A single teaser video from the sprawling Stellantis empire was apparently all it took to drag Chrysler back into the automotive conversation. The star of the digital show is the new Airflow, a nameplate recycled from the brand’s historic 1934 vaults. But if you were expecting a production version of the elegant 2022 concept car, prepare for a healthy dose of reality: this upcoming model shares virtually nothing with that sleek prototype.
Instead, the teaser images reveal an aggressively boxy, geometric silhouette that looks remarkably devoid of unnecessary frills. Up front, you get vertical headlights hooked up to the now-mandatory horizontal LED light bar, complete with a glowing center emblem. Then there is the rear bumper, crafted from raw, unpainted black plastic. For a vehicle targeting an expected $40,000 price tag, this particular design choice is already gearing up to be an internet comment-section battleground.
Underneath this blocky exterior lies the STLA One platform. It is a highly versatile architecture designed primarily to cater to European tastes across the B, C, and D segments, offering full compatibility with both hybrid and full-electric powertrains.
Surprisingly, Chrysler’s ambitions do not end with a single controversial crossover; Stellantis claims two more affordable SUVs priced under $30,000 are waiting in the wings to capture the budget-conscious market. It is a bold, almost desperate offensive for a brand celebrating over a century of existence.
Founded in 1925, Chrysler survived the doomed DaimlerChrysler marriage of 1998, fell into Fiat’s Italian hands in 2014, and was finally swept into the massive Stellantis umbrella in 2021 alongside PSA, Citroën, Peugeot, and Opel. This perpetual game of corporate musical chairs left the historic American badge with a catalog so thin it was practically invisible. Before this, Chrysler’s grandest achievement of the decade was a minor April refresh of the Pacifica minivan.
With the Airflow scheduled to debut next year, alongside a bizarrely intriguing off-road variant of the Pacifica, one has to wonder if this sudden onslaught of metal will actually restore Chrysler to its former glory.
