The commercial shows the 300C sedan cruising through Detroit and then emerging through a tunnel in the streets of London, where it is joined by the rest of the brand's UK line-up. It is very similar to this ad only now we see Chrysler's re-badged Lancia models as well.
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And truth to be said, most of the times, your average buyer doesn't know what's hiding under the sheetmetal nor if the vehicle in question is identical in many ways to a model bearing a different badge, because what he or she sees and feels are indeed different.
The trouble starts when carmakers engage in blatant badge engineering, simply placing a different grille and a new logo on the steering wheel and calling it something else.
And that's where the problem lies for Fiat and Chrysler. The automotive alliance recently revealed a trio of Lancia models in Europe: the Thema sedan, Flavia Cabrio and the Voyager MPV, which are nothing more than rebadged versions of the Chrysler 300, 200 Convertible and Town & Country respectively.
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The move is part of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance's decision to market all Lancia models in the UK under the Chrysler brand name.
Chrysler is marketing the new Delta a C-segment model with D-segment interio space and features. The five-door model measures 4520mm in length and rides on a 2700mm long wheelbase.
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Well, the Chrysler Group has presented the final production version but it is not for U.S. consumption. Instead, the Delta will be offered in the United Kingdom where all Lancia products will be marketed under the Chrysler brand.
The only changes made to the original Lancia model, which was recently updated with a new front grille, concern the Chrysler badges inside and out.
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Now it seems that the automaker has changed its strategy. At the New York Auto Show, Chrysler and Lancia brand president Olivier Francois told Car&Driver that the Ypsilon-based Chrysler model is dead for the U.S. as the company believes it is too similar with the Fiat 500, upon which the Lancia subcompact is based on, and could hurt its sales.
For the record, during a recent press event in Turin, Italy, a Lancia official told Carscoop that the Ypsilon U.S. launch would largely depend on the market's response to the Fiat 500.
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On the other hand, Lancia's people told us the company has no plans to revive famous nameplates such as the HF Integrale and Fulvia, simply stating that there’s no market for Lancia sports cars.
Although in its current state, the new Ypsilon doesn’t comply with U.S. standards, Lancia Product Manager Claudio Nervi told us that it could be “easily federalized” and that logistically “it's not a problem, as the Ypsilon could be produced at the [Fiat Group’s] Mexican plant”. However, Nervi also pointed out the decision depends “on the performance of the Fiat 500 in the US”.
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