First the corporate message. These are the thoughts of Saad Chehab, president and CEO of the company, who I sat next to at dinner on Tuesday night. “Chrysler is an American brand and people have an affinity with that here, like Apple and Nike. If I was to think about all the mistakes that have been made [in Chrysler and Lancia’s history], the inappropriate cars, the inconsistencies, I’d get nothing done. I can’t help that and we have nothing to be ashamed of today. We have to reach out and think about what makes a Chrysler. Walter P Chrysler was always the middle finger to brands like Lincoln and Cadillac. He wanted to do it better and cheaper, and had a history of thinking outside the box. We have the capability to build great and high quality cars.” All well and good, and sales aspirations for the Ypsilon supermini are ultra-low, only 4,000 cars next year. Ford sells that many Fiestas every fortnight. I’m sure the brand’s 50 dealers – plus 20 new ones next year – can achieve that. But the car is a bit of a disappointment. It’s just not premium enough, its exterior looks aren’t conventionally handsome and the instrument layout (above) is a bit of a mess. And why on earth does the digital temperature read-out noticeably flicker when the standard-fit stop-start system re-engages the powertrain? That can’t be right. I tried two versions of the 900cc TwinAir and they both did it.
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