Latest news with #RalphGilles
Auto Blog
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Chrysler Comeback Promises Sleek, Modern Machines
Ralph Gilles confidently confirms that the Chrysler brand is back on, with new models in the pipeline. The American Brand Is Currently A Minivan Maker It's been over a year since the production of the Chrysler 300 halted at the end of 2023. Since then, the American marque has become a minivan maker, which is anti-climactic for a storied brand with 100 years of history behind it. In fact, in its centenary celebration, Chrysler rolled out a commemorative package for the Pacifica minivan in the form of stickers. 0:08 / 0:09 Walmart is selling a 'heavy duty' $89 step ladder for $48, and shoppers say it's 'sturdy and secure' Walmart is selling a 'heavy duty' $89 step ladder for $48, and shoppers say it's 'sturdy and secure' Watch More Needless to say, Chrysler has been stagnant for quite some time, but its CEO isn't worried about that, with a plan already in place. More importantly, Stellantis' design boss, Ralph Gilles (known for his work on the Dodge Viper and the Chrysler 300), is pretty optimistic about the brand's revival, which involves a low-slung model. Gilles: Chrysler Is 'Back On' Speaking to Road & Track, Gilles shared that things are looking up and that they 'are back on with Chrysler.' While that was vague, he said that a dedicated design studio has already been in place since late 2023, contrasting with its previous setup, where it shared a studio with Dodge. The company now also has separate product planning and marketing teams, showing the brand's commitment to being back on its feet. The center of Chrysler's revival is, of course, the Halcyon Concept – the four-door futuristic EV design study that debuted last year, equipped with one of the coolest doors we've seen in a car. It won't become a single production vehicle, though; it is the basis or inspiration Chrysler's future models, including a possible 300 revival. 'The Halcyon was a cauldron of concepts, cauldron of ideas — many, many, many ideas on that car. I could list 50 different things that are all ideas that will go forward into different vehicles,' Gilles told R&T. Source: Chrysler Lower Vehicles For Better Efficiency There isn't any concrete launch for Chrysler in the pipeline. However, CEO Christine Fuell confirmed that a crossover will be the first to arrive, and unsurprisingly so. In as much as sleek machines are more pleasing to the eyes of enthusiasts, SUVs are just popular among those who will spend cash on cars. Gilles stopped short of providing concrete details about Chrysler's upcoming offering, except for some new features such as a glass roof system, active aerodynamics, augmented reality head-up display (AR HUD), hidden tech stack with a 'tech detox' or 'go-away' feature, new Stow 'N Go stacking system, and a revamped Chrysler badge. But perhaps more importantly, Gilles confirmed that the automaker isn't sticking with the SUV strategy, saying lower vehicles are being considered due to their efficiency. Given that efficiency is quite important for EVs, it's almost guaranteed that a low-slung model is coming for Chrysler in the future. 'For battery-electric cars, they do a good job for vehicle demand energy, so that's all I can say. We have a lot of different form factors we can look at,' Gilles told the publication. The Advantage Of Flexible STLA Platforms Gilles didn't provide insights regarding the propulsion of future Chrysler products, but we have a good idea about that. Stellantis, Chrysler's parent company, already rolled out new STLA platforms a few years ago, which are already being used by cars on the road, such as the Dodge Charger Daytona EV. The great thing about the STLA platforms is their flexibility, since they can be fully electric, gas-powered, or hybrid. We expect Chrysler to utilize this, as do the rest of the vehicles under Stellantis. About the Author Jacob Oliva View Profile
Motor 1
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Chrysler Finally Has Its Own Design Studio
Chrysler is turning 100 this year—a big deal for any company. To celebrate, the brand is making some major changes to its operations over the next few years in hopes of getting the storied American automaker back on track. Stellantis Design Chief Ralph Gilles told Road & Track : "We're back on with Chrysler ." Gilles notes that the company now has a new design studio—as opposed to its former studio, which it shared with Dodge —alongside a whole host of new employees dedicated specifically to the Chrysler brand. Chrysler Halcyon Concept Photo by: Chrysler "The product planners have a team, there's a marketing team now," he says. "We've built all the fixings to really look after the brand, and that's brought new energy…" Earlier this week, CEO Chris Feuell reiterated that the company would build a vehicle inspired by the Halcyon concept , which could reportedly take the place of the beloved 300 sedan. That concept could also inspire a new SUV, with both vehicles supporting fully electric and gas/hybrid powertrains. Gilles seconded that confirmation, noting that the company will draw heavily from the Halcyon concept for its future products. Specific elements like the active aerodynamics, glass roof, and more could make their way from the concept car to Chrysler's upcoming production vehicles. Photo by: Stellantis When asked if a new 300 sedan could happen, Gilles said: "There's been some talk about lower vehicles because they're more efficient." Fingers crossed. More From Chrysler Every Three-Row SUV You Can Buy in 2025 America's Beautiful, Forgotten Hypercars Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Car
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
New Jeep Compass revealed: chunky SUV points the way for brand's European reinvention
