As Stellantis Takes Over Chrysler, Can the Storied Name Be Saved? (Yes! Here's how!)

[Auto Styling News] 

Stellantis is the new owner of Chrysler. And very likely its last one.

The new brand name (created by marketers from the Latin word "stello," meaning, "to brighten with stars") consists of a mish-mash 14 Italian, French, German, British, and American automakers including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, FIAT, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, RAM, and Vauxhall.

The newly minted brand name takes over this month from FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) a company that oversaw extremely weak US sales not only for Chrysler, but for FIAT, Abarth, and Alfa Romeo. FCA Group acquired Chrysler in 2014.

Chrysler Corporation was of course founded as an American company in 1925 by Walter Chrysler from the remains of the Maxwell Motor Company. In 1998, it was acquired by Daimler-Benz, and the holding company was renamed DaimlerChrysler. 

The German-American union was not a happy one, with many differences coming to the surface about the direction of the company. In short, it was a really bad fit.

After Daimler divested Chrysler in 2007, the company briefly existed as Chrysler LLC (2007–2009) and Chrysler Group LLC (2009–2014) before merging in 2014 with the Italian holding company Fiat S.p.A. and becoming a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Chrysler has clearly fallen on hard times. It has two nameplates, the aging 300 sedan (first introduced in 2005) and the Pacifica van (it has an electric version of the van and a stripped-down model now using the iconic Voyager name, but these are just badge-engineering exercises. They have two.)

That's really sad for several reasons, not least is which that company has a recent history of innovation and large, exciting lineups. Lee Iacocca revived the company from bankruptcy and (paid back government loans - early!) with the K-Car line. In the 1990s, the company had success after success with exciting concept cars that they brought to market. Among them was the PT Cruiser, which sold in the millions.

The 300, back in the day, was also a huge hit. The Crossfire fired imaginations, and the LHS was a gorgeous car that made it to production as a beautiful vehicle, part of the "cab-forward" design style that captured America's imagination. They introduced many new nameplates that sold well in that era.

The company could use a dose of the spirit of the '90s and early 2000s right about now - a spirit that showed many concepts taken to the market, a daring can-do spirit that showed it was a bold car designer, not just a retread, recycling old nameplates on boring vehicles, as they are now.

The once-luxury brand has no top-of-the-line "halo car," no SUVs, no mini-Utes (the hottest vehicle type on the market) and no sports cars for middle aged men to buy during their mid-life crises.

Last year sales were anemic. It sold around 110,500 vehicles, about one-third its volume in 2015, according to company figures.

Fiat, a maker of small cars reintroduced to the US in 2011, also saw a sharp drop-off in sales.

Experts believe there is a consolidation of the new car conglomerate's 14 brands coming, and that doesn't bode well for Chrysler.  One news site suggested that Chrysler was already dead (as a name, anyway) when their sign was replaced with the Stellantis one at their storied Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters.

Regardless of when it happens, it almost seems inevitable that the brand is going to fade away, unless someone in the new company's Amsterdam, Holland headquarters decides to revive it in a BIG WAY.

It's not hard to see how it could regain its footing. It must launch a solid, stylish luxury SUV. It must launch a dependable mini-UTE that actually stands out from its many vanilla competitors, and it must launch a hot sports car that captures imaginations.

That's a tall order, since new vehicles take 2-5 years to produce through the traditional  auto design pipeline. But these are not ordinary times, and innovation is called for if Chrysler hopes to survive to see its 100th birthday.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#KIA Set To Pull "Sedona" Name In 2022, Replaced With Handsome #Carnival Model

[Auto Styling News] 

The 2021 Kia Sedona will be the last vehicle of that name, internet sources are revealing. In 2022, the vehicle will get an entirely new design, and take on the name used already overseas, Carnival. (Sorry, Arizona!)

Now KIA has to pray that Carnival Cruise Lines does not have a major disease outbreak on board one of its ships, or other disaster in the coming years that will associate the name with something bad, or even tragic. 

Photos obtained from the Sedona forum blog end the Korean Car Blog (and posted here) show an incredibly handsome new vehicle with a much longer wheelbase and an updated front fascia.

What's really interesting is that we know from the Korean model (currently on the road there as a 2021 model) exactly what next year's Carnival will look like here in North America.

The handsome grill work, surrounded by chrome is a zigzag pattern, surrounds LED daytime running lights that are visibly much smaller than the current Sedona.

A single character line runs the length of the car, with bold wheel arches and sharp lines giving a more modern, sculpted appearance. 

