The model will come in both sedan and convertible forms. It will also be joined by the Lancia Thema flagship, which will be underpinned by the 300’s platform. “The new Chrysler 200 will come – cabriolet included – to Europe as a Lancia, and Flavia is a very good hint as its possible name,” Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly said at the 2011 NAIAS, according to Automotive News. Also on display in Geneva will be a rebadged version of the Chrysler Voyager large minivan.
The Thema and Voyager will hit the European mainland in late 2011 as Lancias, while in the UK they will sell as Chryslers.The 200-based sedan, which could be named Flavia, should arrive in early 2012. According to Lancia-Chrysler CEO Olivier Francois, the car will come with a manual transmission and a diesel engine, both not part of US spec.
Lancia hopes the three Chrysler-based models will give Lancia an image boost and generate higher profit margins, as they’re going to be positioned above the Delta, currently the company’s largest offering.
Also to go under the spotlights at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is the latest generation of Ypsilon subcompact, to arrive in showrooms in June this year. Lancia plans to sell 130,000 units a year of the new Panda-based model, a lot more than the 85,000 peak annual figure of the current model in 2004 and about 60,000 units in the past two years.
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