In the year 2026 it is painfully easy to identify the least-favored child at Stellantis. The fact that it’s Chrysler—the name that appeared on U.S. corporate letterhead for nearly a century—is frankly more than just a little bit insulting. I’ll be 42 this year, which means that for half my life, Chrysler has been in what I can only describe as a perpetually irrecoverable tailspin, and that breaks my inner Mopar boy’s little heart.
Two decades ago, Chrysler was selling the Crossfire alongside the then-new LX-platform 300 sedan and showing us concepts like the ME Four-Twelve Concept. and Firepower. The former—so-named because it had midship-mounted engine with four turbochargers and twelve cylinders—was essentially a Le Mans prototype for the street, the latter a Hemi-powered Viper with an automatic transmission and an interior that didn’t suck out loud.
If you were too young or too into European or Asian cars to appreciate any of the things I listed above back then, just run your eyeballs over this gallery. Sure, the Crossfire was just a re-skinned Mercedes-Benz, and the Pacifica was just something for Celine Dion to sell to soccer moms, but the the former was at least interesting, and the latter was one of those too-soon-to-market crossovers that the company would be well-served to have back in 2026. It also legitimately punched above its class and price.
Middle Row: Chrysler Pacifica Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6
Bottom: Chrysler 300 Sedan and Touring (Europe) –Stellantis
It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing the brand in purely pre- and post-bailout terms, but arguably, the killing blow was dealt before that, by Daimler, which helped run its parent corporation desperately low on cash before divesting itself of pretty much the entire thing—just as the global economy was about to implode. Remember Cerberus? I’ll wait while you spit; go ahead. The years in between Daimler’s retreat and the company’s bailout and compulsory absorption by Fiat certainly allowed the wound to fester, but they weren’t the cause.
But more and more, every time it seems like development money might finally trickle down to Chrysler, instead we’ve seen it fall victim to another corporate pivot, leading to a now two-decade-long-roster of regrettable could-have-beens. In the below, I see the earliest hint of a new van, a new midsize crossover and a new sedan. Where are they?
Bottom: Chrysler Halcyon Concept -Stellantis
Between its existing products ageing out of the market and this parade of never executed upon projects, the brand now has precisely one model to sell—one that could just as easily be sold under any of the company’s other American brands, save perhaps for Jeep. That might leave one to assume that “Chrysler” only exists so as not to put Stellantis in breach of its dealer franchise agreements. It’s a good thing minivans are selling, right?
In its defense, the Pacifica is the exception that proves my rule. For starters, it’s genuinely nice. The Pinnacle is nothing short of a leather-upholstered living room on wheels. Beyond that, the nameplate represents almost the entirety of the brand’s investment and innovation over the past two decades. From “Stow and Go” in 2005 to the now-discontinued plug-in hybrid model introduced in 2017, Chrysler has sent a consistent message that it still cares about its minivan customers. Regrettably, the message implied by the trajectory of its other products (not to mention the Stellantis c-suite) isn’t so uplifting.
Given the money Stellantis has lost to sliding sales and EV development write-offs, perhaps it’s not the best time to beat this drum, but if I wait any longer, there may nobody left to hear the rhythm.
I wonder, is anybody even listening now?
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