Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News Mexico
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS BY BRAND
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
    • Daimler
    • Fiat Chrysler
    • Ford
    • General Motors
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Mazda
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Subaru
    • Tata
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
    • Mini
    • Rolls Royce
    • Mercedes Benz
    • Smart
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Chrysler
    • Dodge
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Jeep
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Ram
    • Lincoln
    • Buick
    • Cadillac
    • Chevrolet
    • GMC
    • Acura
    • Kia
    • Infiniti
    • Jaguar
    • Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Audi
    • Bentley
    • Bugatti
    • Lamborghini
    • Porsche
  • News
    • Auto Shows
    • Photo Galleries
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • Retail
    • Government Relations
    • Trade and Tariffs
    • Technology
    • Labour
    • Lawsuit challenges Trump's authority on steel, auto tariffs
      Automaker-supplier relationships take a hit
      Ghosn's ace for growth: Suppliers
      In-demand tech puts wary suppliers on guard, study finds
    • Ontario aims to replace GM with Magna, Martinrea or other in Oshawa
      FCA to idle Ontario minivan plant due to parts shortage
      Supplier Brose cutting 100 jobs in Ontario, report says
      Magna's Walker: Pair up to keep cars affordable
    • AutoCanada sues former CEO Patrick Priestner for $250M over dealership acquisitions
      Rolls-Royce names BMW exec its new sales VP for Americas
      How GM's Oshawa closure could affect sales, dealerships
      Commission sales seem to benefit few people, Ontario dealer association says
    • Level 3 autonomous vehicles now allowed on Ontario roads
      Ford adds 149,652 vehicles in Canada to Takata airbag recall
      Honda wants recall notices to be part of registration renewals
      All wet: Rain could delay the arrival of self-driving future
    • How Canada's auto industry can take advantage of new trade deals
      Canada says it will stay out of U.S. ratification fight over new NAFTA
      Trump uses state of the union speech to urge Congress to approve USMCA
      Metal tariffs will sour U.S. Congress on USMCA, lawmaker says
    • Vehicle screens go super-sized at CES as tech catches up
      All in a day's work
      Ford commits US$4 billion to autonomous vehicles, forms new subsidiary
      Massive data breach at Canadian company hits several automakers, report says
    • GM Canada says it will find 2,400 jobs for Oshawa workers
      FCA to idle Ontario minivan plant for 8 days, union says
      Unifor calls for boycott of GM vehicles if automaker closes Oshawa plant
      Unifor's Jerry Dias, Magna's Don Walker named Automotive News All Stars
    • Toronto Auto Show
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Chevy's 2019 Blazer: More Camaro, less Equinox
      Trump's troubling definition of victory
      The 2019 Nautilus: Lincoln's Cadillac Super Cruise fighter?
      What Cadillac dealers can expect from Steve Carlisle
  • EVENTS, WEBINARS & AWARDS
    • 2018 Auto News Canada All Stars
    • Best Dealership To Work For
    • Canada Congress
    • Webinars
    • More women in dealerships is just plain good for business
    • Ontario aims to replace GM with Magna, Martinrea or other in Oshawa
      Dealers told standalone stores 'difficult to remain profitable'
      Ford's Joe Hinrichs: Plant closures have 'cascading effects' on industry
      Online shopping will never replace touch, feel of showroom, top execs say
  • +MORE
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CLASSIFIEDS
    • CONTACT US
    • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Cars & Concepts
September 17, 2018 01:00 AM

Chrysler 300 is out, the Portal is in, but questions remain

Larry P. Vellequette
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    The Portal should maintain the concept's sleek styling.

    The downsized Chrysler brand will eliminate the last of its sedans but gain a second people-mover nameplate in 2020 with the introduction of the Chrysler Portal electric van, based on the concept of the same name.

    The Chrysler 300 is built at FCA’s assembly plant in Brampton, Ont. It is not yet known how the end of the vehicle’s production will affect that factory’s future or where the Portal will be built.

    "The Chrysler 300 will be available for the 2019 model year," FCA Canada spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin said in an email to Automotive News Canada. "We don’t speculate on rumours regarding future product."

    “There is nothing official from the company. It’s all been secondhand information, but the 300 is going to be gone and replaced by a CUV. That’s been thrown out there before,” said Unifor Local 1285 President Jaspal Brar. “But, we’re waiting for something more definitive. We’re anticipating something sooner rather than later.”

