorgio platform for a new Charger and Challenger. If that's the case it would be a natural for a Chrysler 300. Only thing is you would have to stay with a V6 as the largest engine. You could also use the turbo 4 from the Jeep Wrangler(which I believe is an Alfa four simply detuned). But then FCA has to decide if they really want to keep building sedans. Like Ford I see them going strictly CUV/SUV within a couple of years.

Sergio Idiot decided to restyle the LX yet again.

At one time Giorgio was to be a new 300, Challenger, Charger, Grand Cherokee, Barracuda, Giulia, Stelvio, and a small Maserati crossover.

But the plan all along was to kill Dodge and Chrysler. It must have irked Sergio that the ancient 300 outsold all of Alfa Romeo's USA sales by over a factor of two and that the Challenger and Charger outsell the rest of Alfa's worldwide sales by nearly 3.

A Hemi Giulia would be a good thing.