Windsor Assembly slated to build new Chrysler SUV

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Published Jun 28, 2023 • 3 minute read

The Stellantis Canada Windsor Assembly Plant is shown on Tuesday. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

AutoForecast Solutions’ vice president of global vehicle forecasting Sam Fiorani said the Windsor Assembly Plant will be home to a new SUV vehicle which Stellantis’s hopes will be symbolic of a relaunched Chrysler brand.

The electric SUV will replace the Airflow Concept, which had been previously earmarked for Windsor.

“The crossover formerly known as the Airflow Concept will start production in Windsor in September 2025,” Fiorani said. “We don’t have a name for it yet.

“Chrysler is going to have to come up with something new, something different to break away from all the other Stellantis brands.

“There’s no theme to the Chrysler brand with so few products. It gives the company a fresh start.”

Currently, the only 2023 Chrysler products available are the Pacifica minivan lineup and the soon to be discontinued Chrysler 300 sedan.

The Chrysler Airflow Graphite Concept, unveiled at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, features Cyprus Copper accents both inside and out to imprint the latest Airflow iteration with its own refined, sophisticated design. Photo by Stellantis /Windsor Star

Stellantis confirmed this spring it was spiking the Airflow Concept for something more dynamic for the brand’s redesign.

The Airflow was unveiled as a two-row SUV in 2022 at the Consumer Electronics Show, but Fiorani feels style isn’t the only thing that’s going to be changed about what will be eventually produced in Windsor.

“We don’t have anything definitive yet, but the SUV market seems to be going to three rows,” Fiorani said.

“A lot of the companies are focusing either on a compact two-row or a larger three-row crossover. What used to be the normal large two-row crossover, the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, these vehicles seem to be fading into the background in favour of the Explorer, the Pathfinder and the Honda Pilot.”

Fiorani said with the Windsor plant home to Stellantis’s STLA large platform, a three-row SUV makes sense.

The Stellantis Canada Windsor Assembly Plant is shown on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

He also confirmed Stellantis is now preparing Windsor Assembly to build the next generation of Dodge Challenger and Charger. The plant will produce both electric and gas-powered versions of those vehicles.

The Challenger will go into production in June 2024 with the Charger to follow in September 2024.

Minivan production will continue while work to retool the plant is ongoing.

“It will be a smaller internal combustion engine,” Fiorani said. “It will be safe to say there won’t be any V-8 hemis.”

Fiorani said the company will continue to offer the gas-powered muscle cars while the market transitions to electric vehicles.

“The Charger and Challenger generate a good following for two markets that are supposed to be dying,” Fiorani said. “They’re doing surprisingly well.

“As long as they’re profitable, they’ll keep making them until people are more comfortable making the conversion to electric vehicles.”

Fiorani said the next generation of minivan will also use the same STLA large platform. Stellantis officials have previously said the next generation of Pacifica will be due around 2027 and it will be electric.

“That’s (2027) what we’re anticipating,” Fiorani said. “Stellantis is going to fill that plant with STLA large platforms.

“We should be seeing (information on the next generation of minivan) very soon.”

Fiorani said Stellantis still hasn’t confirmed all the new products it intends to place in its Brampton Assembly Plant yet.

“We’re looking at an electric Jeep model coming in there, but that plant has the potential for multiple models,” Fiorani said.

“The first Jeep model we’re aware of won’t fill that plant. We’re expecting another vehicle to follow.”

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He noted Stellantis being quiet about future product for Brampton likely means that will be one of the company’s key bargaining chips in contract negotiations this summer with Unifor. Talks begin in August with each of the Detroit automakers.

“Brampton is as good a factory as any to make a high-volume model in North America for an import,” Fiorani said.

“If Alfa Romeo has success with its new Tonale SUV, along with the Dodge Hornet, Brampton could build both. They’re imports and they’re both built on the same platform.”

Dwaddell@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/winstarwaddell

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