2012 Fiat 500
We've known since November, 2009, that Chrysler was planning a B-segment car for the U.S. in 2013. The news was revealed in Chrysler's five-year business plan, which confirmed the car would be imported from Europe, aimed at the premium small-car segment, and that it would be accompanied by a small crossover. Today, new details come from Fiat's U.S. head Laura Soave via Motor Trend.
Soave confirmed the B-segment car and the 2013 date. She also said the car would sit just above the 500, expanding the brand's range. We're guessing it'll likely still slot in below the Chrysler-brand lineup, and be more premium than Dodge, to prevent cannibalizing its own corporate sales. It's also in addition to the rumored four-door, high-riding (read: likely a compact crossover) version of the 500.
It's not yet clear whether the car will be a hatch or a sedan (or both), but Soave did reveal that it won't be based on an existing European model from the brand, and that it would launch mid-2013. That likely pins a 2014 model-year designation on the car.
No new details on the crossover to come the same year were revealed, but we know Chrysler is planning to use a Fiat platform, but build the CUV in the U.S. Around the same time, the completely-new 200 (nee Sebring) is also scheduled, replacing the facelifted and name-changed current model. The next arrival, beyond the expansion of the 500 lineup, will be a C-segment sedan sourced from Fiat, but offered as a Chrysler, to fill the gap left by the PT Cruiser. It's due in 2012.
