When the name of the Chrysler 300 is mentioned these days, people tend to overlook the fact that the RWD sedan has been a trustworthy horse for almost two decades now (the current model is a serious redesign of the mid-2000s original), simply talking about the need for a replacement. Having said that, let’s move on to discuss an electric successor to the 300, which is portrayed here in a rendering.
As with many other FCA products out there, budget limitations means engineers and designers have strived to improve aging platforms for years rather than coming up with all-new models, which has its benefits since customer were spared the inevitable glitches of fresh releases, while sister models from Dodge even built a whole muscle culture around the platform they share with the 300.
However, with FCA having merged with PSA to form Stellantis, the mothership now aims to make up for the lost time in terms of electrification. And, during the recent CES 2022 event, Stellantis has outlined plans to completely turn Chrysler around, with this set to become the giant’s high-tech brand.
As such, Chrysler will debut its first all-electric model in 2025, en route to becoming an EV-exclusive company, a move that’s scheduled to take place by 2028.
And the transformation was previewed by the Chrysler Airflow Concept (you’ll find a batch of official images in the second part of the gallery below).
Underneath the skin (we’ll get to that in a moment), we find the STLA Large electric vehicle platform that will underpinning multiple Stellantis models,l which the company had previously described as offering a range of up to 500 miles (800 km).
Sedan or SUV, that is the question
And while the show car previews Chrysler’s future design language, which naturally displays a sharper, sleeker take on the brand’s identity, this no longer sticks to the sedan proportions of the 300.
Instead, the 2022 Airflow concept sports an SUV silhouette, which obviously raised questions about the continuity of the 300 bloodline, which can be traced back to the C-300 of 1955.
With many sedans having already made room for the ever-more-popular crossovers, it’s only natural to expect Chrysler to keep the shape of the Airflow show car for the production vehicle.
However, despite being asked about this by multiple publications, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell steered clear on delivering a clear take on the matter.
As you can imagine, this has fueled speculation about the Chrysler 300 getting an EV successor rather than being sacrificed on the crossover altar. And we’ve brought along an independent rendering that portrays a next-gen Chrysler 300 EV.
The work, which comes from digital artist Theo (aka theottle), borrows the styling features of the Airflow show car, placing these on the DS 9. You know, the flagship model of Citroen’s luxury sub-brand.
And we have to admit we’re among those who hope the showroom version of the Airflow, which may or may not keep this name, goes down the path portrayed by this artist, for the sake of both aesthetics (admittedly a subjective matter) and, to name an objective aspect, driving dynamics.