    In January 2018 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hinted at the end of the Dodge Grand Caravan and that a new product could be bound for the automaker’s assembly plant in Windsor, Ont.

    “The replacement of the Caravan will be a Caravan-like vehicle,” he told reporters. “I need another minivan. It’s going to be inline with the Pacifica architecture.

    “The platform that was installed in Windsor to deal with the Pacifica is a world-class platform. I think it’s capable of utilization beyond its current use in the minivan. I think there are plans in place to try to take another product into it. For now we’ll wait until the plan.”

    Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy, who represents workers at Windsor Assembly Plant, said he has "zero details at this point" when it comes to what might happen in Windsor.

    Earlier this summer, the Brampton Assembly Plant underwent a five-week shutdown as the automaker retooled the aging paint shop.

    FCA committed $325 million to refurbishing the paint shop during labour negotiations with Unifor in 2016, a move union leaders described as vital to keeping the factory open long-term.

    “They did quite a bit of work in there. It wasn’t just in the paint shop, it was across assembly and [the] body [shop], too,” Brar said of the retooling this summer.

    U.S. sales of the 300 were down 3.8 per cent to 51,237 units in 2017 and they are down 13.8 per cent to 30,533 through August this year.

    In Canada, sales were up 18.3 per cent last year to 4,332 units but they are down 12.7 per cent to 2,909 vehicles through August this year.

    Here's a snapshot of the future of three FCA vehicles:

    300: The aging full-size sedan will be eliminated in 2020, ending a production run that began in 2005. No replacement is expected.

    Pacifica: The minivan is due for a freshening in 2020 but won't be redesigned until 2024, based on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' current product cycles.

    RELATED CONTENT

    Future Product: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles timeline Future Product: Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati timeline

    Portal: The fully electric minivan will go into production in 2020. It's based on the popular Portal concept FCA debuted in 2017 at CES in Las Vegas. The concept had a retractable steering wheel and was capable of autonomous driving. Those features are unlikely to be ready for the production launch, but look for the Portal to maintain its sleek, reconfigurable interior styling and perhaps even its sliding French door design.

    Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada contributed to this report.

    Recommended for You
    Digital Edition
    Thumbnail
    View latest issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up today for our Weekly Newsletter, Daily Newsletter and Breaking News Alerts. We'll deliver the news you need to know straight to your inbox.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Subscribe Today

    An Automotive News Canada subscription includes 12 monthly issues – delivered in print to your doorstep, and digitally to your inbox – plus unlimited, 24/7 access to our website.

    Subscribe
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Our Mission

    The Automotive News Canada mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in Canada.

    Contact Us

    PO Box 243
    Station A
    Windsor, ON
    N9A 6K7

    1-877-812-1257

    Email Us

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • Advertise with Us
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS BY BRAND
      • Aston Martin
      • BMW
        • Mini
        • Rolls Royce
      • Daimler
        • Mercedes Benz
        • Smart
      • Fiat Chrysler
        • Alfa Romeo
        • Chrysler
        • Dodge
        • Ferrari
        • Fiat
        • Jeep
        • Lancia
        • Maserati
        • Ram
      • Ford
        • Lincoln
      • General Motors
        • Buick
        • Cadillac
        • Chevrolet
        • GMC
      • Honda
        • Acura
      • Hyundai
        • Kia
      • Mazda
      • Mitsubishi
      • Nissan
        • Infiniti
      • Subaru
      • Tata
        • Jaguar
        • Land Rover
      • Tesla
      • Toyota
        • Lexus
      • Volkswagen
        • Audi
        • Bentley
        • Bugatti
        • Lamborghini
        • Porsche
      • Volvo
    • News
      • Auto Shows
        • Toronto Auto Show
      • Photo Galleries
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • Retail
      • Government Relations
      • Trade and Tariffs
      • Technology
      • Labour
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
    • EVENTS, WEBINARS & AWARDS
      • 2018 Auto News Canada All Stars
      • Best Dealership To Work For
      • Canada Congress
      • Webinars
    • +MORE
      • NEWSLETTERS
      • SUBSCRIBE
      • CLASSIFIEDS
      • CONTACT US
      • DIGITAL EDITION