Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Can Chrysler Turn It Around in Bankruptcy?
464 messages, Last post on Oct 02, 2009 at 2:05 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
Replying to: hpmctorque (Oct 04, 2008 12:29 am) |
|
|
|
|
"I guess MOPAR will continue making cars that have no resemblance to what we need.I.e...economical vehicles." Well, I don't think that's really accurate, if they follow through with their announced product plans. In addition to the 300 and Charger, they'll field a small car based on the Nissan Versa plus at least one electric vehicle in 2010. They also plan to expand their hybrid offerings, to include the Dodge Ram and other larger vehicles, such as minivans, crossovers, and maybe the 300 and Charger too. Additionally, there may also be a smaller than Versa car in the line-up, sourced in China. Finally, the next Jeep Grand Cherokee will be on a car instead of a truck platform, to reduce weight and improve fuel economy. The big IF is whether they'll actually be able to introduce all these new models and changes. I don't know the answer to that, but I'm convinced that the current management understands as well as anyone that much more fuel efficient vehicles are essential for Chrysler's survival. Circling back to the 300 and the Charger, I think they'll sell if they're as aspirational as the current generation is AND they get better fuel economy. Those cars were well received, but as with other large cars, fuel consumption needs to be reduced. Diesels are another option for the larger vehicles. Chrysler already offers some diesels, so I'm sure they're considering expanding their diesel offerings. |
|
|
|
need for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Seeing them come out is a bit of a question mark. And how good the cars are made, etc. Progress is being made, though, it looks like, in the small car field, by Chrysler. That is progress that is important to me.
|
|
|
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Oct 04, 2008 2:48 pm) Of course, since Cerebus is a private equity firm, they don't have to release the financials. Not unless they have raised more cash, I don't see how they can make all of this happen.
|
|
|
Replying to: dtownfb (Oct 04, 2008 6:49 pm) Reuters |
|
|
G.M. and Chrysler Explore Merger. Can't even start to wrap my brain around that one.
|
|
|
Replying to: fezo (Oct 10, 2008 7:34 pm) I know GM wants to unload the rest of GMAC but not sure why they want Chrysler. Chrysler has no competitive mainstream cars. I guess they could sell the Jeep line and keep the minivans. Of course they do mention that the talks are on hold because of the unstable stock market. |
|
|
What I said a few months ago: Chrysler is a train-wreck. A disaster. A mess. Since the majority of dealers are combined anyways, why not close a brand? or 2? Sell Jeep, keep either Dodge or Chrysler, and shut down the other; they're essentially carbon copies of each other anyways. Of course, there's the obvious. Dump dealerships, overlapping models, etc. If none of their new product is supposed to come out until 2010, my question is: can they ride out the storm that is 2008 and 2009? |
|
|
Replying to: rockylee (Nov 12, 2006 1:04 am) The upper dash pad is very soft touch with a matte finish and surrounding materials are attractive and mostly pleasant to the touch as well. However, LX cars (300, Magnum, Charger, Challenger) aside, Chrysler's interior finishes, materials, and styling inside and out took a dramatic plunge over the far more attractive and aerodynamic "cab-forward" cars that Honda seems to have modelled the new Civics after. Chrysler's recent descent into stylistic abortion is most likely what has led to their current woes. As we have seen, great styling and innovation if not actual quality and reliability made Chrysler the most profitable mass market automaker in the world in the 1990's. Then Robert Eaton and Jurgen Schrempp masterminded the takeover of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz and it basically went down hill from there. The hardest hit products in their lineup seem to be the compacts and midsizers. Chrysler went from the sleek and fun to drive Neon to the heavy, bulky, and unpleasant looking Caliber. Even the new Caliber SRT-4 is slower than the previous Neon SRT-4 despite the additional, what, 55 horsepower and also lacks a limited slip differential. Worse looking are the new Sebring and Avenger. Compared to the previous two generations of cars Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze and Stratus/Cirrus, the new midsize models look more Korean like what Hyundais used to (especially the Sebring) than what Hyundais do now. I feel it's a sad day to realize that my favourite player on the home team is now turning out less attractive AND generally inferior cars to a Korean outfit that even just ten years ago was the laughing stock of the industry. I hate to say it, but Chrysler could now really learn a thing or two from Hyundai/Kia about vastly and swiftly improved perceived and actual quality. I myself no longer own a Chrysler product (previously a 1993 Chrysler LeBaron Cabriolet and later on a 1996 Plymouth Breeze) due to mainly the styling. Had the Neon been available to me in a new and improved form back in January 2008, I would have purchased one of those instead of my 2008 Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit). I had never experienced something horrible enough in one of my Chrysler Corportation products to warrant not ever wanting one again. Coupled with their unique style at the time and generally fun to drive nature, I was won over. For instance, the Chrysler 300M (which was to be the new Eagle Vision don't you know) could go head to head with any comparable car around the globe with no apologies. [Visit link title for a road test of the 300M where it placed second only to an Acura TL and link title for more information if one is skeptical.] So, overall, what Chrysler needs to do first and foremost is dramatically improve the styling of its products to be similar in greatness to the of the cab-forward era and improve quality, reliability, and NVH. My Breeze was quite the noise maker! Chrysler also needs to dump unnecessary models such as the Dodge Nitro, Jeep Compass (what an abomination to the brand it is!) and produce a new compact sedan at least for the U.S. market because hatchbacks aren't big sellers here and a new compact Chrysler sedan with good styling would go a long way to helping them out. Chrysler; what you need most are style AND substance. -S. Myers
|
|
|
That the Pacifica was and still is a very classy car (if equipped correctly) and that the interior is actually pretty decent, especially in light of the Sebring, Avenger, Caliber, Compass, etc. The Pacifica was an excellent concept, design, and execution, only there should have been a 7 passenger model at the beginning (and there still isn't) and the car was priced to fail. (I remember pricing out 2004-2005 Pacificas and seeing some of them reach up into the upper $30K range, even low $40s). The Pacifica also would have benefited by having the 4.0L at the beginning of production instead of halfway through... I saw Pacificas advertised in the local paper starting at around $16K... A pretty decent car for the price... The Pacifica was an almost-premium car priced like a premium car under a brand nobody regarded as premium. A classic example of how price can sometimes kill a well-conceived product before it even hits the marketplace... |
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Can Chrysler Turn It Around in Bankruptcy?
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
