With the ink still wet on the Fiat/Chrysler deal, many auto sites (including Autoblog) have had a bit of fun prognosticating which Fiat/Alfa models would be rebadged as Chrysler products. U.K. site Autocar is reporting that Fiat is exploring bringing in Dodge models to Europe to be rebadged at Alfa Romeos. CEO Sergio Marchionne is said to be considering the move, saying that the two brands share the same core identity.

Autocar quotes Marchionne as saying that Dodge is the muscle car of the U.S. while Alfa is the muscle car of Europe, the latter being an interesting bit of positioning that we Statesiders don't normally associate with the brand. If the right Dodge-branded products were to make their way to Europe, the theory is that the Auburn Hills marque could actually bolster the products already offered by Alfa. The problem is, though, that there are few (if any) Dodge models that could reasonably be expected to perform well in Europe. The only models that are likely to be of interest are the Charger, Viper and Challenger, and the there is a chance that the Viper could soon find itself outside of the Chrysler portfolio altogether. The Charger and Challenger are likely too big for Europe as well, and would probably only sell in small numbers.

Marchionne also tells Autocar that the Chrysler group is still losing money, but the rate has slowed due to production and labor cuts.

[Source: Autocar]

Alfa Romeo has been toying with the idea of returning to America for years, but now that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is working from Auburn Hills, the time seems more ripe than ever as details emerge on Fiat/Chrysler's strategy vis-a-vis the North American market. While Marchionne implements management restructuring designed to reduce Chrysler's executive hierarchy and separate its divisions into more independent units, a product strategy is rapidly being put into place to make up for lost time during the bankruptcy procedure and get the company back on track.

With Maserati and Ferrari already present in North America and Lancia offering little to entice North American buyers, the Italian side of the partnership looks poised to enter the market with Fiat and Alfa Romeo models. However, while future Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps will share underpinnings with their Fiat and Alfa Romeo counterparts – including an Alfa GTX to be based on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee – the Fiat brand itself will have a very limited presence in the North American market, offering only the 500 retro hatchback as a stand-alone model... not unlike BMW's Mini brand. Other Fiat models will carry Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep badges, while Alfa Romeo will take the higher profile on this side of the Atlantic, offering cars under the stoic marque to compete with other European luxury brands. As the Freep points out, Chrysler and Alfa had collaborated in the early '90s to bring Alfas Stateside with limited success, but Marchionne evidently thinks it'll have better luck this time around.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Setting the Challenger and 300 aside, what Chrysler needs now most of all is a C/D segment car that moves more metal than the pitiful performance of its current offerings. According to Automotive News, Chrysler shifted just 133,626 of its Sebring and Dodge Avenger platform-mates, a number that pales in comparison to class leaders like the Toyota Camry (436,617) and Honda Accord (372,789). The constant clamor to put the 200C concept into production in some form has got Chrysler looking for ways to make that car a reality, but finding a platform that will play on Main Street is a thorny little chestnut.

Replacing the universally jeered Sebring and Dodge Avenger (and their Mitsubishi platform) by going rear-wheel drive is a possibility. The 200C show car sat on a shortened version of the LX platform, in theory inviting both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. Fiat's D-Evo platform, debuting with the replacement for Alfa Romeo's 159, is another possibility, but there are concerns it may not be flexible enough to grow to the size the 200C needs. Fiat's bid for General Motors' Opel unit brought with it speculation that the 200C could snag the Epsilon platform, but that's since fallen off the radar.

While a rear-drive Chrysler midsizer sporting the sharp exterior and interior design of the 200C and priced like a Fusion would be something distinctive, the sales case for such a departure from the class-norm of FWD remains yet to be convincingly argued. Tuned properly, such a vehicle could give much higher-zoot iron a run for its money, and performance enthusiasts likely would embrace such a model; though they may not actually buy one. Chrysler needs to close sales, not set internet chatrooms abuzz, so regardless of how it comes to market, the 200C must be more fully realized than the current Chrysler midsizers.



[Source: Automotive News (subs req)]

According to automotive consulting firm IHS Global Insight, the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups are going to look drastically different over the next few years under Fiat control. No surprises there, but the report goes on the forecast which current Chrysler vehicles will be dropped and which ones will be transferred to new platforms. We've already heard that the next Alfa Romeo 169 sedan will be built atop Chrysler's LX platform in Ontario, Canada and that the Fiat 500 will be built ASAP in Toluca, Mexico, but that's only the beginning.

If IHS is right, joining the 500 in Toluca will be the Jeep Panda, which, as you may have guessed, will be a version of the Fiat Panda wearing Jeep's trademark seven-slot grille. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo may get two new SUVs that would be built in Jeep factories in Jefferson, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio – one midsize 'ute called the GTX that's based on the WL platform that underpins the Jeep Grand Cherokee and a smaller one built on Fiat's C-EVO platform, which will also underpin the next Jeep Liberty. That leaves the unloved Jeep Compass and its somewhat more likable brother, the Patriot, to die slow and inglorious death.

Fiat's C-EVO platform will also spawn the next-gen Dodge Journey, Chrysler Sebring (and presumably the Dodge Avenger if it survives past its current form), and Dodge Caliber. Moving downward in size a notch will (finally) be the Dodge Hornet, which will forgo Bad Chrysler's old deal with Nissan in order to share its Fiat 199 platform with the Alfa Romeo MiTo, both of which will be assembled in Belvidere, Illinois sometime in 2011. Thanks for the tip, Dad!