Jeep's plusher, new-look mid-sized SUV points the way for its European reinvention Open gallery Close Jeep has reinvented the Compass for its third generation with a bold new look, a more upmarket cabin and the option of having one as an electric car for the first time. With 2.5 million units sold worldwide since it was launched in 2006, the Compass is one of Jeep's most important and popular models. The company's Europe boss, Fabio Catone, said this latest generation will be 'a key driver for Jeep growth' – building on the success of the smaller Avenger, which played a big role in the brand trebling its UK sales last year. Available to order now and with deliveries due to begin in the autumn, the new Compass will be crucial in helping Jeep to claim a share of Europe's popular C-SUV segment, which now accounts for around a quarter of all car sales in the region and is expected to be 90% electrified by the end of 2026. The new Compass is based on the same STLA Medium architecture as the latest Vauxhall Grandland, Citroën C5 Aircross and Peugeot 3008. But it has been engineered to offer superior off-roading capability, claims Jeep, to position it as 'the most capable' car in its class. To that end, it has gained a suspension lift over its Stellantis platform-mates to give it up to 200mm of ground clearance and a maximum wading depth of 470mm. It also has shortened overhangs at each end, giving an approach angle of 20deg, a breakover angle of 15deg and a departure angle of 26deg. All variants get a suite of drive modes for different types of terrain, controllable by a chunky red dial on the centre console. At 4548mm long, the Compass is among the shorter cars to use this platform, but it is 150mm longer than the old car. Its 2795mm wheelbase is a significant 159mm longer, which is said to result in an extra 55mm of leg room in each row. The third-generation Compass bears little resemblance to its forebear, instead taking influence from the smaller Avenger, with a few subtle nods to Jeep's heritage. Its design was a collaborative effort across various global studios but was led by Jeep's team in Turin. 'Turin is one of those cities that exemplifies the European lifestyle, and European cities are almost like urban jungles – the way people park and run over stuff – so what works in the woods also works in the city,' Stellantis chief design officer Ralph Gilles told Autocar. 'It's not often we get to redo an icon like the Compass,' he added, emphasising the need to ensure Jeep's mid-sized SUV stands out in a crowded segment. 'When we came out years ago, we were the only game in town – there weren't that many compact SUVs – and of course a lot of people have come into the scene and emulated us.' With that in mind, Gilles's brief to Compass designer Daniele Calonaci was to 'make it rugged, make it more bold but, at the same time, detoxify'. So the new Compass doesn't feature any chrome – for ecological reasons and 'to clean it up a little' – and it is overall a chunkier and more minimalistic proposition than before. The design also features a new face – 'one of the most intimidating parts of doing a new Jeep', said Gilles – with the seven slots reimagined as a wraparound panel. The exterior overhaul is matched by a dramatically different cabin with a 10.0in digital gauge cluster, a 16.0in touchscreen and an array of touch controls. The aim is for the Compass to serve as a more direct rival to the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. 'State-of-the-art technology will be standard on all models,' said Catone, 'with features usually found in premium and upper segments.' The new Compass will be the first Jeep offered with the choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. Catone said this ensures it is 'capable of meeting 90% of segment demand' in Europe. Both of the combustion-powered variants are front-driven. There's a petrol mild-hybrid model with 143bhp and a 1.6-litre plugin hybrid with 192bhp and a 21kWh battery that will enable around 53 miles of engine-off running. The electric Compass is available with either a 211bhp or 229bhp motor on the front axle, giving 311 miles of range from a 73kWh battery or up to 404 miles with a 96kWh pack. At the top of the line-up is the all-electric 4xe, the only Compass with fourwheel drive from launch. It is equipped with a second, 177bhp electric motor on the rear axle that takes total power to 370bhp, making this Europe's most powerful STLA-based car yet. More significantly, this new motor – bespoke to Jeep – puts out 170lb ft of torque and runs through a 14:1 reducer, which means up to 2380lb ft is available at the rear, enabling the Compass 4xe to pull itself up a 20% incline even if there's no traction at the front wheels. In keeping with the 4xe's more extreme billing, it has a 10mm suspension lift to boost ground clearance and give 31deg departure, 16deg breakover and 27deg approach angles. The Compass First Edition will be priced at £35,700 in mild-hybrid form and £39,200 as a EV. PHEV pricing will be revealed later. Q&A: Ralph Gilles, chief design officer, Stellantis Is it a challenge to adapt modular, road-focused group architectures to Jeep's needs? 'The good news is that everybody realises how important Jeep is to Stellantis and [the architectures] give us quite a bit of leeway. We negotiated a lot of leeway ourselves – for the largest wheel possible, and there was some overhang to be reduced. So it was foreseen with that ability. We were able to really protect that platform for several future products.' Do you feel as though Jeep has lost a unique selling point as other brands start to trade on utilitarian 'design for purpose'? 'There's only one at the end of the day. I know that's our tagline, but we really do believe that. When you're Jeep, you have that confi dence that people are going to get exactly what they want out of it. We found the sweet spot in giving the right image, the right robustness.' You have 80 years of heritage. As everyone is doing retro, why not lean on that in your designs more? 'It's been done. We don't need to do that. I'm actually proud of the direction this has taken, which is much more futuristic and timeless. As modern as it's gone with the design, it has a beautiful understatedness to it, which I think makes it last and broadens its appeal.' 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