Chrysler Wraps Auburn Hills HQ with New "Imported From Detroit" Tagline

The Chrysler Group is showcasing its new “Imported from Detroit” tagline for the 200 model series with a massive wrap covering almost the entire west side of the company’s 15-story headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Detroit automaker's new tagline made its debut in a two-minute advertising spot for the company's latest entry to the mid-size segment on Super Bowl Sunday.

“The 2011 Chrysler 200 is a vehicle designed with purpose, it has beautiful shapes and incorporates the utmost attention to detail,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO of the Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, and Lancia.

“This new mid-size sedan delivers on a promise to our customers to be the very best of American design combined with a value proposition that will exceed their expectations. The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, its available right here,” Francois stated.

Francois last statement could be taken as a poke to European buyers who -figuratively speaking- will have to "cross an ocean to obtain luxury" given that the soon to be released Lancia Flavia is a re-badged 200 Imported from Detroit...

Building Wrap Facts [From Chrysler Press Release]

• The Chrysler 200 featured in the building wrap is 116 feet wide by 145 feet tall
  • Its grille is 51 feet wide
  • The badge on the Chrysler 200 grille is 31 feet in length
  • Headlight is 32 feet long
  • Its hood measures 44 feet in length and 85 feet in width
  • Its windshield is 66 feet wide and 20 feet long
  • The side-view mirrors are each 9 feet wide and 7 feet long
• The Chrysler brand logo is 98 feet wide
• The building wrap covers 14 stories of the Headquarters’ tower
• It took three days to place the wrap on the tower

2011 Lancia Delta Update Brings Chrysler Family Grille and New Diesel Engine

The onslaught of new and updated models from Lancia heading to the Geneva Motor Show continues with the unveiling of the 2011 Delta, which comes with a brand-new grille designed to reflect the partnership with Chrysler and the sharing of vehicles between the two brands, plus new proposals in terms of trim options and engine choices.

The first thing you'll notice on the 2011 model year Delta is the new grille design that was penned by the Centro Stile Lancia, and features horizontal instead of vertical chrome bars. It's styling is similar to the one found on Chrysler's latest vehicles such as the 300 and 200 sedans. Lancia also updated the Delta's trim levels which now include the base Steel, Silver, Gold and Platinum versions.

For 2011, buyers can choose from seven different powertrains including: a 120HP 1.4-liter turbo petrol, which is also available in a dual-fuel petrol/LPG version; a 140HP 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo petrol; a 200HP 1.8-liter turbo petrol; a 120HP 1.6-liter Multijet diesel; a 165HP 2.0-liter Multijet diesel; a 190HP 1.9-liter twin-turbo Multijet diesel, and a new base 1.6-liter Multijet diesel.

The new entry-level 1.6 MultiJet turbo diesel is Euro 5-compliant and produces 105-horsepower and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of peak torque, for a 0-100km/h [62mph] acceleration time of 10.7 seconds and top speed of 186 km/h [116 mph]. Matched to a six-speed manual gearbox, the diesel is said to return improved fuel economy (no figures were released) over the 120HP version and CO2 emissions 120 h/km.

The 2011 Delta will go on sale from mid-March across key European markets and from June under the Chrysler badge (like the new Ypsilon) in Great Britain and Ireland.

Lancia Flavia Sedan and Convertible: Concept-Tagged Versions of Chrysler 200

Lancia is going to be quite busy at next month's Geneva Salon as the Italian brand deepens its ties with Chrysler by incorporating the latter's models into its range. Next up on our list after the new Lancia Thema, are the Flavia concept saloon and convertible models, which pay tribute not to their historic ancestor of the 1960s but to art of badge engineering. The two Flavia studies are based on the respective body styles of the Chrysler 200.

The Italian automaker said both configurations of Lancia Flavia Concept are characterized by their luxed-up interiors in terms of materials and equipment features. According to Lancia, "[the Flavia]embraces the stylistic features of the Italian manufacturer, giving a unique interpretation of the Chrysler 200 model which could be launched on European markets in record time." And by record time, Lancia means that production of its D-segment competitor could start in just 6 months.

If all goes well, the Flavia will most likely be offered in Europe with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines.

New Lancia Grand Voyager Minivan is a Rebadged Chrysler, and Yes, this Picture Too Appears to be a Chop

The third Chrysler model to wear a Lancia badge is the Town & Country minivan, which replaces the Phedra and will premiere alongside the Thema and the Flavia concepts at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The Fiat Group decided to keep the European market name of the Town & Country, calling it the Lancia Grand Voyager.

The Italian firm's American people carrier measures a hefty 5.14 metres in length, 1.99 metres in width and 1.72 metres tall, and rides on a 3.1 meter-long wheelbase. When European sales start later this year, it will be available in three trim levels (Silver, Gold and Platinum) and and two engine options, the Euro 5-compliant 283 HP 3.6-liter V6 petrol unit and the more appropriate for European consumers, 2.8-liter CRD diesel with particulate filter as standard delivering 163 HP and 360Nm.

Lancia says the petrol model returns an average fuel consumption of 12.3 lt/100km (19.1 mpg US), while the diesel version, 8.4 lt/100km (28 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 227 g/km.

