Chrysler previews electric concept, could be a new model or a UFO

Chrysler's range was reduced to a single model, the Pacifica minivan, when production of the 300 ended in December 2023. The brand has several new cars in the pipeline, and it will preview what one of them could look like by unveiling a futuristic-looking concept in February.

Presented as "one potential path of the brand's electric future," the yet-unnamed concept looks more like a let-your-imagination-run-wild design study than a close-to-production car. Chrysler had little to say about it, and the teaser shows the outline of a car with flying-saucer proportions. It's round and decked out with LEDs, including some on what we assume is the front end that show a new version of the Chrysler logo. It's hard to tell precisely what we're looking at, but it might be the rebooted version of the Airflow concept from 2022.

Chrysler initially announced plans to bring the Airflow (which looked nearly ready for production) to production in 2024. Had things gone according to plan, the crossover would have been the brand's first entry into the EV segment. They didn't: In 2023, executives confirmed the project had been shelved at the request of Chrysler boss Chris Feuell in favor of an updated model with a new name and a new design.

Of course, we're not discounting the possibility that the concept is completely unrelated to the Airflow. While a successor to the 300 sounds unlikely, there are plenty of other segments for Chrysler to either break into or go back to. It is also preparing to unveil an updated Pacifica with "pretty significant" changes. We don't know what to expect from it yet, but it's tentatively scheduled to make its debut as a 2025 model.

So, are we looking at the Airflow 2.0, the Pacifica 1.5, or something else entirely? And, how will this fit into Chrysler's plan to once again become a serious player in the automotive industry? We won't have to wait long to find out: Chrysler will release additional preview images on this Friday, Feb. 9, and next Monday, Feb. 12, and it will unveil the concept on Feb. 13 at 5:01 a.m. Eastern, which is 2:01 a.m. in California.