Kelleher, who owns David Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram in Glen Mills., Pa., believes Chrysler should move forward as a family brand. He hopes Stellantis adds a crossover to the Chrysler lineup as well.
He also would be open to adding a second Chrysler car. Instead of engineering a new model, Kelleher said, the company might be able to rebadge a car from the PSA lineup at a low enough cost for that to make sense, even if it didn't generate significant volume.
"You have to be realistic," he said. "The car's going to sell, in a volume dealership, five or 10 a month. It's not going to be a dominant vehicle, but if the cost basis for the company's relatively down, why not look to do that?"
For now, Chrysler has brand equity, but it's in a vulnerable spot with few products to sell, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for Edmunds. She doesn't think a crossover would help given that consumers already can buy utility vehicles from Jeep's expansive portfolio or opt for a freshened Dodge Durango.
"I think giving it a reason or purpose or a niche would probably be the first order of business before trying to come up with products that would save the brand," Caldwell said. "I don't know if the brand's days are numbered, but I think if they do not give it a better strategy, it does feel inevitable."