Chrysler Airflow Concept Previews Brand's 2028 Move to Fully Electric

Looks remarkably production-ready for a concept, right?

Chrysler kicked off CES 2022 with a name from the past. The Chrysler Airflow concept might have a name from almost 90 years ago, but there’s nothing old about this battery electric vehicle. It offers what Chrysler calls “a glimpse at the leading-edge drive-system technology, fully connected customer experiences and advanced mobility features .. which will fuel the Chrysler brand’s future.”

The original Airflow featured revolutionary, aerodynamic styling, so it’s appropriate the nu-Airflow design is slippery and sleek. The shape is suitably contemporary too, with crossover, hatchback, and sedan vibes based on the viewing angle. No wonder Chrysler won’t commit to a single category in its press release. The fascia is recognizably Chrysler, with a new hollowed-out wing logo, spreading across the front end. A pair of super-slim LED headlights sit atop the grille element. A single piece of chrome trim starts from the side mirror and stretches back to the D-pillar. Flush-fitting door handles keep things clean, too. The black contrast roof focuses the visual weight down low, and gives the impression of “floating” side mirrors.

Around back, there’s more than a hint of modern Porsche in the full-width taillamp treatment, especially with the light-up “Airflow” name in the center. Big 22-inch wheels are pushed out to the corners of the car.

Chrysler isn’t giving any measurements yet, but we’re confident in saying the Airflow is around 191 inches (4,851 millimeters) or so, by our estimates. If that’s the case, it makes the Airflow slightly larger than the Ford Mustang Mach-E (185.6 inches / 4,724 mm). Height should also hover around that of the Mach-E (63.0 inches / 1,600 mm), as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (63.2 inches / 1,605 mm).

Inside, there’s swanky aqua ambient lighting and light-colored leather, including the very pretty seats. In a nod to modern environmentalism, the leather is vegetable-tanned, and the carpeting is made of recycled materials. A crystallized rotary shifter is about the only bling in the cabin, and it sits above a sizable storage space under the center console. The squircle wheel looks like it’d be nice to hold, too. We really like the ambient lighting and textures in the second-row; it’s easy for automakers to focus the attention up front.

There are no less than eight screens inside the Airflow. Every passenger gets their own—like the current Jeep Cherokee—plus a two-screen central setup, and digital instrument panel. On the far sides of the dashboard sit two screens for dedicated climate control use. Did we mention all four screens set in front of a human features a built-in camera? Yep, Chrysler foresees a future where even driving can be an opportunity for a Zoom meeting.

All of this comes together via what Chrysler calls STLA Brain. This new software platform would be the successor to Uconnect 5, with over-the-air updates possible from the get-go. STLA Brain also supports STLA AutoDrive, which promises SAE Level 3 semi-autonomous driving.

Chrysler didn’t dive into drivetrain specifics at the launch, only confirming the concept runs a pair of 150-kilowatt electric motors, one at each axle. That’s 402 horsepower and AWD, which should make it reasonably quick should it see production. A screenshot suggests a large battery pack of 118 kWh, and a targeted range of 400 miles (644 kilometers), which is more than most mid-sized EVs of today.

The American company took the opportunity to announce that the first production Chrysler EV would be on the road by 2025. Just three years later, Chrysler plans on being entirely electric. That’s a bold claim, but on the other hand, the brand has just two vehicles right now: the Pacifica and the 300, the latter of which isn’t long for this world.

With so much of this Airflow concept looking primed for production, we hope that future EV ends up looking like this. Hopefully, it’s more successful than its namesake.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.