Saddle up! Fiat's plans for Chrysler to appear soon, leaks appearing even sooner

I'm thinking of a car, can you guess what it is?

While many of us eagerly await Fiat's official plan for Chrysler, which will be announced on November 4, 2009, the Wall Street Journal has taken this opportunity to speculate what will be announced.

In this link is a slideshow filled with photos of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products and my thoughts on each of them.

If you guessed that Fiat-based models will pepper the future lineup of Chrysler's product lineup, then you would be correct. Let's analyze the WSJ report:

Jeep Commander will be dead next year. Why isn't it dead already? This thing was a non-starter from day one. I recall viewing some early shots of the Commander when a colleague turned to me and said, "This photo is a hoax, right?" Sadly it was not.

New Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300 next year. Both were great vehicles in their time, but is now the time for these vehicles? Current consumer behavior would suggest not.

Increased marketing of the Jeep brand. More marketing is better than less, but I am not sure how much this will help.

Dodge Caliber, Dodge Avenger and Dodge Nitro die while the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger live. Eventually phase out Dodge Grand Caravan leaving only the Chrysler Town and Country. Most of these changes won't occur for some time , so don't look for deals on orphan Caliber's just yet. Heck, the Caliber just got a new interior. Focusing Dodge as a performance icon makes some sense, but what will replace these bread and butter cars? Also, I understand that you want to de-duplicate the lineup, but the minivan segment is a big deal for the company. Even long term, why would you want to go and mess with its success by cutting back to only the Town and Country? Aren't Plymouth Voyager owners still licking their wounds?

Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chysler Sebring sedan, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot will be axed. No shocker here, the PT was already saved from the executioner once, it has to be replaced at some point. Sebring and Avenger sedans have been trouble since the get-go for Chrysler. While the Jeep Patriot is passable, the Compass is quite ugly and a detriment to the Jeep brand's rugged image. Fiat platforms should play well in this space, but 2012 better hurry up and get here.

Fiat 500 arrives in 2011. Can't arrive too soon! While it won't sell in huge numbers, it will generate much needed showroom traffic.

Alfa Romeo returns with volume models in 2012. Richie riches have the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione to play with while the rest of us have to wait. Will the wait be worth it?

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Honey I shrunk the minivan! Future of mini-minivans in USA

2005 Toyota Wish (courtesy wikipedia user Mytho88)

When it comes to the current crop of American minivans, there is very little that is actually "mini" about them. In the land where the recliner is king, the workhorse people haulers have morphed into front wheel drive versions of the rear wheel drive mastodons they replaced. The 2011 model year will offer a clean slate of new offerings from the Japanese, but with the exception of perhaps the next Nissan Quest, Honda and Toyota vans will likely keep their current stout stature.

View this slideshow for some of the current crop of small people movers and a view towards the future.

Chrysler has abandoned the short wheelbase minivan segment, leaving the Dodge Journey to pickup the slack, but I have a feeling that may change when Fiat announces its future plans for its American offerings. I expect to see a smaller van/people hauler slot below the Chrysler Town and County and Dodge Grand Caravan based off of Fiat underpinnings.

Currently, if you want a smaller people shuttle, you have to look to the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo. That will be changing in the very near feature. Chevrolet will be replacing its HHR with the Orlando and Ford will be offering its Ford Grand C-Max. Honda has continually teased us with its Honda Stream and while Toyota has given no hints, how far off could the Toyota Wish be? General Motors will also be offering a Chevrolet Aveo (Gamma) based people mover as well. In speaking with a Buick designer at a recent event, the designer mentioned that the "Baby Enclave" Gamma-based vehicle is deceiving in that its exterior size is quite small but its interior dimensions are quite large.

Over the next few years, when it comes to people movers, small may be the new big!

For more info: Information for this report comes from Automotive News and previous articles written by this author.

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Manual intervention: Chrysler kicks bulky owner manuals to the curb

Simpsons character Troy McClure (source: wikipedia)

One of the joys of new car ownership for me has always been thumbing through the owner's manual. I am probably in the minority on this one as most folks prefer to sit down, buckle up and drive.

Chrysler is hoping to split the difference with a new approach to these weighty tomes: DVDs. For the 2010 model year Chrysler is swapping out the 500 page monster manuals with smaller 60-80 page user guides and an accompanying DVD.

You can watch a sample video below to gain a better understanding of the DVD guides.

It is a shame that Phil Hartman is no longer with us, his Troy McClure character from the Simpsons would have been perfect to narrate these DVDs. Can you just hear him now,

Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from your Plymouth Sundance. I am here to tell you all about your new Jeep Liberty.

These new videos should make tasks such as fiddling with the Jeep Wranger's soft top a much easier job for newbies. For owners who have built in DVD players, this swap is a no-brainer (unless they do not know how to use the DVD player) but for those drivers who have to tote the DVD into the house where it will soon be lost, it might not be the best solution. Ideally, the manual should be written to flash memory and accessed from a navigation screen on all vehicles, perhaps with an audio only function for drivers on the move who need to get some information quickly (using voice commands).

