Chrysler

Hot news for 2010: Chrysler says saluti and ciao to its new Fiat owners. The deal is this: Chrysler gets Fiat platforms for its future models and Fiat gets a ready-made North American dealer network.

Carryover: 300; PT Cruiser; Sebring sedan and convertible

Gone: Aspen

Starting line

n In just a few year, Chrysler has gone from being owned by a German company, to private ownership to being owned by an Italian company that happens to be one of the largest automakers in world. But now what? Having gone through a recent bankruptcy, the biggest issue, aside from having little in the way of new product, is actually getting the factories up and running to put vehicles onto dealer lots to sell.

The big news for 2010, then, is that Chrysler is actually still around. Fiat will help out in the coming months by providing platforms for new and redesigned models - expect some dramatic change here - and the company has already reversed the cancellation of the PT Cruiser, now called the Classic. This is the 10th season for the PT and it continues to be a solid seller for Chrysler with more than 1.2 million cars produced since the 2001 model year.

The rumor was that 2009 would be the last for the PT, however Fiat wants it around for another year. The PT Cruiser “Classic” comes in just one well-equipped model with one powertrain. There’s no convertible and no turbo model, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had. The four-door now only comes with the somewhat aged 150-horsepower 2.4-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder that’s attached to a four-speed automatic transmission. Expect all the essential power goodies (windows, door locks, etc.) in the front-wheel-drive Classic as well as air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels and anti-lock brakes (formerly an option).