Chrysler Division boss and corporate chief designer Ralph Gilles says lots more products are coming.
Is the snake slithering its way back into the Dodge line-up? Apparently so, according to some less than subtle hints by Ralph Gilles, Chrysler’s executive vice president, during a speech to the Chicago Economic Club.
Gilles, who does double-duty as both design chief and director of the Chrysler division, was a last-minute substitute for planned speaker Sergio Marchionne. The Chrysler CEO wound up in Russia, however, signing a multi-billion dollar deal that will allow the maker and its Italian partner, Fiat, produce an assortment of products for the booming market.
For Viper fans, the switch in speakers could be seen as fortuitous, as Gilles confirmed the U.S. maker is definitely working on an all-new version of the Viper, a halo car for the Dodge division and Chrysler, in general. He did not provide many details, however, so that leaves aficionados to guess when the sports car will return and precisely which Fiat Group product it will be based on. Most “insiders” are hinting the revived Viper could be back in the line-up by 2012 or ’13, about the same time a flood of other new Chrysler and Fiat-based products debut.
During his speech, Gilles teased with a rendering of the next Viper interior, updated for more modern tastes, compared to the bare-bones models of the past.
The Chrysler division boss also offered a few teaser shots of the next 300 sedan, the brand’s flagship. Those who have seen prototypes of the next model say it retains the basic, bold design of the current 300, but undergoes some significant improvements, both outside and, in particular, inside, he cabin design being the most frequently-faulted element of the current sedan’s design.
Gilles noted that as the Fiat-led revival begins to take hold, Chrysler is rebuilding its design staff and has hired several young designers, in their early 20s, to help connect the company to younger buyers. Gilles also said he has grown steadily more confident in chances of a Chrysler comeback.
“It feels a little bit like Santa’s workshop inside Chrysler now because (employees) know what’s coming is going to be something special,” said Gilles, who adds that he believes Chrysler is about where Ford was three years ago. “Everybody was writing them off but they were in there beavering away,” said Gilles,
The automaker continues to face plenty of skepticism, driven in part by a dearth of new product. The only critical launch of the coming months will be the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee. But Gilles emphasized that the first parts of Chrysler’s new product line will be on display by the end of 2011.