Since the merger of Fiat and Chrysler, the automaker’s engineers have been hard at work refreshing, replacing, and reworking its entire lineup of vehicles across all its nameplates. One name that has constantly resurfaced is Barracuda, tapped as a replacement for the aging Dodge Challenger.
The rumors of the Barracuda’s return have been around for years now, but Automotive News says that the famous muscle car is really, definitely returning this time. Fiat-Chrysler reportedly revealed the new Barracuda convertible at a dealer conference in Las Vegas, as well as a new Dodge Charger that looks like the 1999 concept with the same name. That wasn’t the only new reveal dealer owners got to see though.
All in all, Fiat-Chrysler has 30 refreshed or all-new products in the pipeline for the next two years, including an all-new Jeep Wrangler and the rumored Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Track Hawk with a 0 to 60 MPH sprint of just 3.5 seconds. There’s also an Alfa Romeo-based SUV that was shown to dealers, though the hoped-for Jeep pickup was not in the cards.
Both the Charger and Barracuda will keep their rear-drive setups, though there was no mention of drivetrains. FCA executives did say that both American icons will use a flexible platform currently being designed for the return of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, a car, it is worth noting, only has four and six-cylinder engine options. That doesn’t necessarily mean the new Charger and ‘Cuda can’t get V8s, but it does fuel speculation that FCA is going to start backing away from the big V8s that dominate its lineup.
The next two years should prove incredibly interesting for FCA. Would Mopar fans accept a Barracuda and Charger without a V8 option? Or will engineers figure out a way to shoehorn one in?