Chrysler brand to add crossover

Chrysler brand product planners have scaled back the wide-ranging changes envisioned for the brand in Chrysler Group's 2009 product plan.

Dropped were plans to bring from Europe three Fiat-produced cars for the brand. The cars were to arrive in showrooms this year.

The Chrysler brand will keep its minivan, add a crossover, redesign the 200 mid-sized sedan and refresh the 300 large sedan.

200: Chrysler's mid-sized sedan was redesigned on the same Fiat-derived platform as the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Dart. The car will debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show and appear in showrooms in mid-2014.

At a dealer show last September, the redesigned 200, showing a new direction for Chrysler styling, received a standing ovation. A redesigned 200 convertible will appear in 2015.

The 2015 Chrysler 200 will have a nine-speed automatic transmission, stop-start, active grille shutters, electric steering, electronic parking brake, LED taillamps and a hidden exhaust design in the rear.

300: A lightly freshened Chrysler 300 is scheduled to arrive in 2014. V-8 versions will be teamed with the eight-speed transmission. A redesign has been delayed until 2017.

Town & Country: The Chrysler brand appears to have won the internal debate about which minivan nameplate will survive in 2015. Expect the redesigned minivan to shed pounds to improve fuel economy and drop its boxy shape to improve aerodynamics. It may also be offered with an optional diesel engine if earlier diesel-powered vehicles are successful.

Mid-sized crossover: Chrysler's lineup will expand in 2015 with the addition of a mid-sized front-wheel-drive crossover to replace the Dodge Journey in Chrysler Group showrooms. The replacement will be based on the Fiat-derived CUSW platform.