There has been a lot of speculation as to when Stellantis would kill the Chrysler 300 Sedan. Heck, there has been a lot of speculation when it would kill the Chrysler brand. But now it appears that 2023 will finally be it. Stellantis can finally stop beating this almost-dead horse.

There have been many owners of Chrysler since the 300 sedan was launched

Chrysler has gone through 18 owners since it was first developed in the early 2000s. Well, maybe not 18. How about five? The original Chrysler Corporation, then Mercedes-Benz, venture capital Cerberus Group, Fiat, and now Stellantis. 

Mercedes Benz’s “merger of equals” wasn’t at all. It was a grab for Chrysler’s capital reserves. Cerberus had no business being in the car business which ultimately led to bankruptcy. Then Fiat held it together, leading to the current Stellantis. 

Chrysler 300 numbers have been fading away since 2012. We think that some of the reason it still exists is because of the Dodge Charger. Built around the same architecture and the same assembly line, the Charger is still selling well. But it is harder for Stellantis to make a business case for the Charger without the assembly line cranking out both models. 

What will replace the Chrysler 300?

For the Charger it looks like 2024 will be the last year of its current configuration. The Chrysler 300 sedan will leave room for an electric crossover in 2024. But will there be a Chrysler at all? 

Right now Chrysler makes a sedan and a minivan. That’s it. And both sell in dying segments. Chrysler and Dodge are dualed into a single dealership almost universally. So, without a strong image, and with prospects looking grim over the next two or three years, does it make sense to keep Chrysler alive?

Anything in a future Chrysler lineup would work just as well as a Dodge. Eliminating marketing, advertising, parts supplies, and internal costs would help the Stellantis bottom line. Don’t forget that Stellantis also sells Fiat and Alfa Romeo in the US, not to mention Jeep and Ram. With Dodge, Fiat, and Alfa; why do you need Chrysler? 

Christine Feuell is the new Chrysler CEO

But Stellantis head Carlos Tavares is on the record as saying he’ll give all of the brands under his umbrella ten years to do well or die. And just last week Chrysler got a new CEO in Christine Feuell. She was a global marketing strategist for Ford, among her other automotive-related titles. 

It is doubtful Stellantis would hire someone with no experience in closing down a brand, but plenty of marketing experience and finding better selling opportunities. So right now Chrysler is an interesting company to watch if you’re into automobile brands. 

It becomes a “will it or won’t it live” proposition. When we have more info Motorbiscuit will bring it to you. In the meantime, if you always wanted a new Chrysler 300, better head down to your local dealership soon.