In a Prius-like, saving the earth move, Chrysler also mentions that the smaller paper guides will save an estimated 930 tons of paper, the equivalent of 20,000 trees every year.

For those buyers who do not care to watch a movie about their cars, Chrysler will offer free traditional owner's guides.

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Face Off: Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger may go separate ways

Sebring and Avenger: Which one was the good guy? source: touchstone pictures

The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger may be split off into two separate platforms according to company sources.

The Dodge Avenger would go the sporty route with a rear wheel drive platform based off the Dodge Challenger while the Chrysler Sebring would stay front wheel drive on the previously speculated Alfa Romeo Milano based D-Evo platform.

Breaking up the twins would accomplish Fiat's stated goal of no longer offering Chrysler and Dodge clones. Dodge would have a sporty RWD sedan while Chrysler would offer a luxurious FWD sedan: Attracting different customers would ease tensions between the two brands on the showroom floor.

This plan is far from final. You might recall that Chrysler has had about fifty (slight exaggeration) scenarios for the mid-sized sedans' replacements. One common theme in all of the rumored plans is that the company realizes it must do far better than the current models,which some critics complained were worse than their predecessors.

Source: This story is based on information from Automotive News

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1981 Dodge Mirada CMX

Fun story about a guy and his love affair with a 1981 Dodge Mirada. I've always been a fan of 70s and 80s era cars. I can't honestly say that this particular model would be my pick, but I salute the owner nonetheless. You can click on the source link for the full story.


source: sfgate

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Yoink! Peninsula Dodge Goes Buh-Bye in Redwood City

Update: Vehicles that were left for service are either being picked up by customers "as is" or taken to Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Burlingame. Local television stations have been unable to get any comments from the dealership's management.

Update: URLs such as www.peninsuladodgehyundai.com and www.siliconvalleydodge.com now forward to www.dennyhecker.com (something they weren't doing this morning). I have attempted to find out more about the investors who purchased the dealership, but as of yet have no further info.

Driving past Peninsula Dodge in Redwood City on Friday, I noticed that the number of vehicles on the lot was dwindling. By Sunday, the dealership was pretty much cleared out and a security guard was posted. From what I can tell by scanning articles online, Peninsula Dodge was part of Denny Hecker's dealership group and has been sold to private investors. The confusing thing for me is that abc7news.com says that the Redwood City dealership has been closed but mentions nothing about a sale. Employees at other Dodge dealerships have only confirmed that Peninsula Dodge has been shut down. I contacted a few town officials, but they had no additional details about the dealership's closure.

This is not the first time that Redwood City's Dodge dealership has been cleared out. Several years ago the lot was cleared, apparently after payments were missed, and a new owner was brought in. The dealership is an easy exit off Highway 101, but it does not have any freeway visibility.

I am working on finding out more information about the dealership's closure and will update the article as details trickle in.

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Dodge Challenger

If you have muscle car craving, the Challenger should fill you up right. While I wish there was a bit more excitement going on inside the cabin, the designers sure did a bang-up job with the exterior. Given the current state of affairs, I have to wonder how many copies of this car they'll sell? We all heard about the initial run being sold out, but that was before the hot air was let out of the balloon. I wish them well, but I wouldn't be shocked to see this car gone in a few years.

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2009 Dodge Ram Launch Webcast

9/14/08 Update: Well, I'm not sure about the live feed but the replay was a bust. I now have the embedded version for your review. Lots of chest thumping here, but that's to be expected anytime you kickoff a new vehicle at its assembly plant.

Original 9/12/08 Post: use I'm not actually sitting at my PC, I can only hope that this link will work. Chrysler is hosting a celebration for the Ram's manufacturing launch at the Ram's Warren Truck Assembly, plant just outside Detroit. Click here to watch the live version (11AM eastern) or on-demand replay (live for 30 days) of the event.

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Ram Challenge Watch the Video and Enter to Drive the 2009 Yourself

Trying to make the best of a bad market, Dodge is boldly moving forward with the 2009 Dodge Ram launch. One of the components of the intro is the "Dodge Ram Challenge Tour" where potential customers get behind the wheel. The tour has already visited San Antonio and is Philadelphia and Houston right now. Sadly there are no Bay Area dates for me to check out. I'd have to drive to Sacramento and I'm not going to do that. You can check out the dates for your area by clicking here. Above you'll find a video clip from the San Antonio event. Of course, you're only going to hear the positive things that participants are saying!

I haven't driven the new Ram, but sitting in the driver's seat I liked what I saw. Hopefully this new truck will give Dodge dealers a bit of a bump, I can't stand to see Glenn Hartzheim begging on TV every night.

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Trial Balloon: Cars for Chrysler, Trucks for Dodge, SUVs for Jeep?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Chrysler is considering an idea that each of its brands would retail specific types of vehicles. Under this plan Chrysler would retail only cars, Dodge would have pickups and commercial trucks and Jeep would have a lock on sport utility type vehicles. The plan makes sense to me as it eliminates badge engineered vehicles. However, some dealers may object to the plan. Chrysler has to do something besides axe models and reforming the way each brand aligns is as good a place to start as any.

source: wsj

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