1981 Chrysler Valiant Reviews

Fifty years ago, on July 1, 1976, the worst new Holden up to that point was released, the HX series. And everything changed.Not coincidentally, it was also the date that all new internal combustion engine vehicles except those under 850cc in capacity or with liquid petroleum gas had to comply with stricter emissions standards known as Australian Design Rule 27A (ADR27A).This law proved to be a nightmare for parent company General Motors-Holden’s (GMH) Ltd.With fuel consumption up, power down and prices jumping to cover the extra technology necessary to meet the new regulations over the preceding HJ series, Holden’s engineers struggled to make its 1960s-era engines cope with the required updates in what was the country’s best-selling car line since the early 1950s.Critics and road testers alike savaged the HX as a result, accusing Holden of being cynical and out of touch, though it managed to hang on to the top spot for 1976.“Perhaps we would be better off with dirty engines and improved driveability,” quipped Wheels magazine editor Peter Robinson.Unfortunately for GMH, three unexpected things also happened right around that time that led to fundamental shifts in consumer tastes.Firstly, Japan was ready to launch its next phase of world-beating passenger cars that could easily meet ADR27A, headed by the original Honda Accord that almost single-handedly elevated that country’s entire industry overnight.Others followed in its footsteps, including the Mazda 323 and Datsun Skyline.Yet it was the shock success of the Chrysler Sigma, supplied by Mitsubishi, that became GMH's second big setback, shooting up the charts to a podium finish soon after its 1977 launch, and stayed there for half a decade.The Sigma lured many former and would-be Holden owners away in droves, particularly from the brand's waning Torana and Sunbird models it competed directly against, and even cannibalised Chrysler’s own Valiant in the process. Sigma was an automotive phenomenon that led directly to the iconic Australian-developed Magna later on.And last but not least, arch-rival Ford, which had been nipping at the Holden’s heels with the Falcon since the XB Falcon snatched number one for just one month in late 1973, had pulled out all stops in making the succeeding XC series demonstrably superior. GMH certainly wasn't expecting that.While the change from HJ to HX was little more than a fussier grille, revised instrumentation and several other, mostly minor, alterations, Ford expensively reengineered its engines to make them better than before, not worse. And it also redesigned the Falcon's nose, tail, back doors and dashboard, for a far-fresher look and feel.Plus, the XC launched the Fairmont GXL sports/luxury flagship. In the spirit of the legendary Falcon GTs, contemporary reviewers declared it as one of the greatest Australian-made family cars to date.In stark contrast to the basting the HX endured, XC sales flourished, with the Falcon becoming Australia’s best-selling car in 1977, period – an achievement it managed again from 1981 through to 1989, signalling the start of Ford Australia’s halcyon days.Half a century after the HX’s painful birth, perspective shows us a company grappling to deal fast enough with rapid change – something that Holden would pay the ultimate price for by 2020.Yet, to GMH’s credit, the more-comprehensively changed HZ series that followed in October, 1977, addressed most of the HX’s issues, whilst leap-frogging the Falcon in both sales as well as a driver’s car, thanks to chassis tweaks marketed to great effect using a tagline borrowed from Pontiac in the US called Radial Tuned Suspension.A stunning turnaround, it restored the Holden to the top spot for 1978, in time for the smaller, Opel-based VB Commodore to turn the market on its ear leading into the 1980s.A brief hiccup then largely due to ADR27A, a total of 110,669 HXs were built. And though the series has long lived in the shadow of the massively popular HQ/HJ models before it and the beloved HZ afterwards, 50 years later, its appeal is palpable. Who wouldn't have one?As a colourful piece of Australian motoring history, recognition is deserved. If nothing else, the garish Monaro LE two-door coupe runout edition remains one of the most 1970s things ever to happen in local motoring folklore!And it was the first Holden that actively attempted to minimise its emissions impact. That’s got to be worth celebrating. Happy 50 birthday, Holden HX!

One of the biggest car makers in the world has reportedly forked out billions in warranty claims over the past year. Stellantis, parent company of brands like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Jeep has paid out the equivalent of more than $10 billion in global warranty expenses for the 2025/26 financial year. This tough reliability run has seen Stellantis begin a complete reset of its processes to get on track. The big news out of this reset is that the brand will launch its first model riding on its new STLA One platform next year. The brand said the platform will underpin up to 30 new vehicles in the small and mid-size SUV categories. This will equate to more than two million sales annually by the time 2035 comes around. Stellantis also said it is targeting improvements to quality even before this new platform gets underway. “If we do the right things earlier in the program, that means that when we get closer to launch we’ll have fewer problems,” Stellantis propulsion systems testing and analysis lead Mark Christie told Auto News.  “The product life target for powertrain components is 10 years and 150,000 miles (about 240,00km).”The brand is plotting the launch of 23 new and updated models in the next four years across its portfolio. It has been a turbulent time for Stellantis in recent years with the departure of Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares and subsequent appointment of Antonio Filosa.The brand reported a $37 billion net loss earlier this year.Reports indicate focus will shift to Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Ram, but other brands in the group will benefit from the technology acquired.Peugeot recently unveiled its all-new E-208 GTI fully-electric hot hatch in what will be an early test for Stellantis' change of direction.  

