Fiat Chrysler plan: What it means for you

Five Chrysler's five-year business plan will have a big impact in Australia, where most sales growth will come from Jeep, Fiat's new 500X and a full range of new Alfa Romeo models.

Apart from a new Porsche 911-rivalling coupe and cabriolet from Maserati, which will release its first SUV next year, the Italian-American auto giant will produce a new Chrysler-badged small sedan, large SUV and its first plug-in hybrid vehicle.

All these models are odds-on to reach a showroom near you, according to Fiat Chrysler Group Australia's Director of Product Strategy, Zac Loo.

"Cherokee, Renegade and 500X represent the largest growth opportunities for Fiat Chrysler, but the Alfa Romeo announcement shows commitment to the brand and its untapped potential," said Loo.

Loo said the new Cherokee mid-size SUV, which finally goes on sale here in July, and all-new Renegade B-segment SUV (also due here in early 2016) represent the biggest sales potential for Jeep, which as a result could become a top-10 brand in Australia.

He confirmed FCGA is already preparing for the launch of a larger new C-segment SUV to replace both the Compass and Patriot in 2016 – Jeep's 75th anniversary year.

Beyond a facelifted Grand Cherokee in late 2015, a facelifted Cherokee in mid-2016 and a facelifted Renegade the following year, Jeep will produce a redesigned Wrangler in early 2017, a new Grand Cherokee in late 2017 and a belated replacement for the discontinued Commander seven-seat SUV in 2018.

These models are expected to see Jeep eventually overtake Fiat as the conglomerate's largest global brand, with most growth forecast to come from China by 2018, by which time 1.9 million Jeeps are forecast to be built in 10 plants on four continents annually.

An even bigger model expansion will come from Alfa, which is set to offer a full range of passenger cars and SUVs from 2016.

Kicking things off for the Italian luxury brand will be the 4C coupe, arriving here three months later than expected by October, followed by the 4C Spider roadster next year.

Alfa's long-overdue replacement for the 159, which was discontinued in 2011, is marked down for release in the fourth quarter of next year. Loo said FCGA is "already in discussions" about Alfa's first direct rival for the BMW 3 Series in two years.

The 'Giulia', as it was tipped to be called, will ride on an all-new rear- and all-wheel drive platform dubbed Giorgio, which will also underpin a further seven new Alfas to appear between 2016 and 2018.

While there is no replacement planned for the Alfa MiTo, the Giulietta will be replaced by two new rear-drive small cars – probably a hatch and sedan – while the 'Giulia' will be joined by a sister model in the same vein as the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Alfa's new Giorgio platform will also form the basis of a large flagship sedan, two "utility vehicles" and a third "specialty" model beyond the 4C coupe and roadster – all by 2018.

Fiat says it has invested €5 billion and will establish a stand-alone "skunk works" comprising 600 engineers by the end of 2015, as part of its bid to lift Alfa's annual global sales more than five-fold to 400,000 by 2018.

Fiat's growth here will be spearheaded by the 500X, which could eventually become the Italian brand's biggest local seller, although Fiat will also produce a new compact sedan in late 2015, followed by a hatch version in 2016, a compact SUV in 2017 and a new Panda in 2018.

Before all that, Fiat will also launch an all-new "specialty" model late next year, which is expected to be the Fiat-badged version of Mazda's next-generation MX-5 roadster and is already "on the radar" for FCGA.

Matching Jeep, the Fiat brand is expected to attract 1.9 million global sales annually by 2018.

Finally, the Chrysler brand's renewed focus on mainstream volume markets will be led by an all-new '100' small sedan, which will be sold in all major markets including Australia.

Presenting similar volume potential for Chrysler will be a new mid-size crossover in 2018, but before then FCGA is planning to release a new full-size seven-seater in 2017.

The latter will be available with the same plug-in hybrid system as the redesigned Voyager people-mover, which is due in 2016 and should be Fiat Chrysler's first electrified vehicle.

If FCGA gets its way, a facelifted version of North America's mid-size 200 will also become available in right-hand drive form for Australia when it is facelifted in 2017, while the 300 large sedan will be replaced in 2018.

As we've reported, Fiat Chrysler's five-year plan also includes a new Ferrari every year between 2014 and 2018, and models as diverse as a one-tonne ute from Fiat Professional to a Maserati GranTurismo replacement in 2018.

What's coming from Fiat Chrysler group:

2014:
Jeep Cherokee (July)
Alfa Romeo 4C coupe (October)

2015:
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
Fiat 500X (early)
Fiat roadster (late)
Jeep Renegade (early)
Jeep Grand Cherokee facelift (late)
All-new Alfa Giulia mid-sizer (late)
Compact Fiat sedan and hatch

2016:
New small Jeep
Jeep Cherokee facelift

2016:
Two new small Alfas to replace Giulietta

2017:
Jeep Renegade facelift
Jeep Wrangler redesign
Jeep Grand Cherokee redesign
Compact Fiat SUV

2018:
All-new Alfa large sedan
New large seven-seat Jeep
Two all-new Alfa utility vehicles
Third Alfa sports car
New Fiat Panda