They've been raising the seating position on autos to make them more appealing to someone who is cross-shopping a crossover. One of the things that buyers say they like about crossovers/SUVs is the higher seating position that improves sightlines.

Messing with a classic is always " scary " for a manufacturer . They want it to look different but at the same time they can't really go too far from the original as its unique look is often the reason why people buys it ( apart from its legendary off-road capabilities )

It would be a shame if Chrysler does not get a Replacement for the Dodge Journey soon. I can personally confirm that it was a good car because i drove it for two weeks in the USA.

And the Dodge lineup is also okay. Challenger, Charger, Ram. I can live with that.

The 2018 Jeep Wrangler was an all-in disappointment for me. These visual differences are so minor, i asked myself if it was a 2018 model parked at the dealership i visited today. Of course it wasn't, because it was not shipped to europe yet.

Fiat: Yeah, i got my new Fiat Tipo from the dealer today. I like the way Fiat goes at the moment. I was able to drive the 500X in January 2017 and it strenghtened my love in these italian cars. But why is the overall seating position of the Tipo so high? For the 500X it was okay and it had a nice all-wheel drive option and a strong engine. But why do you need a higher seating position in a hatchback? What is the point of that?

500 for young people, Tipo for old people or what?

Fiat-Chrysler is in the middle of re-adjusting the lineup for each of the brands. They recognized that sedans are losing steam in the market, and crossovers are gaining. That's why they discontinued the 200 and the Dart. The only way to make them at a profit was to find a partner in those classes. They approached several other automakers and could not find a match. The Jeep and Ram brands have taken off and are doing record numbers, mainly at the expense of Chrysler and Dodge.

For Chrysler, they kept the two most popular models. The brand that lost out on this was actually Dodge, as it lost it's most popular model. There is a plan in place to add models in the future.

For Chrysler brand, the 300 redo comes in 2019, a Pacifica refresh in 2020, a new 3-row midsize crossover arrives in 2019 (replacing part of the Dodge Journey line), a fullsize crossover (revival of the Aspen) for 2021. They may also get a new Chrysler Neon based on the Fiat Tipo and another minivan that would be electric and autonomous called the Portal.

For Dodge brand, the Charger and Challenger get refreshed in 2019 and brand new versions based on the Ghibli in 2021, Durango redesign in 2019, the Journey gets replaced by a new rear-wheel-drive, two-row performance crossover based on the Stelvio in 2019. They haven't decided on the Barracuda convertible concept based on the Challenger.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170918/OEM04/170919787/chrysler-crossovers-to-boost-lineup

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170918/OEM04/170919784/charger-challenger-to-get-ghibli-platform

Another example of us both thinking alike. This is something I have thought about, and I really hope they aren't going the way of Plymouth because (and this is coming from a person who's family has owned many Chrysler vehicles) they are a good brand despite a few questionable choices. Though honestly I do think ever since Fiat took over the company, they have been living up to the Fix It Again Tony acronym by having rather poor build quality, plus they have made some pretty ugly cars except for the 300, 200 (until the unfortunate death), Charger, Challenger, Durango and the newer Grand Cherokee.

But seeing as how they do have only two models left, the outlook for the future of the brand is looking rather grim.

Anyone else notice Chrysler currently has only two vehicles, the 300 and Pacifica, in their current lineup (here in the US)? I know Fiat owns them now (and have since 2014) but I'm really starting to doubt Chrysler is going to get by for much longer. They discontinued the 200 last year, with Chrysler calling the 200 a "bad financial decision" for the company, along with the Dodge Dart.

I'm just wanting to hear everyone else's thoughts on this. I'm aware Chrysler has dodged bankruptcy several times before (1980, 2010) - what do you think their next move will be? Do you think they'll fold like Plymouth or bounce back?