FCA's plan: Fresh products in hot segments

With another Fiat Chrysler Automobiles five-year plan now in the books, what are the major product-related takeaways for U.S. dealers?

If the forecast comes to pass — and there are no guarantees, if FCA's previous five-year plans are any guide — dealers will get a new three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee, a midsize Ram pickup, several new or updated Alfa Romeos, a Tesla-fighting Maserati coupe and a midsize Maserati plug-in hybrid crossover.

The FCA plan presented last week in Balocco, Italy, also includes over-the-air vehicle updates and full Internet connectivity, the company's top executives promised.

What U.S. dealers likely won't see is much investment in Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat. Those brands aren't going away, FCA leaders say, but they won't be growing, either.

Compared with previous five-year plan presentations, FCA offered few specific launch dates, saying only that the product actions would be completed by the end of 2022. The plan includes 19 new "white-space" products added globally across five brands, with 10 new electric vehicles.

Manley: Targets improved pricing

As for EVs and plug-in hybrids, CEO Sergio Marchionne and his top lieutenants said the automaker will invest €9 billion ($10.5 billion) on a far-reaching plan to electrify most of its lineup.

They said FCA is abandoning diesel engines for passenger vehicles but would continue their use in light commercial vehicles. FCA also plans to use partnerships with Waymo, Aptiv and BMW to extend use of lower-level autonomous driving technologies.

Here's a summary of the plans for 2018-22:

Ram

The brand will re-enter the U.S. midsize pickup market with a production version of the Ram Rebel TRX off-road concept unveiled in 2016 and targeting the Ford F-150 Raptor. Timing was not announced.

The TRX is intended to boost Ram's average transaction price, which lags those of Ford and Chevrolet pickups largely because of the aging Ram 1500 pickup, said brand head Mike Manley. He said Raptor transaction prices are $28,000 above Ford's average in the segment. Manley said Ram can achieve similar results with the TRX, which has a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

New products include a pickup based on the Ram Rebel TRX concept ...

Ram also hopes to improve pricing with the introduction in 2019 of a heavy-duty pickup with updated technology. The current heavy-duty Ram transacts at an average of $50,000, about even with Chevrolet, but below Ford's $56,000 average in the segment, Manley said.

On the commercial van side, Manley said FCA will roll out a new version of the Ram ProMaster City small van but will not significantly update the ProMaster large van.

Jeep

New to the U.S. portfolio — beyond announced plans for a pickup and Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer luxury SUVs — is a three-row version of the Grand Cherokee and a strategy to electrify all Jeeps. The Grand Cherokee and its three-row variant are to be built on a modified Giorgio platform, which was developed for Alfa Romeo.

Manley told investors that Jeep will expand its global lineup into the A segment, with a model below the Renegade subcompact crossover. That vehicle is not expected to come to the U.S.

Also planned is what FCA called a low B-segment SUV, and a low D-segment SUV, similar to the three-row Grand Commander introduced in April at the Beijing auto show.

Manley also said Jeep would build four EVs with its Chinese joint-venture partner to sell in China. He said the brand will electrify all vehicles in its portfolio, with 10 plug-in hybrid versions and four full-electric models.

Jeep also announced its Desert Hawk designation, expected to launch by 2020 with "eight desert-specific engineering standards" that emphasize high-speed sand capability. The designation is expected to be applied to various models.

a Tesla fighter based on the Maserati Alfieri concept ...

Maserati

The Italian luxury brand, which plans to add 32 dealerships in North America through 2022, will take aim at Tesla with a new high-performance sport coupe and convertible based on the Alfieri concept, new brand head Tim Kuniskis said.

The all-wheel-drive coupe will replace the GranTurismo in Maserati's lineup. It will be offered with electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains and will have an aluminum frame and a top speed of more than 186 mph.

Maserati also plans a midsize plug-in hybrid crossover slotting below the Levante, Kuniskis said. He said the vehicle will have 50-50 weight distribution and a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio to boost performance against competitors in the crowded segment. Kuniskis said the same attributes will go into new versions of the Levante and Quattroporte, which are due in the next four years.

Kuniskis also said Maserati would offer four full-electric models and eight hybrids.

and the Alfa Romeo GTV awd car.

Alfa Romeo

Plans call for introducing a new mid-engine twin turbo coupe, the 8C; eliminating the small and aging MiTo subcompact sold in Europe; freshening the Giulia, Giulietta and Stelvio; and adding a larger crossover and a compact crossover. Kuniskis also promised a new all-wheel-drive car, the GTV, and said Alfa would add stretched-wheelbase versions of most of its vehicles.

Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat

FCA offered no specific plans for these three brands, but executives said they will continue. Fiat will focus on green city cars, largely in Europe, with a small U.S. presence. Chrysler will be for "family haulers," presumably the promised three-row crossovers. Dodge will continue to focus on performance. Executives later revealed that the Dodge Challenger and Charger would stay on their existing platforms for another generation, although they would be heavily modified.