On a side note, as is the case with the Lancia Flavia Convertible image, the solitary official photo of the Grand Voyager also appears to be a doctored picture of the Chrysler Town & Country, which can be proved -among other things- by the identical reflections on the chrome trim on the profile and the door handles, the position of the wheels, and the apparently fake logos on the alloys.

Lancia Lifts the Wraps off All-New Ypsilon Ahead of the Geneva Salon

Marking the 25th anniversary since the introduction of the Ypsilon (first as the Y10 in 1985, then as the Y in 1996, and finally as the Ypsilon from 2003 and onwards), Lancia is presenting the fourth generation of its luxed-up supermini in a world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The much delayed successor to the outgoing Ypsilon, which has been in production since 2003, has been designed from the ground up, and for the first time in the model's history, is offered in a five-door body style.

Even though the Ypsilon shares its platform and mechanical hardware with Fiat's small cars, the Lancia model won't be mistaken for anything else thanks to the bespoke styling, which incorporates a number of design cues from the larger Delta. Exterior highlights include the hidden rear door handles that give the impression of a three-door model and a new interpretation of Lancia's grille, designed to match Chrysler's version as seen on the 200 and 300 models.

As with all past incarnations of the Ypsilon, the newcomer promises to offer a high-quality interior and some 600 customization possibilities created by mixing and matching the 17 body colors (four of which are two-tone), 3 interior trim levels (Silver, Gold and Platinum), 6 different upholstery trims and 3 types of alloy wheels plus an extensive range of other options.

The Italian firm's premium city car measures 3,840mm in length, 1,670mm in width, 1,510mm in height, and rides on a 2,390mm-long wheelbase. Lancia claims the new Ypsilon "can accommodate up to five people, has one of the most spacious boots in its segment, in relation to dimensions, and is one of the best in class in terms of passenger room".

At launch, there will be four engines on offer, depending on the market: a 1.2-liter petrol unit with 69HP; a 0.9-liter turbocharged two-cylinder petrol with 85HP; a 1.3-liter MultiJet II turbo diesel delivering 95HP and a dual-fuel petrol-LPG 1.2-liter unit producing 69HP.

All petrol and diesel engines are equipped with a Start&Stop system while some models also get low rolling resistance tires developed by Goodyear.

The new Ypsilon which will go on sale from June across key European markets and from September under the Chrysler badge in Great Britain and Ireland. And no, the Fiat Group did not say if it has any plans to bring the Chrysler...Ypsilon over to the States.

All-New Lancia Ypsilon to Wear Chrysler's Badge in the UK and Ireland

It's no secret that after many years of delays and setbacks, the Fiat Group will finally present the Lancia Ypsilon's replacement at the Geneva Salon in about two week from now. What isn't known is that the new Ypsilon, which will be offered for the first time ever in a five-door body style, will be sold in Great Britain and Ireland under the Chrysler badge.

Back in 2008, Fiat canned its plans to reintroduce the Lancia brand to the UK and other right-hand drive markets citing the global economic crisis as the main reason. But after the Italian firm forged an alliance with the Chrysler Group in 2010, the group's CEO Sergio Marchionne took the decision to merge the Lancia and Chrysler brands, and create a single full-line brand with different names from market to market.

Lancia's 2012 supermini is the first example of the company's new strategy as it will be available in Europe's right hand markets as the Chrysler Ypsilon, however, it won't be the only product exchange between the two companies, but more on that later in the weekend. Even though we don't have any information on the matter yet, it is possible that the Chrysler Ypsilon be offered in other markets as well in the near future.

From what we learned, the new five-door 2012 Ypsilon will get hidden rear-door handles (àla Alfa Giulietta), numerous options to personalize the interior, various high-tech features and a choice of fuel-efficient engines including a 95HP 1.3-liter diesel and a 85-horsepower 0.9-liter TwinAir turbocharged two-cylinder gasoline unit. European sales of the new Ypsilon will start in June.

New Lancia Stratos: 40 Buyers Interested in Ferrari-Based Supercar, Price Estimated at €400,000 or $545,000

A small series production of the Lancia-badged New Stratos seems increasingly likely as time passes by and more people learn about the supercar created by Pininfarina for German businessman Michael Stoschek.

According to the latest announcement, so far 40 potential buyers from Europe and other regions have registered their interest in the New Stratos, but Pininfarina and Stoschek believe that this number will continue to increase after the massive exposure from test drives and presentations in a variety of car magazines in their February and March issues.

The original cost of development of the New Stratos is rumored to be around €3 million but the company believes it can sell the supercar for somewhere around €400,000 or $545,000, which includes €100,000 for a Ferrari F430 donor car and €300,000 for the conversion.

The New Stratos, which pays homage to the legendary 1970s Lancia rally car made with parts borrowed from the Ferrari Dino V6, was designed and built by Pininfarina. Underneath its carbon-fibre body clothes lays a cut-down Ferrari 430 Scuderia chassis complete with its 4.3-liter V8 engine churning out an improved 540 ponies and over 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of peak torque.