Alongside the Fiat Multipla, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was one of the ugliest cars of the relatively modern era. Sure, it wasn't as hideous as the Italian minivan, but it hasn't won any beauty pageants, and in case you were wondering, it never will.
It was supposed to bring the 1930s aesthetics into the 2000s, yet we all know how that turned out. The PT Cruiser rolled off the line between 2000 and 2010 and was made in Mexico and Austria. Its front-engine and front-wheel drive construction was shared with the Dodge Neon and SRT4, and it was a straight-four fiesta in terms of engines, with multiple gasoline units and a diesel.
Even if it was at the opposite end of desirable, it has inspired some owners to invest a lot of work in them. As a result, there are several copies out there that can run the quarter mile much quicker than some base V8-powered muscle cars from the modern day. The Chrysler PT Cruiser story ended in 2010, and the model remains a good example of why not all car designers should let their imagination run loose.
We reckon there aren't many enthusiasts who would want to see a brand-new take on this controversial machine, regardless of what it might hide under the hood, hence why we are convinced that we will never see one. Well, at least not with a retro-ish styling, as the Stellantis-owned brand could always apply this moniker on a future crossover, perhaps one featuring battery-electric power. And this recipe is easily achievable.
Photo: Behance | Nihar Mazumdar
Don't believe us? Just take a look at the DS 3, a subcompact crossover that Stellantis sells overseas, which was digitally manipulated to become a brand-new 2025 Chrysler PT Cruiser. With emphasis on the word digital, we will proceed to highlight the obvious modifications, such as the new face with a tweaked grille decorated by the Chrysler emblem, a modified front bumper, and new headlamps.
Things were kept simpler at the rear, where it retains almost every aspect of the real thing, save for the Chrysler emblem below the windscreen and the PT Cruiser logo on the left-hand side of the tailgate. From what we can tell, the wheels were given a special touch, too, and the whole car sports a lively color and a contrasting black roof.
This is a great example of rebadged engineering, and by applying this recipe, Stellantis could indeed bring the modern DS 3 to our market and sell it under a different brand with tweaked front and rear ends and not much else. But would it be a good idea to revive the PT Cruiser like this, or should the controversial-looking model stay dead and buried?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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