History has a funny way of repeating itself. Fifteen years ago, under the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) era, Europeans discovered Chryslers transformed into Lancia. The most emblematic of these was undoubtedly the Chrysler 300, which became Lancia Thema, while the Voyager MPV and Flavia were also based on American models under an Italian badge.
In 2026, the scenario could well be reversed. And behind this strategy is a man who knows Sergio Marchionne's legacy inside out: Antonio Filosa. At a time when Chrysler's range has been reduced to the Pacifica and its Voyager variant, Stellantis seems to have found a quick and economical solution to relaunch the brand in the USA: use the future Fiat Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback as the basis for new Chrysler models.
Chrysler, a brand in urgent need of new models
Since the discontinuation of the Chrysler 300, the American brand has become a shadow of its former self. In many Stellantis dealerships in the United States, distributors have been clamoring for several years for new products capable of attracting a broader customer base than the MPV segment.
At the Investor Day organized by Stellantis in May 2026, Ralph Gilles, Group Design Director, confirmed that Chrysler's renewal was finally underway. The objective is clear: to quadruple the current range with several affordable SUVs tailored to the American market. To achieve this quickly, Stellantis is going to rely on what it already knows how to do at lower cost: sharing platforms and models between its different brands.
Fiat Grizzlies as the basis for future Chryslers?
A few days after this Investor Day, Fiat unveiled the first official images of the new Fiat Grizzly and Fiat Grizzly Fastback, two global SUVs designed to strengthen the Italian brand's presence in the C segment.
The Fiat Grizzly adopts a more upright, family-oriented silhouette, emphasizing on-board space and practicality. The Fiat Grizzly Fastback focuses more on style, with a receding roofline and a more dynamic approach. Both models are based on the Stellantis Smart Car platform, already used by the Fiat Grande Panda and several models for international markets.
According to a number of US media outlets that have been able to discover Chrysler's future vehicles at private presentations, these Fiat vehicles will serve directly as the basis for the future Chrysler Arrow and Arrow Cross.
The Chrysler Arrow would be derived from the Fiat Grizzly Fastback, while the Chrysler Arrow Cross would take up the more traditional silhouette of the Fiat Grizzly. Modifications would be limited. Ralph Gilles himself explained that, as Fiat specializes in small cars and compact crossovers, it made sense to exploit this expertise with very few changes, mainly to the front end and light signature.
A recipe already used by Sergio Marchionne
This strategy is inevitably reminiscent of the one implemented by Sergio Marchionne in the early 2010s. At the time, FCA was looking to quickly restore substance to the Lancia range after several difficult years. The solution was to import Chryslers into Europe and rebadge them as Lancias. The operation was not as commercially successful as had been hoped, but it did instantly broaden a range that had become too limited.
Today, Antonio Filosa seems to be following a similar logic, but in the opposite direction. Instead of Americanizing European models, the aim this time would be to Italianize Chrysler's offering and rapidly establish a presence in the compact SUV market.
Affordable SUVs to attract new customers
One of the major arguments in favor of these future models is their price positioning. Stellantis is targeting a starting price of less than $30,000, a level that has become rare on the American market. Ralph Gilles accurately describes the target clientele: pragmatic buyers who have a certain purchasing power but don't want to devote a large part of their budget to their car.
The Fiat Grizzly and Fiat Grizzly Fastback have been designed with this in mind. Despite a length of less than 4.5 meters, Fiat promises generous interior space and a trunk volume among the best in their class. An approach that could perfectly match the expectations of some Chrysler customers. Under the hood, European models will offer gasoline, hybrid and 100 % electric powertrains. For the United States, gasoline and hybrid versions seem most likely at first, although the platform allows for rapid adaptation as the market evolves.
The first real test of Chrysler's new strategy
It remains to be seen whether these future Chryslers will fare better than some of Stellantis' previous rebadging attempts. The Group is particularly mindful of the case of the Dodge Hornet, derived from the Alfa Romeo Tonale, whose commercial results remain mixed despite a technically solid product.
The difference here is that Chrysler is practically starting from scratch. With a range reduced to a single model, the arrival of the Chrysler Arrow and Chrysler Arrow Cross could be the first concrete step in the revival promised several years ago. And finally, history comes full circle. After seeing Chryslers transformed into Lancias in an attempt to save an Italian brand, we could soon be witnessing the arrival of Fiat rebadged as Chryslers to relaunch an American brand. An idea that would probably have made Sergio Marchionne smile.
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