Chrysler has been building the same old cars for quite some time now, but that looks to be beginning to change. The company has just revealed the Chrysler Airflow concept, with the electric crossover showing the company is starting to look towards the future, reports Car and Driver.
The Airflow gets its name from a historic Chrysler model, which was one of the first American production automobiles to champion streamliner design principles in the 1930s. It’s a fitting title for a concept which hopes to take Chrysler into the new electric era. A fresh, exciting new model is sorely needed for Chrysler, too, with the brand given ten years to succeed by parent company Stellantis in a statement made earlier this year.
Notably, the Airflow features road-ready touches like exterior mirrors and side indicators, something not always seen on a concept vehicle. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares noted that the vehicle is “more than a pure concept” at Chrysler’s recent Software Day event. According to Car and Driver, Tavares hinted that the vehicle could be in production by 2024, something which dovetails nicely with the company’s applications to trademark the Airflow name in 2019 and 2021.
Details are scant, but the Airflow concept seems to fit in a similar segment to the Ford Mustang Mach-E, as a compact crossover built around an all-electric drivetrain. Four Stellantis EV platforms are set to hit the market in coming years. Car and Driver speculates that a production Airflow could be built on the STLA Medium platform, good for 440 miles of range and somewhere from 160 to 240 horsepower.
However, in an earlier showing of the then-unnamed concept in July this year, the concept was shown off during a discussion of the STLA Large architecture. This would give the Airflow a range in the vicinity of 500 miles, with 200 to 442 horsepower on tap. Regardless of platform, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive would be a likely inclusion.
Naturally, the concept sports a big, bright infotainment screen integrated seamlessly into the dash. There are also additional screens either side of the central infotainment stack, for the driver and passenger respectively. Rear passengers are treated to displays as well, integrated into the back of the front seats. It’s clear that Chrysler sees more screens, not fewer, as the way forward here.
UX designers with backgrounds in psychology were hired to work on the Airflow project, as well as designers from the world of gaming, to help create exciting visuals for the digital interfaces. The company also noted the importance of over-the-air software updates going forward, with the hope that Chrysler vehicles can be provided with upgraded functionality and new features once the vehicles have already been delivered to customers.
Nothing is concrete just yet, but it’s clear that Chrysler have a firm eye on the future with the Airflow concept. The company has shown the concept off several times this year, and now it even has a name. If the Airflow does enter production in 2024, expect to see it in dealerships for the 2025 model year.