A key design highlight of the 2022 KIA Carnival will be the new ‘island roof’ design, with blacked-out A- and B-pillars beneath a body-colored roof. An eye-catching new C-pillar signature design also stands out, with a chrome fin bearing a subtle diamond pattern.

The rear features a wide, distinctive new look, accentuated by a full-width light bar. Another element of its SUV-inspired design is the metallic lower skid plate, further affording a more robust appearance.

In South Korea, they also currently enjoy a "Hi Limousine" model that comes with a large luxurious chair in the second row, and with curtains in all the rear and side windows, accepting the passenger and driver window up front. 

This is supposed to be the ultimate luxury model, which it's a safe bet that it will not come to America, because, to the casual observer, it resembles very strongly a hearse. Sales would not likely be very good for that reason.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

New Fleet-Focused Electric Truck, #Lordstown Endurance, Garners 100k Pre-Orders

[Auto Styling News] 

Lordstown Motors Corp., an emerging producer of electric light duty trucks focused on the commercial fleet market, says it has received more than 100,000 non-binding production reservations from commercial fleets for its Lordstown Endurance all-electric pickup truck, with an average order size of nearly 600 vehicles per fleet.

“Receiving 100,000 pre-orders from commercial fleets for a truck like the Endurance is unprecedented in automotive history,” said Steve Burns, CEO of Lordstown Motors. “Adding in the interest we have from federal, state, municipal and military fleets on top of that, I think you can see why we feel that we are about to revolutionize the pickup truck industry.”

The Lordstown Endurance is a full-size, all-electric pickup that has a range of 250 miles, the equivalent of 600hp and can tow up to 7,500lbs. After successful prototype and Alpha builds, Lordstown is now building the first Beta Endurance vehicles and is on track for start of production in September of this year. The initial Endurance is a crew cab configuration with medium bed length, priced at $45,000 after federal rebate.

Lordstown Motors, an Ohio-based original equipment manufacturer of light duty fleet vehicles, was founded by CEO Steve Burns with the purpose of transforming Ohio's Mahoning Valley and Lordstown, Ohio, into the epicenter of electric-vehicle manufacturing. 

The company owns the 785 acre, 6.2 million square foot Lordstown Assembly Plant where it plans to build the Lordstown Endurance, believed to be the world's first full-size, all-electric pickup truck designed to serve the commercial fleet market. 

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Tesla (Nearly) Meets Its 2020 Goal Of 500k Teslas Built And Delivered

[Auto Styling News]

 

In 2020, Tesla Motors says it produced and delivered half a million vehicles, in line with its 2020 goals, according to a company news release.

Well, almost. An actual spreadsheet included in the very same news release, shown below, indicate 499,550 delivered, with actually more than a half-million cars built last year. Company officials say that when all the data from 2020 is in, they may very well have reach the "500,000 delivered" goal, as well.

In addition, the release says Model Y production in Shanghai has begun, with deliveries expected to begin shortly.

For such a young company, it is quite an achievement. And CEO Elon Musk is thrilled with the result, tweeting,

"So proud of the Tesla team for achieving this major milestone! At the start of Tesla, I thought we had (optimistically) a 10% chance of surviving at all."

It was a vindication for Musk, who, in a 2014 interview, below, rather audaciously (at the time) predicted the company would be able to produce 500,000 vehicles by the end of 2020.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Kia Motors Wins Design Awards for K5 and Sorento Models [Auto Styling News]

[Auto Styling News] 

The Kia Optima was already a very good looking car. But the Korean car company's latest incarnation of the Optima, the 2021 K5, is winning some prestigious awards for great design

In fact, Kia Motors has earned two design prizes for its latest models, as the new third-generation Kia K5 sedan and fourth-generation Kia Sorento SUV won accolades in the Transportation category of the annual GOOD DESIGN Awards.

This is the latest in a string of design awards for Kia in recent years, with previous generations of both the Sorento and K5 also earning GOOD DESIGN Awards in 2015. The Telluride and Soul have also received prizes from the organization.

Kia’s third-generation K5 is one of the e brand's most powerful mid-size sedans to-date, offering drivers an inspired and technology-packed alternative to traditional rivals. 

Its exterior design is characterized by Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger nose’ grille and ‘heart beat’ daytime running lights, while its interior layout conveys a futuristic and high-tech appearance, aided by its 12-inch digital instrument cluster.

The all-new Kia Sorento redefines the successful design of previous generations of the SUV, while incorporating elegant and sophisticated new styling elements, with sharper lines, high-tech details and elongated exterior proportions. 

I also features the ‘tiger-nose’ grille, displaying a wider shape which organically wraps around the integrated headlamps on each side, gives the new model a confident and mature presence. 

