Chrysler, once considered one of the “Big 3” automakers among the ranks of Ford and General Motors, has experienced a decades long fall from grace. It’s changed hands with three European automakers, each of them mismanaging the beloved American brands Jeep and Dodge. Chrysler and Ram are less beloved, but were still part of the family.
Stellantis seems to be following the European strategy of destroying it’s history; make everything worse with “innovative” new models which are propped up by vehicles that actually sell; the Ram Pickup, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
H1 2025 performance showed a 13% drop in revenue and a net loss of €2.3 billion, with hopes for recovery in H2. Their electrification strategy is called Dare Forward 2030, which really shouldn’t be a thing.
The new models, which are a major gamble and take away from their strong core include; hybrids on every existing model, and new models (reviving old nameplates); Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Hornet, Dodge Charger,
The issues & Fixes:
Jeep
The good: The Jeep Wrangler retains strong brand loyalty and it’s lifestyle image.
The bad: Jeep introduced an overpriced and gaudy full-size SUV called the Wagoneer to compete with the Tahoe. Also introduced was a luxury model to compete with the Escalade called the Grand Wagoneer. Visually, the two Jeep models look the same, even though one is Chevy-Tier and the other is Cadillac-Tier. Jeep historically offered SUVs but isn’t popularly known for anything except the Wrangler.
The Fix: Move the Wagoneer to Dodge and move the Grand Wagoneer to Chrysler. There you’ll have models that make sense to consumers and ties in the comparison to the Chevy Tahoe – Cadillac Escalade pairing.
Chrysler
The Good: The Pacifica is in a solid segment; the minivan. For families and businesses that don’t need the bling and expense of a body-on-frame SUV but still want to haul 8 people + cargo. Highly rated for comfort and features. Reliability reports from owners are generally favorable despite the brand’s reputation.
The Bad: The Pacifica is the lone model, which in and of itself belies it’s disgraced status as a car brand. Additionally, the Pacifica is outdated compared to its peers the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Sales numbers for Q1 and Q2 2025 show major declines in sales.
The Fix: Refresh the Pacifica (in progress, Chrysler CEO states a major refresh is underway.) Move the Grand Wagoneer to this brand. This will help to bump up the brand’s status to Lincoln level.
Dodge
The Good: Nothing really, besides the Dodge Durango, twin of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Maintains the brand’s aggressive sporty appearance.
The Bad: They axed the brand’s halo cars, the Challenger and the Charger. The replacements have so far proven to be overpriced electro-junk. They jumped the gun on discontinuing these cars, Trump’s regulation cuts would have kept these models alive for another 4 years.
The Fix: The good news is that without competition, the Mustang has runaway with price increases, leaving the American muscle car market wide open for a resurrection. Will the new Challenger be up to the task? Probably not, it’s overpriced and not very good. They should just let it go.
Ram
The Good: Pickups are the number 1 American vehicle market. With cars being so expensive, having a capable work horse + family hauler is an attractive offer. The V8 was revived thanks to you know who. The RHO and TRX are ultra performance models that increase the value of the brand and give the average Joe something to dream about.
The Bad: RAM is carrying the weight of poor parent company decisions on its shoulders. Additionally, the brand was split off from Dodge to allow it to develop it’s performance identity, however now without any performance cars the split seems redundant.
The Fix: Drop the dead weight from Stellantis and rename RAM to Dodge.
The Biggest Fix of All:
Stellantis should sell the brand to an American company. Stellantis and it’s former European owners have shown they don’t understand the American market, and they’re implementing European style changes on their brands, and forcing the cash cow models; the Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Ram Pickup to carry the brand’s dead weight.
