Remember the mysterious brown Lancia Delta hatchback with Chrysler badging that was on display at the Detroit Auto Show? Well, Chrysler-Fiat may indeed have some specific plans in mind for it as a white and black prototype was spotted making test runs in Auburn Hills, around Chrysler's Technical Center (CTC) this week.
The appearance of a Lancia on Fiat's newly-acquired U.S. turf isn't necessarily unexpected, but our spy photographers report that Delta pictured here was undergoing some true road-testing, zipping back and forth through security checkpoints, and duplicating familiar test routes on the public roads around the CTC.
You'll note that the Delta test car caught in Michigan has Lancia badging and its standard Lancia grille (instead of the Chrysler-style, horizontal-slat grille on the Detroit concept car), plus different wheels. A grille swap (and wheel swap) would be a simple change, though, if Chrysler-Fiat decided to make the Chrysler Lancia a reality for the U.S. market.
And actual production for the U.S. market certainly seems more likely now that we've seen the Delta testing on our soil.
2010 Detroit Auto Show: Chrysler Delta
bankerdanny says:
08:51 AM, 05/ 5/10
The Lancia grill is the best looking grill in cardom (the Bentley is a close 2nd, but too many faux Bentley grills on Chrysler 300's has kind of killed it for me), so by all means replace it with that hideous chrome thing.
konocar400h says:
09:12 AM, 05/ 5/10
I saw these everywhere in Italy. They were very good looking in person. I'm not entirely convinced that chrysler will not butcher it though....
adb4 says:
09:41 AM, 05/ 5/10
Gosh, call it a hunch, but I think it will take more than a grille swap to make the Euro-only Delta a 'reality for the US market'--y'know, silly stuff like emissions and safety regulations. That, I believe, is the reason the Fiat Doblo may not show up here as a Ram (http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Tofas-No-export-of-Doblo-to-for-now-paper-2010-04-19T131322Z-UPDATE-1-US). Besides, the business plan Fiat showed a couple of weeks ago listed a new Chrysler compact for 2012--at which point the Delta will be four years old and in need of a facelift, at the very least.
alman08 says:
09:53 AM, 05/ 5/10
if Chrylser will sell this here just the way it is (don't change the grille, just replace the logo in the front), that should make a positive difference.
how is the latest reliability on Lancia cars?
mlprater says:
10:05 AM, 05/ 5/10
Geez. I kind of think they should just call it a Lancia. It's a neat little car as is, and Chrysler has had so many duds in a row I have to think the brand is quite polluted.
Chrysler should build things Chrysler is good at - trucks, minivans, the 300 and the sports cars (maybe just call them Dodge and kill the Chrysler brand - 300 can be its own brand), and forget about the rest for a while. Don't even tinker with mid-size or "American" brands until you clean up some of the crap soup that is the Chrysler moniker.
throwback says:
11:23 AM, 05/ 5/10
mlprater, I have my doubts about the Chrysler brand also. I would ne be surprised to see the brand die in the next 5 years. Rebadge the 300 as the Chrysler 300 and call it a day. The rest of the lineup may as well be Lancias. My suggestion, a new Delta Intergrale and Stratos.
rollk says:
12:04 PM, 05/ 5/10
I can easily see Chrylser tweaking this a bit & calling it the new PT Crusier. It has the same basic shape/function, is more modern, and has that odd-ball styling to carry the model name.
konocar400h says:
01:41 PM, 05/ 5/10
@rollk
Good thought, but it might be a bit too big to fill that void. Its about the size of a Pacifica, so I'm guessing they might put it up against a Venza or that class of vehicles
rollk says:
02:36 PM, 05/ 5/10
@konocar400h
Pacifica is a good bet too. It's hard to say though, especially since models tend to grow a lot in size as they evolve.
dino6 says:
09:51 PM, 05/ 5/10
All the posters made good points which is Chrysler-Fiat's current dilemma. Do they brand new cars from Italy with some of the "damaged" Chrysler brands or do they introduce new brands like Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo? My bet is they will go with Chrysler or Dodge branding since they don't really have much money and it costs millions to introduce a new brand. I like the styling of this tall wagon, it doesn't look like anything else in American roads. I say keep the grille and just slap on a new badge. Most Americans don't even know that something like this exists in Europe.
adb4 says:
04:24 AM, 05/ 6/10
@konocar: The size of a Pacifica? Perhaps if said Pacifica were washed in hot water and left in the dryer too long. The Delta is 178" long, the Pacifica is 199" long.
