During the late 90's and the early 2000's Chrysler had some very aerodynamic designs with their Chrysler 300M, Chrysler LHS & Chrysler Concorde models. Granted they were all pretty much the same vehicle with the 300 being the sportier of these luxury models, They all had a very sleek, aerodynamic design which could definitely be used with the next-generation Chryslers on the STLA: Large platform. The return of the Chrysler 300M would definitely be a great way to dig into the pockets of Tesla customers with a car that offers a sleek, sculpted design that hearkens back to the styling of the 300M both inside and out but obviously more modern and with a few cool aero upgrades that pay homage to some of the Mopar vehicles of the past. Going back to the '70 Chrysler 300 Hurst, the car had an integrated rear spoiler on the trunk that performed similarly to the R-wing on the new Charger or the rear wing on the Wagoneer S as it added improved aerodynamics without blending in the body lines of the car. blending that kind of pass-through design with a wicker bill on the top blade of the integrated trunk spoiler blending in with a sleek design and a racetrack taillight setup that hearkens back to the 1970 Chrysler 300H would bring back the 300M special in a very sporty way. add in the 300M style aerodynamic lower body work along with the widebody stance like the Charger Daytona and now we can start to see the Chrysler 300M really come into it's own. The front end should have the 300M's upper and lower grille styling, just modernized and designed like the Charger's R-Wing but a little bit different so that it's design matches the authoritative sleekness this new 300M would have. The inside of this car should also not be minimalistic, it should be a full interior like a regular car and it should feel like a Chrysler 300. As far as power, this car should have an SRT Banshee variant with a 800V Tri-Motor setup and a three speed gearbox with the solid state batteries, Fratzonic sound systems, drive modes, roll race mode and all of that kind of stuff that makes these Mopar EVs special. Even on the 400v systems, the 3-speed gearbox and Fratzonic systems could still be offered as well, even as options on some trim levels. When you look at it like this, you can start to understand the EV direction that Stellantis could take with the Mopar brands and what we could possibly see from the aftermarket performance companies out there that can take to these EVs and make them even more unique. Vehicles like this idea for the return of the 300M, the Charger Daytona, the Wagoneer S, the upcoming Stealth crossover, and the Recon all share in this potential to be what the EV world is desperately missing. Honestly, I think it'd be pretty cool to see an SRT EV lineup with a Charger Daytona SRT Banshee, a Chrysler 300M SRT Banshee, a Jeep Wagoneer S SRT Banshee, a Dodge Stealth SRT Banshee & a Jeep Recon SRT Banshee (If the Mercedes G-Wagon can have an AMG option, a Recon can have a tri-motor banshee setup). Keep in mind EVs aren't the only direction the Mopar brands are going because the Hurricane and 4Xe vehicles are still going to be available as well and if the majority of the upcoming Mopar vehicles are going to be build on the STLA Large & Frame platforms, then both sides will benefit from the technology that their platforms offer.
The other part of Mopar electrification is the STLA: Frame platform vehicles, which include the Ram 1500 pickup trucks and the next generation of the Jeep Wagoneer & Grand Wagoneer SUVs and hopefully a few other SUVs that may include a full size Durango to compete with the Tahoe & Yukon. While the performance may be there with Tri-motor setups. Adding things to these vehicles such as the lighter and faster charging solid state batteries, which are designed to increase range, a three-speed gearbox which also aids in increasing range, plus the 3.6L Range extender and now you have EVs that have enough power and range to really make them practical and not feel like EVs. This is how you can get improved towing capacity, range and performance out of electric full size SUVs and trucks and make them fairly decent everyday vehicles. Now, me being the person that I am, I will always think about performance and I don't see any issue with the Stellantis brands bringing out a full size Durango SRT Banshee, a Ram 1500 SRT Banshee and a Grand Wagoneer SRT Banshee as a trio of full size performance vehicles all designed to dominate the segment that Cadillac plays in with the Escalade V. a Durango that can Rival the Tahoe & Expedition in cargo capacity and towing capacity but exceed the Escalade V in performance along with having a big American rumble to it, even if it's electric, is fine for me. Not to mention having all of that and having it with the luxury of a Grand Wagoneer. Even a full size Durango Citadel that rivals a GMC Yukon Denali as a well appointed full size SUV with a 400V 670hp dual motor setup would be nice along with an R/T version to rival the Tahoe RST with 670hp and a 670hp Durango Ramcharger Rebel to be the off road king of the full size SUVs. There also needs to be a few good all terrain Jeeps that make their way onto the STLA Frame platform with retro styling and minimalistic, but still well appointed interiors, especially with Scout bringing out there two new vehicles. To me, this is the perfect opportunity to move the Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Golden Eagle trim to the frame platform and bring back the SJ styling both inside and out and have a rival to the new Scout Traveler, all while taking the Cherokee and moving it to the STLA large platform with the SJ styling but still smaller than the fame platform Grand Cherokee. An electric Jeep J10 Honcho would rival the Scout Terra pickup truck with modern retro style and a full EV 400V powertrain, both the Grand Cherokee and the J10 Honcho would be pushing between 590hp and 630hp with dual motors and 3-speed transmissions and solid axles.
If 50% of the Mopar fleet has to be EV, it still needs to be Mopar at the end of the day. Does that leave room for autonomy, and silent efficiency, absolutely. There are people who enjoy those aspects of EVs so yes it makes sense to offer some of the EV packages with autonomous and silent features. But for the Mopar brands, those can not be at the forefront of what these vehicles are about. These are not Teslas and they should not behave like a Tesla, even if they compete in the same space. If this is 50% of the market space, take another 40% of the market space with the STLA Large & Frame platform vehicles like the ones mentioned above and make them hybrids. Not like the Hornet, but take those same Hurricane-6 engines and drop the new Gen-4 ZF hybrid 8-speed in behind it and make everything AWD but keep the same attitude and direction of vehicles like the six pack Chargers, the Ram RHO and vehicles like that and keep Direct Connection as relevant as the aftermarket performance and styling companies out there or even include some of their parts as Mopar Approved aftermarket upgrades for these vehicles. That's 90% of the entire Mopar fleet (non commercial/HD) that is either electric or electrified and offer zero emissions driving at certain or all points of operation and still allows these vehicles to connect with current fans and attract new ones. That last 10% is for something special. That last 10% goes what Mopar has been since the '60s and '70's. Raw V8 muscle. I can think of no better Mopars on the STLA Large platform for this than a Dodge Dart and a Dodge Coronet with a naturally aspirated 318ci and a supercharged 318ci V8 (5.2L which would match the engine size of the Mustang GT500 and the Raptor R. Both having the 8-speed hybrid transmission. If Mopar is going to have a future and it has to be electric and electrified, I see no reason why this shouldn't be it.
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