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there's really nothing to save as far as a brand and only 2 models. let's face it, chrysler as a brand has a HORRIBLE reputation. the pacifica is GREAT though and as said, can easily become a dodge. the chrysler 300 is ancient and maybe it can become a dodge too, the srt8 is still kinda cool especially if you saw breaking bad.
Although one cannot deny that the 300 has at least somewhat of a cult-following just the way as it is, IMO one of the marketing errors made with it was that they sold it in only two versions (essentially base V6 and performance Hemi/SRT). It would have been a wise move, IMO, to incorporate a third, full-luxury version of it, bringing back the classic New Yorker or Imperial nameplate (I suggested this several times at the auto shows). That way, it could have gone head-to-head with the Cadillac CT6, Lincoln Continental, and Buick Lacrosse Avenir. But, either no one at FCA was listening, or the funds for it weren't available.
Last edited by mmarshall; May 31, 2018 at 04:33 PM.
I will be dreaming of Sergio's presentation tonight.
I am hoping he says something like, no future generation will suffer the embarrassment of having to drive or ride in a Cry Slur, followed by an hour of deafening cheers and a Nobel Peace Prize next year.
Although one cannot deny that the 300 has at least somewhat of a cult-following just the way as it is, IMO one of the marketing errors made with it was that they sold it in only two versions (essentially base V6 and performance Hemi/SRT). It would have been a wise move, IMO, to incorporate a third, full-luxury version of it, bringing back the classic New Yorker or Imperial nameplate (I suggested this several times at the auto shows). That way, it could have gone head-to-head with the Cadillac CT6, Lincoln Continental, and Buick Lacrosse Avenir. But, either no one at FCA was listening, or the funds for it weren't available.
um there were several levels of the 300.
300
300S
300C
300SRT
the 300 is a base model with a v6
the 300s is a sport version (baby SRT) with a 5.7L Hemi, essentially it was what the previous SRTDesign 300 became, stiffer suspension, throatier exhaust, and sport tuning on the motor, as well as "beats" sound system and some other interior options not available on the base 300 or the C.
the 300cis a lux version with the 5.7L Hemi, detuned from the "S" quiet exhaust, softer suspension, and more "lux" options for the interior.
and the 300SRT was a 6.1 or 6.4L Hemi (depending on the year) and was discontinued in 2012, SRT became a name plate for Dodge and Jeep only.
the 300s is a sport version (baby SRT) with a 5.7L Hemi, essentially it was what the previous SRTDesign 300 became, stiffer suspension, throatier exhaust, and sport tuning on the motor, as well as "beats" sound system and some other interior options not available on the base 300 or the C.
the 300cis a lux version with the 5.7L Hemi, detuned from the "S" quiet exhaust, softer suspension, and more "lux" options for the interior.
and the 300SRT was a 6.1 or 6.4L Hemi (depending on the year) and was discontinued in 2012, SRT became a name plate for Dodge and Jeep only.
Yes, I'm aware of what they did with the 300C, but IMO it is not really what you would expect from something with the New Yorker or Imperial nameplate.
Yes, I'm aware of what they did with the 300C, but IMO it is not really what you would expect from something with the New Yorker or Imperial nameplate.
perhaps that is because it wasn't a New Yorker or an Imperial. Chrysler wasn't looking to bring back a boat of a lux car or compete with Caddy/Lincoln, they had an cult following for the 300 and they rode the wave until it crashed, It was very obvious by those running Chrysler back when it was Daimler what their target market was, FCA never changed that mentality because they left the same people in charge.
Chrysler specifically the 300 became a ghetto car, as I said in my original post, the company should have died in 2009, garbage cars, garbage quality, garbage service, from a garbage company. Nothing has changed quality or service wise from Chrysler since the early 2000s. They treat their customers like trash, even worse than GM, and their cars are garbage that fall apart and get denied warranty coverage if you hang a xmas tree air freshener. I worked for the company for 15+ years, and have no love for them
perhaps that is because it wasn't a New Yorker or an Imperial. Chrysler wasn't looking to bring back a boat of a lux car or compete with Caddy/Lincoln, they had an cult following for the 300 and they rode the wave until it crashed, It was very obvious by those running Chrysler back when it was Daimler what their target market was, FCA never changed that mentality because they left the same people in charge.
