Chrysler recently told reporters it wouldn't be holding a press conference at the 2010 Detroit auto show next month because it has nothing to show. Or does it? Rumor has it that Chrysler may be planning to unveil a Lancia rebadged as a Chrysler at Detroit.
Reports are starting to spread across the 'net that Fiat is planning to jumpstart the American company's aging lineup with an Italian Lancia rebadged as a Chrysler. Numerous anonymous sources told Bloomberg News that the vehicle will be shown in Detroit and will demonstrate how Fiat products can be integrated into Chrysler's line. Fiat is also reportedly looking at using the Chrysler name on Lancias in other parts of the world.
The question then becomes, which Lancia model to use? The company only has four models, so any guess has a decent chance of being right. All are either hatchbacks or small vans, and with the Chrysler Town & Country already in the lineup, the Lancia Phedra is out and the Musa likely is as well. That leaves the Ypsilon and the Delta, and of the two, the five-door hatchback Delta seems the more likely candidate.
Looking vaguely like a Mazda3 hatchback, the Delta would slot below the Chrysler Sebring in size, but if all the features make it across the pond, it would offer more content than the Sebring and give shoppers an alternative to the blocky Dodge Caliber elsewhere on the lot. In Europe, the Delta is offered with five engines, three gas and two diesel, all of which are inline-fours. For the U.S., the gasoline engines would be the most likely candidates and range from 120 hp to 197 hp and 152 lb-ft to 236 lb-ft of torque, good enough to move the Delta to 62 mph in 7.5 to 10 secs. Fiat has recently committed to building a 1.4-liter, MultiAir four-cylinder gasoline engine in the U.S. for Fiat and Chrysler products, a version of which would be a good candidate to power a Delta-sized car.
Thanks to: Motor Trend