If you were counting on seeing both a B-segment and a compact car from Chrysler in the next couple model years, you may be out of luck. The B-segment car, designed to be about the size of a Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit, is being nixed due to inter-company competition. The compact car, on the other hand, looks to be handed off to another American automotive company to produce.
Lancia recently released the Ypsilon, which was supposed to be rebadged as a Chrysler and sold in the United States’ market as a B-segment car starting in 2013. In an interview with Car and Driver at the New York auto show last week, Chrysler/ Lancia brand president Olivier Francois revealed that the plan for the renamed Ypsilon is no longer in place. The Ypsilon is very similar to the Fiat 500, he revealed. The Chrysler company thought that the Fiat and rebadged Ypsilon were too closely related to both be offered in the United States.
Francois also told Car and Driver that plans for the 2012 compact car were under review. Apparently either Dodge or Chrysler will end up with the compact car model. With Dodge’s confirmation that they will be manufacturing a compact car to replace the Caliber, it looks like Chrysler will be forfeiting their plan for this model as well. While this decision may be disappointing to Chrysler fans, the new compact Dodge promises to be very fuel efficient and powered by one of Fiat’s many four-cylinder engines.