[Source: Global Insight]

According to a new report in Financial Post, Alfa Romeo may build its forthcoming 169 sedan in Chrysler LLC's Brampton, Ontario facility – a development made possible by the latter's tie-up with Fiat (which owns Alfa). The article cites a projection by automotive research firm IHS Global Insight that states that the 169 will be built on the same underpinnings with the next Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. That news would make sense as Alfa was reportedly shopping for a rear-drive platform that could be sold in North America as early as a year ago.

If IHS' report is accurate and production on an Ontario-assembled 169 indeed comes to pass, it would mark the first time that a premium European luxury auto is assembled in Canada.

[Source: Financial Post]

Alfa Romeo's spritely MiTo hatch may have been styled to look like the flagship 8C Competizione, but the performance gap between them is big enough to fit another entire model line. The MiTo GTA, previewed in concept form at this year's Geneva show, promises to close the distance some, but until it arrives, Novitec has come up with an answer of its own, and here it is.

The heart of any good mod job lies under the hood, and Novitec has plenty of options in store. For the gas-burning 1.4-liter turbo four, Novitec offers an auxiliary control module that can be installed in just five minutes and which adds an extra 31 horsepower to bring total output up to a respectable 186 and 0-60 time down to 7.4 seconds, or 0.7 seconds faster than stock.

For diesel models, Novitec also offers a module to boost power by about 20 horsepower on either the 1.3 or 1.6-liter JTD engines. Of course, the Dutch tuning house hasn't stopped there, offering a choice of sport springs to drop the height by 40mm or a fully adjustable coil-over set-up. A full aerodynamic package, stainless exhaust and 18" wheels coated in Pirelli rubber round out the package, which you can check out in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.



[Source: Novitec]

We've never made any attempt to hide our love of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, an exotic GT widely regarded as one of the most beautiful shapes the industry has put on the road in decades. But at the same time, we can't help but feel a little remiss that the Italian automaker has decided to replicate the 8C's design elements over the rest of its line at the expense of other design themes. Like the sharp lines of the 159 and Brera, set to be replaced on the upcoming Giulia with 8C-derived styling. Or this design study, recalling classic Alfa Romeos of yore, but with a modern twist.

The brainchild of South Korea's Hongik University Transportation Design graduate Seongjun Ko, the Berlina Da Corsa (racing sedan) borrows cues from 60's and 70's Alfas like the GT 1300 Junior and 1750 GTV, and there's even a little Lancia Stratos in the greenhouse. But the trick to the design is an adaptable roofline composed of flexible wires that, not unlike the BMW GINA concept, can change the shape of the roof to streamline for racing applications or adapt to accommodate rear-seat passengers. Unfortunately, the aggressive, almost Dodge Challenger-esque front end gives way to an awkward tail, but the idea isn't without merit. We just hope Alfa Romeo is paying attention. Check out the extensive renderings, models and sketches in the high-resolution gallery below and see for yourself.



[Source: Cardesign.ru]

The esteemed Mr. Lavrinc joins us for Episode #126 of the Autoblog Podcast, and Dan shows up late, but we still pack in an hour and a half of goodness. Starting with the Autoblog Garage kicks off a discussion about diesel and then electric vehicles and technology. The GM/Fiat/Chrysler dealings are once again kicked around for quite a while, with a wide ranging discussion of what Fiat platforms might be coming, and how GM's shrinkage strikes us. We move on to the death of Knight Rider, lamenting the loss of Nunez's liveblog, before we split opinions on Cash for Clunkers and finish with some letters. Thanks for hanging in for the full hour and a half, please keep your feedback rolling in to podcast at autoblog dot com.

Follow the jump to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, add the show to your RSS aggregator... or listen to it right now!

Although Car magazine says the coming Alfa Romeo Milano (nee 147) is "quite different from the Mito mini," their rendering of the car makes it look an awful lot like a Mito with two more doors. Not that there's anything wrong with that, since it just means more of a good thing. Compared to its 147 predecessor, it will be longer and lower, although still relatively Golf-sized.

The Milano comes on the C-Evo architecture that will also be applied to the new Giulia (nee 159) and Fiat's other medium range cars – like the next Chrysler Sebring. The versatile building block will offer various lengths and widths in FWD and 4-wheel-drive versions, and propulsion will be courtesy of MultiAir engines. Unveiling of the 5-door hatchback is expected at either Frankfurt later this year, or Geneva in 2010.

[Source: Car]

Curious which of its models Fiat plans to send over to the United States to sell through its planned partnership with Chrysler? Wonder no more. The most recent set of documents filed in Chrysler's Chapter 11 proceedings offer a number of intriguing clues as to what we can expect to see in the coming years.

Tom LaSorda, current ChryCo Veep, suggests that Fiat has agreed to assemble a vehicle using its C-EVO platform at one of Chrysler's underutilized U.S. plants. Further, Robert Manzo, executive director of Capstone Advisory Group, has specifically named the Fiat 500, Grande Punto and Panda (tellingly, Manzo called the Panda a Jeep) along with the Mito and Milano from Alfa Romeo as models coming to the aid of Chrysler.

Joining these new models would also be Fiat's 3.0-liter diesel V6 and 1.4-liter four-cylinder Multiair engine line, along with the Italian automaker's dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which would replace the units Chrysler will no longer be receiving from Getrag. The biggest question left unanswered seems to be what will be left of Chrysler's current line?



[Source: Inside Line]