FCA rolled out a new small sedan in South America a
few days ago called the Fiat Cronos. And we apparently weren't the only ones
who wondered whether it would make a suitable entry into the North American
market.
Budding automotive designer Kleber Silva put out
these renderings of what the Cronos might look like as a Dodge, with a
crosshair grille and sporty R/T trim, no less.
The Cronos is about the size of a Fiesta,
which Ford is keeping in its latest iteration from the US market. There's just
not enough demand for a sedan or hatchback that small in America, it seems. The
Mazda2 isn't available in the US anymore either, nor is the Volkswagen Polo. So
it'd be up against the likes of the Chevy Sonic, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent,
Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris.
FCA
has realized the lack of profitability in the small-sedan market, and
accordingly discontinued production of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. So the
chances of it bringing an even smaller one to US showrooms seems slim to none,
to say the least.
That wouldn't stop it from rebranding it as a Dodge
for, say, the Mexican market, for example, where the Turkish-made Fiat Tipo is
sold as a Dodge Neon. But don't expect to see it cross out
of Latin America and into the United States.