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the GOOD DESIGN Awards program is one of the oldest design competitions in the world. Every year, the program selects a list of products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#EV Company #Canoo To Build Roomy Van And Delivery Truck [Auto Styling News]

[Auto Styling News] 

You've heard of Tesla, but now get ready for Canoo.

Canoo is a Los Angeles-based company that has developed electric vehicles, as well.

Canoo says it has designed "a modular platform purpose-built to deliver maximum vehicle interior space and adaptable to support a wide range of vehicle applications for consumers and businesses."

In the beginning it will offer consumers would it cals a lifestyle vehicle and we'll also produce a delivery truck, called a "multi-purpose delivery vehicle."

The company won the Red Dot Design Award 2020: "Best of the Best" for concept design in the transportation and mobility category.

Based on Canoo’s proprietary electric platform, the vehicle will be offered in two initial size variants, with others to follow. 

Its all-electric multi-purpose delivery vehicle will be priced starting at around $33,000. Limited availability will begin in 2022, with scaled production and launch planned for 2023. Pricing and availability of the consumer-focused lifestyle vehicle have not yet been released on the company's website.

Customers can pre-order the multi-purpose delivery vehicle for a refundable deposit of $100 per vehicle.

The delivery truck will be a lot squarer then the consumer vehicle. Which makes sense, because it will be easier to install shelves in the truck that resembles an Amazon delivery truck then in one that resembles a pill.

Let talk about the design of the consumer vehicle - the minivan.

You can't accuse it of being ugly. In fact, it resembles a beautiful Tylenol tablet. The front is roundly curved oh, and the back of the thing is almost exactly the same shape.

In fact, owners will probably complain that they have trouble walking to the front of the vehicle when they get out of the store, because they continually walk to the rear instead.

The headlamps and the tail lamps resemble the letter T on its side. They are quite stunning, in part because they are unlike anything on the market today. In fact, this vehicle will not be mistaken for any other

vehicle that has ever existed. Although one can say it resembles, if you squint and use your imagination, a Toyota Previa minivan, which graced American roads from 1991 to 1997. 

The roof panel consists entirely of glass, which is becoming more and more common especially in luxury vehicles. In fact, the vehicle will have 22 windows in total. Visibility in this thing will be amazing!

The safari windows appear above where the normal four windows of the vehicle are. And in the front of the vehicle, where the dashboard usually would sit, a window will allow drivers and passengers to see through roadway ahead of them, and pedestrians, more clearly.

The company says there will only be one color offered for the vehicle, black, which brings to mind Ford Motor Company's hesitation - well, Henry Ford's - to offer any colors back in the early 1900s. (They finally relented, of course, and Model A's were offered in the spectrum of colors by the 1920s.)

However the cars will be offered with the option of wraps, and I'm sure the aftermarket for wraps will be hot if this car takes off.

Despite the push-me-pull-you jokes that are inevitable for people who remember the original Doctor Doolittle film, the car is actually quite handsome and striking from a distance. That alone is likely to how many people in and get them to plunk down $100 to reserve one, or invest in the company's stock (GOEV) which is already trading near $15.50  a share. 

At the time this blog was written, Tesla was hovering around $660 a share. Imagine if you had bought it at $15 a share?

It's very easy to get excited about this vehicle, and about this company and it's rather stunning looking vehicles. But the recent troubles with EV carmaker Nikola, which just lost a huge contract to build electric garbage trucks, shows that the market is very tender right now. 

Still, it's equally easy to envision millions of Americans driving their kids to school and to the supermarket in this round electric minivan in early 2023 and 2024.

See video below of a "beta" version of the family vehicle in action.

Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Specs, Spy Photos Revealed For Ioniq 5 Electric Vehicle [Auto Styling News]

Specs for Hyundai Motor Company’s first electric vehicle under new sub-brand Ioniq, the Ioniq 5, have been (inadvertently) released by Hyundai Austria, says Inside EVs, which took the spot shot above of the sleek, 5-door hatch with Audi-like production head lamps.

The Ioniq 5 First Edition has a dual motor specification and a maximum output of 313 horsepower. When fully charged, the maximum range is 450km (280 miles) based on a 58kWh battery.  In Austria, a reservation can be placed from December 18th to January 31st.

By February 2nd, Hyundai will allow customers to choose the color and then they will have time until February 16th to place the order. Vehicles will arrive by June/July, 2021, says The Korean Car Blog.

The Ioniq 5 is based on Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP platform for electric vehicles, and will be sold between $42,900 and $45,400, depending on battery capacity

The First Edition will likely strongly resemble last year's stunning 45 Concept car, below, revealed at the Frankfurt Auto Show.