🕑6 min read
For Chrysler fans, the wait for an all-new vehicle has felt endless.
In this article▾
A Mystery Chrysler Appears
A Modern Chrysler Design Language
Customer Feedback Changed Everything
Built On Stellantis’ New Foundation
What Could Power The Airflow?
Chrysler’s Most Important Launch In Years
Since the Chrysler Pacifica arrived for the 2017 model year, the brand has essentially been a one-product lineup in North America. While the Pacifica has continued to evolve and remain the best minivan on the market, enthusiasts and dealers alike have been asking the same question for nearly a decade: When is Chrysler finally getting something new?
Now, thanks to a recently released Stellantis powertrain video, we may have just received our first real glimpse of the answer.
A Mystery Chrysler Appears
Mysterious Chrysler crossover shown. (Stellantis).
During Stellantis Investor Day 2026, Stellantis showcased several future powertrain technologies and upcoming products. While most viewers focused on vehicles that were already known, including the upcoming Jeep® Cherokee Hybrid and Grand Wagoneer REEV, the video may have quietly revealed something even more intriguing.
However, some sharp-eyed MoparInsiders readers spotted something else.
Mixed among the future Stellantis products was a previously unseen Chrysler crossover that appears to match descriptions provided by journalists who attended a private preview inside Stellantis’ Product Design Dome in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
While Stellantis never identified the vehicle by name, all signs suggest this could be the long-awaited Chrysler Airflow production model scheduled to arrive as a 2028 model year vehicle.
Not The Airflow You Remember
2022 Chrysler Airflow Concept BEV. (Chrysler).
If this vehicle is indeed the new Airflow, it looks nothing like the concepts Chrysler displayed back in 2022.
Many enthusiasts will remember the original Airflow Concept that debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Later that same year, Chrysler showed a revised version during the New York International Auto Show (NAIAS).
At the time, those concepts appeared to signal Chrysler’s all-electric future. But as the market evolved and consumer demand shifted, so did Chrysler’s plans.
Over the last several years, company executives repeatedly hinted that the production vehicle would move in a very different direction.
That appears to be exactly what happened.
The crossover seen in the Stellantis video features a much more upright and squared-off appearance than the sleek, flowing concepts shown four years ago. Rather than looking futuristic in a concept-car sort of way, it appears closer to something customers could realistically see in their driveway.
A Modern Chrysler Design Language
2027 Chrysler Pacifica Limited S AWD. (Chrysler).
One of the most interesting aspects of the mystery crossover is its lighting design.
The front end appears to feature multiple vertical LED lighting elements positioned on each side of the vehicle. Connecting everything together is a full-width horizontal LED light bar stretching across the front fascia.
At the center sits Chrysler’s new illuminated wing badge.
The design immediately recalls the refreshed Chrysler Pacifica while pushing the styling further into the future.
The rear of the vehicle follows a similar theme, with what appear to be tall vertical taillights extending down the rear corners.
Overall, the crossover presents a cleaner, more geometric appearance than previous Chrysler concepts. It is lower than many traditional SUVs but still maintains crossover proportions.
Based on what can be seen, it appears to be a two-row, five-passenger vehicle designed to compete in the highly competitive midsize crossover segment.
Customer Feedback Changed Everything
2022 Chrysler Airflow Concept BEV. (Chrysler).
The shift away from the original Airflow concept wasn’t accidental. Former Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell discussed the vehicle’s evolution during the 2025 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, explaining how customer feedback ultimately reshaped the project.
“The Airflow, we revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January of 2022, gave a glimpse of the crossover future product, although that is going to be a lot edgier, more contemporary, and more modern than what the actual concept looked like,” said Feuell. “That was driven by customer feedback. They looked at the Airflow and said, ‘That’s really nice for today, but if you’re going to launch it three years from now, you can push the design a little edgier.’ And that’s exactly what we did.”
Looking at the vehicle shown in Stellantis’ latest video, it’s hard not to see exactly what she meant.
The mystery crossover appears significantly bolder and more aggressive than the original concept vehicles.
Built On Stellantis’ New Foundation
Is this the new Chrysler Airflow?. (Stellantis).
Perhaps even more important than the design is what sits underneath.
The original Airflow program was expected to ride on the STLA Large architecture. However, Stellantis has since changed course.
Stellantis indicated the production Airflow will instead utilize the company’s new STLA One platform.
This next-generation architecture is designed to simplify Stellantis’ global vehicle development strategy by consolidating multiple platforms into one scalable system capable of supporting B-, C-, and D-segment vehicles.
The platform’s biggest advantage is flexibility.
Instead of committing Chrysler to a single powertrain strategy, STLA One can accommodate multiple propulsion systems depending on market demand.
That means buyers won’t necessarily be forced into an EV.
What Could Power The Airflow?
Mysterious Chrysler crossover shown. (Stellantis).
Interestingly, the mystery vehicle featured in the Stellantis powertrain presentation appears to contain an internal combustion engine.
Looking closely at the video, the powertrain layout appears to show a transversely mounted engine positioned sideways under the hood.
If that observation proves accurate, several potential powertrain candidates immediately come to mind.
The new turbocharged Hurricane4 engine currently used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee would seem like a logical fit. Likewise, Stellantis’ turbocharged EP6-based hybrid system, expected to play a major role in the upcoming Jeep Cherokee Hybrid, could also find a home in the Chrysler crossover.
An all-electric version is also expected to be offered.
Such a strategy would allow Chrysler to appeal to a broader range of buyers rather than limiting the vehicle to EV customers alone.
Chrysler’s Most Important Launch In Years
Mysterious Chrysler crossover shown. (Stellantis).
There’s no way around it—this vehicle carries enormous importance for the Chrysler brand.
Whether it ultimately wears the Airflow nameplate or something entirely different, it will become Chrysler’s first all-new vehicle since the Pacifica debuted nearly a decade ago.
Pricing is expected to start just under $40,000, placing the crossover directly in the heart of one of America’s largest vehicle segments.
While Stellantis has yet to officially confirm details, the timing lines up perfectly with what we’ve been hearing from multiple sources. If everything stays on schedule, we should see the production vehicle make its official debut sometime in late 2027 before arriving as a 2028 model.
For Chrysler, the future has been a long time coming. And if this mystery crossover truly is the next Airflow, we may have just received our best look yet at the brand’s next chapter.
Mysterious Chrysler Crossover Image Gallery:
Robert S. Miller