The Chevy and GMC each attract a slightly different consumer. At least there is overhead having two designs. No such overhead at Stellantis. You advocate for doing just that by making the Voyager a Dodge and leaving the Pacifica a Chrysler

 

Well, they are marketed to (somewhat) different customers, but that often doesn't work out in actual practice. Often, the difference between a Silverado sale and a Sierra sale depends on which of the two the buyer thinks he or she is getting a better deal on.


The vehicle-business is so complex that it is often difficult to even define where the overhead is, if or where applicable.

That's only part of what I said. I also said that (IMO) Chrysler should get some more vehicles to add to its lineup....preferably the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, because (IMO) both are too expensive to be sold as Jeep products. I have seen VERY few Grand Wagoneers on the road, whereas I see a ton of Yukons and Escalades every day.

The Voyager (as a Caravan) sold extremely well at Dodge, and probably would do so again.....why mess with success?

On a slightly separate note, since you generally like big luxury-oriented sedans, how would you feel about a contemporary Chrysler New Yorker...a 300 with luxury-grade trim inside snd out, packed full of sound insulation? If nothing else, it would attract the buyers that still lament the loss of the Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac DeVille/Fleetwood.

 

Jeep has way more brand cachet than Chrysler, Jeep is able to command higher priced products. People want a Jeep, nobody wants a Chrysler. Those vehicles wouldn’t sell nearly as well as they do if they were Chryslers.

Chrysler is dead, let it die.

As for GMC and Chevy, do you know anybody who owns one or the other? All the GMC owners I know want the GMC over the Chevy, the GMC is a little more upscale. I’d be inclined to get the GMC also.

 

Well, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer certainly aren't selling as Jeeps. Sales of the Wagoneer were so poor it was cancelled for 2026.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/ca...etter-45129526



Yes...I know lots of them. I have not quizzed every one of them on this issue, but a number of those I have spoken with see little difference between the two, outside of minor trim differences and the front-end/grille stying. (I myself prefer the GMC styling up front).

 

I'm always convinced that Buick and Infiniti are the two worst brands out there, then I am reminded that Chrysler still exists (thanks to this thread).

 

chrysler having only one model is pointless. they should put the pacifica in ram or dodge.

 

Does it even matter, as long as they are not doing a bunch of rebadges of the same car, and selling through the same dealer, they are not losing anything by keeping the Chrysler brand around. Gives them an opportunity to some day bring back the 300 and maybe some other models as well.

 

Let's be honest, Chrysler has made a lot of junk over the years. Haha

They pretty much scrapped everything and made a really nice Pacifica mini van.

Why they don't use that same energy to make a few more nice models I don't know.

 

because it's enormously expensive.

 

The Voyager could more likely be shifted to Dodge (and renamed Caravan), because it is not really an upscale product as much as the Pacifica. The Pacifica should remain a Chrysler nameplate, because it IS an upmarket vehicle.

The problem is that they need an American-badged upmarket-division.. There have been suggestions here for Alpha Romeo to take that spot. But, I don't think that Alfa can really serve that role, because, First, it is an Italian division, Second, it has a poor reputation among Americans, and, Third, very few of them are actually sold here in the U.S. ....it is a small niche-brand at best, Chrysler is probably the best division to serve in that role....... It has been severely neglected for a number of years now, and needs attention, which is apparently one of the reasons why Mike opened this thread.

 

Infiniti, yes, is in some trouble, not because they build "bad" vehicles, but because they just don't seem to appeal much to Americans anymore. They also don't have a particularly good dealer network to shop from. Buick is in better shape than Infiniti, because, even with only four crossover models in the U.S. (as opposed to a much wider line-up in China), they have successfully managed to lower their average buyer-age, have the best overall reliability among GM products, generally have increasing sales for the last few years, and are no longer looked at exclusively as a Grandpa/Grandma brand.

 

We've been through this. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the same vehicle. They are just trim levels. They just added “Grand” to all Wagoneers. Nothing was cancelled.

Exactly. Doesn’t matter.

Why do they need that? They don’t. Not every company needs an upmarket brand.

 

Ok, ok, but if I was CEO for a month I would make it happen...

 

Chrysler had some quirky models over the years, but none of their models have stuck around long enough to build up any real long term recognition. With former gems such as the PT Cruiser and LeBaron, I don't think anyone views Chrysler as a premium brand.

 

Just FYI.....The PT Cruiser was originally meant to be a Plymouth, but was shifted to the Chrysler nameplate, because the Plymouth Division folded right around the time it was introduced. The Prowler, also originally introduced as a Plymouth, was also (later) shfted to the Chrysler nameplate. Neither were really very good for the Chrysler nameplate, because Chrysler traditionally was an upmarket nameplate, and neither the Prowler nor the PT Cruiser were upmarket products. The Prowler, especially, was an extreme-niche product, appealing to only a small number of Baby-Boomers who had grown up with street-rods in the 1950s. It was not really a premium-vehicle, but its extremely low supply meant BIG dealer mark-ups in spite of the low number of potential buyers.

And that alone was part of the problem. Plymouth, IMHO, never should have been discontinued....its folding made things a lot worse for the Chrysler Division, since Chrysler then got stuck with more cheaper, non-premium products, which damaged its reputation.