And folks, both Chrysler's and Fiat's published and announced business plans show Chrysler and Lancia becoming one product portfolio worldwide (kinda like Saturn and Opel, up until recently, which were going down the same path). Any Delta-ish type of vehicle would only show up here as a Chrysler.
konocar400h says:
08:41 AM, 05/ 6/10
@adb4
My mistake, I was going by memory on looks alone... thanks for the correction
foxtrot685 says:
05:41 AM, 05/ 7/10
i like this! if the interior is as good as the exterior they could sign me up for one! its really classy looking, and seems it would be practical. give me features like xenon headlamps, a panoramic sunroof (you can keep your in dash navigation i dont buy those, they are rip offs), power drivers seat with memory, the fancy gauges that you can only see when the engine is running, and an anti-dazzle rearview mirror and id be more than happy to plunk down $25,500-28,000 for this!
rodger_victor says:
03:58 AM, 06/13/10
I would buy this over any ugly Acura or Infinity cuv. Those things are HIDIOUS!
beech73 says:
02:20 PM, 08/31/10
I spotted the car here (blue one with michigan manufacturer's plate) in the Seattle area last Friday. I assume that they are pretty serious if they are making long road trips with them.
dansmith says:
03:13 AM, 09/11/10
THIS COULD BE A TRUE SEGMENT BUSTER. WITH GOOD POWER, A REALLY NICE LEATHER INTERIOR AND A SOPHISTICATED AWD SYSTEM, IT COULD MAKE SERIOUS INROADS IN THE MIDSIZE CROSSOVER SEGMENT. JUST THINK OF IT AS A NISSAN ROGUE WITH A PRADA LABEL.
danthrax says:
09:07 PM, 09/25/11
Here's where Chrysler could take a lesson from Pontiac: Have Toyota or another COMPETENT manufacturer build the engine and drivetrain. This is what made the Vibe one of the best cars ever made. Anyone who has looked under the hood of the Vibe can see the Toyota brand name EVERYWHERE. Even the mileage on the 173hp variant is great; I used to get 37mpg out of mine with the AC blasting. With a plugged cat, I still get 30-32 depending on the weather. CHRYSLER: IF YOU'RE READING THIS, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUILD YOUR OWN DRIVETRAIN FOR THIS CAR! THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO SATISFY A VERY LARGE CUSTOMER BASE! I REPEAT: DO NOT BUILD YOUR OWN DRIVETRAIN AND RUIN WHAT COULD BE A FANTASTIC VEHICLE!
danthrax says:
09:08 PM, 09/25/11
Here's where Chrysler could take a lesson from Pontiac: Have Toyota or another COMPETENT manufacturer build the engine and drivetrain. This is what made the Vibe one of the best cars ever made. Anyone who has looked under the hood of the Vibe can see the Toyota brand name EVERYWHERE. Even the mileage on the 173hp variant is great; I used to get 37mpg out of mine with the AC blasting. With a plugged cat, I still get 30-32 depending on the weather. CHRYSLER: IF YOU'RE READING THIS, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUILD YOUR OWN DRIVETRAIN FOR THIS CAR! THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO SATISFY A VERY LARGE CUSTOMER BASE! I REPEAT: DO NOT BUILD YOUR OWN DRIVETRAIN AND RUIN WHAT COULD BE A FANTASTIC VEHICLE!