Chrysler planning nine model product offensive for 2010

Last month Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli hinted that several “unexpected” models could be launched as early as next year to help meet shifting consumer trends, and now the company’s vice chairman Jim Press has stated that another eight or nine new models could follow in 2010. Press, who will be speaking later today at a media event in Detroit, is expected to reveal details about Chrysler’s future plans under what he calls a "product renaissance."

Press has returned to Detroit following a week in California where he previewed three new electric vehicles in front of dealers and promised that up to nine new vehicles would be launched in 2010, reports the Detroit Free Press.

While solid details about the models are hard to come by, industry analysts expect the list to include a new Jeep Grand Cherokee, a midsized Dodge SUV, a facelifted Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger and a new Chrysler compact car built by Nissan. Another possibility is a midsize sedan, also sourced from Nissan.

Also in the works is a new generation of electric and plug-in vehicles developed through Chrysler’s ENVI division, as well as a global model based on the company’s upcoming Project-D midsize platform. At the same time, management is also dealing with the possibility of a sell-off of the Dodge Viper business and the elimination of more models, especially its ‘twin’ vehicles.