Sure, there’s no vinyl bench seats and standard Slant Six engine, but this isn’t 1981 and Chrysler Corporation isn’t trying to boost sales by stripping down a LeBaron and calling it Special. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is, however, trying to make three models more appealing to the buying masses, meaning trim changes are afoot for 2018.
What models, you ask? Two very old sedans and a crossover. According to ordering documents sent to dealers, FCA plans to ratchet down the entry-level price of the 2018 Chrysler 300 and Jeep Cherokee, while also shaking up the bottom end of the Dodge Charger.
The documents obtained by Automotive News show a new base trim for the 300 — a model which has seen a significant sales drop this year. Buyers will still be able to order a 300 in Limited trim, but the new base model becomes the Touring — a trim familiar to Canadian buyers. Tourings say goodbye to the Limited’s black Nappa leather upholstery and hello to cloth.
Above that trim, 2018 300 buyers will be able to choose from the Touring L, S, Limited, C, and C Platinum. While prices are not mentioned, you don’t drop cloth seats into a slow-selling premium model and not give buyers financial food for thought. 300 sales have plateaued at around 53,000 units in the U.S. in each of the last three years. However, the past three months have seen the model take a serious dive.
The 300’s LX platform twin, the Charger, sees its entry-level SE trim take a hike for 2018. That makes the SXT the new base model. Versions of V6 models with all-wheel drive will carry the GT AWD moniker and come with cloth or leather seating. Agin, no word on pricing.
If you’re looking to get into a base Cherokee, however, there’s plenty of word on pricing. Next year’s model, which is expected to bow with a refreshed face (including conventional headlamps), sees the base Sport trim dropped in favor of a low-end Latitude model. Positioned above that trim will be a Latitude Plus model.
The dealer documents state the base Cherokee will arrive with a “significant price reduction.” While a Cherokee Sport now carries an MSRP of $25,695, the 2018 Cherokee Latitude should sticker for $24,395 before delivery. It isn’t known whether the base model’s content changes along with the new name. Limited and Trailhawk 4×4 models should also see a price reduction.
Apparently, drastic action was needed to firm up sales that have dropped 18 percent, year-to-date. In comparison, 300 and Charger sales have dropped 16 and 12 percent, respectively.
Bring on the cloth.
[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
I would drive a 300 with a bench seat and four (ok – six!) on the floor. All one of me.
Sounds nice, make it twice.
Bench seats, hemi with a six on the floor, crank windows, steel wheels. Yep, I would drive that.
Call it the 300 Road Runner
I spent a week with my family one winter and we rented a Cadillac with a bench front seat. It was great. I loved how open it was, how we didn’t have 3 growing boys arguing over who got the front seat, and how comfortable it was.
Maybe offer the 6.4L in the “S” and “C” trim levels?
:)
maybe if they hadn’t neglected these lines for so long while faffing about with Alfa (a misfire if there ever was one) they wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Chrysler 300 Demon edition will solve everything.
HELLCAT editions for all models.
Pretty much Sergio has killed Chrysler while wasting billions on Fiat and now trying to convince US public Alfa and Maserati are luxury vehicles.
It was a dinosaur when it was “new” and the American ownership under Dan Quayle did nothing but add a few stripes. FCA would be throwing money down the sink spending anyhting on this.
FCA is treading water while waiting for a takeover by a Chinese automaker so that the Agnellis may cash out and leave the auto industry.
Where did you get that crazy idea?
I still can’t believe the next gen FCA full sized sedans will be based on the Pacifica architecture.
Why do you think that?
Allpar had a rumor that the 300 would go FWD and the Charger would stay RWD based on Giulia.
What next gen FCA full sized sedans? If such vehicles ever see the light of day, they’ll only be rebadged Chinese crap, with no relation whatsoever to the Pacifica.
Well, they can’t base it on the Giulia cause it would be too expensive to build, what else do they have? They’ll make them AWD and like Ford, put a turbo 6 under the hood.
The Giulia starts at $38K and comes standard with leather and a couple other luxury features so I don’t think a starting at ~$30K Charger/Challenger and ~$35k 300 is impossible to do on that platform.
But what would the engine lineup be?
The Giulia is a compact platform. That’s big for Europe, but NOT an American-sized full size car.
Come to think of it, even the 300 isn’t a true full size car, by American standards. If they gave the 300 another 16″ of rear overhang and put in a decent trunk, then they’d have a New Yorker, or Newport.
They’d have to raise and lengthen the roof a bit, and make the rear window more vertical to keep the proportions right. And the 5.7 would be the base engine, of course – save the V6 for the Dodge Monaco version.
In no time at all, it would be the late 1970s again!
If they build it, they will come. They just have to make the engine bay large enough to accommodate a Hemi
All the information I’ve read over at allpar says the next-generation 300 and Charger will be downsized and made into what used to be intermediate cars– the large people-moving sedan and CUV were to be FWD/AWD and use the Pacifica’s architecture.
As I understand it, the sedan has been cancelled and the CUV is on its way.
My logic says Giulia can be made to work in a car sized between mid and full-size if Dart can come from a tiny little Lancia Delta.
According to allpar turbo inline six based on new hurricane 4 architecture.
Something about deck chairs and the Titanic. Carry on.
For the 2019 models I’m thinking Ikea wood chairs in the stylish Expresso finish, $167 for four.
Some assembly required.
https://www.amazon.com/Dining-Kitchen-Hardwood-Chairs-Espresso/dp/B00NI1U8NW/ref=pd_sbs_196_3/141-3151254-9421825?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00NI1U8NW&pd_rd_r=FYXEPPDQRWYF7SQ8YHTV&pd_rd_w=zMvnD&pd_rd_wg=x8gPd&psc=1&refRID=FYXEPPDQRWYF7SQ8YHTV
Am I losing my mind, or was there a period where Dodge had a bunch of weird American-Gladiator style trim level names like “Activator” and “Detonator”?
In 2010 the Nitro had trims called “Detonator”, “Shock”, and “Heat”.
Caliber trims we’re called “Express”, “Main Street”, “Uptown”, “Heat”, and “Rush”.
Avenger had “Express”, “Main Street”, “Lux”, and “Heat”.
I think the minivan had “Express”, “Main Street”, and “Crew”.
Those were the only ones that did it though. I think the plan was to do it across the entire lineup but then everyone realized it was stupid.
And not one Marquis de Sade edition.
I’m’a guess you’re a longtime Car and Driver reader.
How about a “McDonald’s Drive-thru” Edition???
@ajla – I can’t believe TTAC didn’t cover that nomenclature!
Journey had weird names for a year or two as well.
So, is this an attempt to Make 300 Terrible Again?
Remember the old LX models? 2.7l V6, no power adjustments for the seats, optional ABS, and wheel covers? Ugh.
Powered by He Who Shall Not Be Named.
Now you’ve done it. Besmirched the good name of the Charger and 300 as very old and on the LX platform.
Rage from the FCA faithful awaits…
Meh. The FCA faithful have had enough of Sergio too.
BTSR is unavailable for comment.
They need to put the Charger/Challenger/300 on the Giulia platform (stretched and widened obviously). Then scrap Alfa
Why not use the Grand Cherokee? It would provide a cheap stiff chassis.
It’s going to be heavy. FCA is very vulnerable to fuel economy concerns