The once-mighty Chrysler brand appears to be on the cusp of a product-led comeback with the appearance of an all-new mid-size SUV at last month’s Stellantis Investor Day.But the covers weren’t pulled off a physical car, rather the sharp-eyed enthusiasts at moparinsiders.com may have spotted one of the three new models scheduled to appear for the brand by 2030, hiding in plain sight within the presentation given by Stellantis Group CEO Antonio Filosa and Head of North American Brands Tim Kuniskis.The presentation confirmed Chrysler’s sole current model, the Pacifica people mover, would be joined by three new arrivals competing in “high-volume compact SUV segments”.Designed to reinvigorate the brand, they are set to “increase affordability with sub-$30K entry points” and “deliver multi-energy options for freedom of choice”.The goal? A 60 per cent growth in sales volume from 143,000 units last year to around 225,000 sales in 2030.And the car moparinsiders believes it has spotted is a production version of the two-row, five-seat Airflow crossover-style SUV scheduled to arrive in 2027.Appearing in a video supporting the powertrain section of the presentation, a Chrysler crossover was spotted and the publication believes it matches descriptions of the Airflow provided by journalists who recently attended a private preview inside Stellantis’ Product Design Dome in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Chrysler showed a pure-electric Airflow Concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in 2022. But this car appears to be a more upright and angular design rather than the organic, curvy look of the concept.The nose features vertical LED headlights, an 'illuminated wing' badge in the centre and a full-width LED lighting strip above with the rear end showing long vertical tail-lights on each corner.Chrysler has confirmed the Airflow will ride on Stellantis’ new scalable ‘STLA One’ platform, which opens up the possibility of multiple powertrain options and the video vehicle shows a front transversely-mounted internal-combustion engine .Moparinsiders has theorised it could be the turbo-petrol ‘Hurricane4’ engine already used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee with the group’s EP6-based turbo hybrid system and a pure-electric system also in prospect.The Stellantis Group’s ‘Fastlane 2030’ initiative includes introduction of more than 60 new or redesigned vehicles globally by 2030 (23 in North America). The emphasis on North America is a clear rebalancing of the corporate scales at Stellantis, with former CEO Carlos Tavares widely perceived to have favoured the group’s European brands including Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Citroen, Opel and Peugeot, with his successor Filosa now leaning into its US nameplates - Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.Chrysler’s new positioning statement is “Practical, Reliable, Comfortable Mobility for Everyday Life”, the brand looking to target the 35 per cent of buyers it believes look first for these brand attributes.

Diesel isn't dead after all: Why the owner of Peugeot and Jeep is making up for lackluster EV sales with diesels.

You hear the term all the time, but what is a muscle car? To be honest, there’s no hard and fast definition. Just as a coupe can be either a two-door or four-door car depending on your point of view, different enthusiasts will describe the muscle car concept differently, and there’s a range of debatable points on offer.

This common Australian Highway Patrol car ceased to exist as a new car several years ago, but a rebirth is now rumoured.A report from the Detroit Free Press states that the Chrysler 300 sedan is coming back.Chrysler boss, Christine Feuell, told the Detroit Free Press the company needs to expand beyond its current people-mover range in the US and a return of the 300 sedan is a possibility.“I believe the car segment is ripe for growth and resurgence,” Feuell said.She described a “high level of confidence in our road map and ability to launch these products.”It is believed the Halcyon concept car, which debuted in 2024, could form the basis for the reinvented 300.This means it’s likely the 300 will be an electric car and built on parent company Stellantis’ STLA platform that underpins electric vehicles such as the Dodge Charger EV, Jeep Recon electric off-roader and Jeep Wagoneer large SUV.It would likely be closely aligned with the Charger EV. This means it could use a mega 100kWh battery paired with 400-volt charging architecture and electric motors that churn out a monster 500kW and 850Nm, with a claimed range of 420km and a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds…ooft.  That’s a big jump in performance from the 350kW/637Nm 6.4-litre Hemi V8 from the old 300 SRT Highway patrol cars that helped them sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in the mid-4.0 second range.There is no guarantee that if the Halcyon concept becomes a reality that it will be adopted by Highway Patrols around Australia with the diesel-powered BMW 530d currently on duty.The BMWs are powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder diesel that generates 195kW and 620Nm — enough to produce a 5.7 second 0-100km/h sprint — while sipping just 4.7L/100km.

In nearly 140 years of the motor vehicle, history records only two Australian cars that truly left their mark on the world – even to this day.

It’s often said by car enthusiasts that you’re not a real car guy until you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo. Perhaps, but there’s an Australian variation on that theme: You can’t be a proper car bloke (or gal) until you’ve owned a V8.

Have you ever categorically committed yourself to something only to then have second-thoughts and try to get out of it? It can be awkward at a social event or work occasion, but it may be incredibly difficult if you’re a multi-billion dollar car maker.

Chrysler never sold a 300 ute, but one company has solved that issue so long as you're willing to bring your own donor car.