Chrysler specifically the 300 became a ghetto car, as I said in my original post, the company should have died in 2009, garbage cars, garbage quality, garbage service, from a garbage company. Nothing has changed quality or service wise from Chrysler since the early 2000s. They treat their customers like trash, even worse than GM, and their cars are garbage that fall apart and get denied warranty coverage if you hang a xmas tree air freshener. I worked for the company for 15+ years, and have no love for them
If you hated it that much I can't imagine staying for 15 years.
If you hated it that much I can't imagine staying for 15 years.
life circumstances tend to take precedent over dislike for your job, when you are a single parent and depend on your paycheck; how much you hate your job doesn't out weigh the need to feed and home your family.
and I didn't always hate the company, what I hated was the way we were treated when the economy crashed and they had to beg the gov't for help. the workers got axed, lost retirement, lost their benefits while management got promoted and got bonuses.
perhaps that is because it wasn't a New Yorker or an Imperial. Chrysler wasn't looking to bring back a boat of a lux car or compete with Caddy/Lincoln, they had an cult following for the 300 and they rode the wave until it crashed, It was very obvious by those running Chrysler back when it was Daimler what their target market was, FCA never changed that mentality because they left the same people in charge.
Chrysler specifically the 300 became a ghetto car, as I said in my original post, the company should have died in 2009, garbage cars, garbage quality, garbage service, from a garbage company. Nothing has changed quality or service wise from Chrysler since the early 2000s. They treat their customers like trash, even worse than GM, and their cars are garbage that fall apart and get denied warranty coverage if you hang a xmas tree air freshener. I worked for the company for 15+ years, and have no love for them
Nothing has changed quality or service wise from Chrysler since the early 2000s. They treat their customers like trash, even worse than GM, and their cars are garbage that fall apart and get denied warranty coverage if you hang a xmas tree air freshener. I worked for the company for 15+ years, and have no love for them
I'm no huge Chrysler fan, but I have owned a few of their modern products that I like very much.
All you have to do is sit in and drive a modern Chrysler to realize that quality has dramatically improved. Reliability, still suspect, hit or miss, but the product quality itself from a build quality, material quality, paint quality, ride and drive quality perspective now is actually very good. Take my Pacifica, its the nicest, best driving, best built minivan on the road, no doubt. Is it the most reliable? Not in the slightest.
In terms of dealer and warranty support, it might surprise you to know that I have found Chrysler more accommodating and more interested in solving various warranty concerns I've had than Lexus. Considerably so actually.
I'm no huge Chrysler fan, but I have owned a few of their modern products that I like very much.
All you have to do is sit in and drive a modern Chrysler to realize that quality has dramatically improved. Reliability, still suspect, hit or miss, but the product quality itself from a build quality, material quality, paint quality, ride and drive quality perspective now is actually very good. Take my Pacifica, its the nicest, best driving, best built minivan on the road, no doubt. Is it the most reliable? Not in the slightest.
In terms of dealer and warranty support, it might surprise you to know that I have found Chrysler more accommodating and more interested in solving various warranty concerns I've had than Lexus. Considerably so actually.
maybe you got lucky, of the 6 or 7 dealerships here in Socal that I visited when I owned Chrysler products they all treated the customers like garbage, and I have heard the same from many folks as recently as a week ago about the two immediately by me; Cerritos Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep and Champion Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep.
As for quality, meh.. the General Contractor and Handyman I use for stuff around my home has had 3 Ram 2500HD Pickups Lemon Lawed since 2012, each time he took the dealer up on a trade special after the buy back and each on was lemon lawed within a year, and all for different issues, He finally went with a GMC 2500HD because he couldn't swallow a 4th.
life circumstances tend to take precedent over dislike for your job, when you are a single parent and depend on your paycheck; how much you hate your job doesn't out weigh the need to feed and home your family.
and I didn't always hate the company, what I hated was the way we were treated when the economy crashed and they had to beg the gov't for help. the workers got axed, lost retirement, lost their benefits while management got promoted and got bonuses.
Sorry to hear. I don't have kids so it's harder to fathom, but I can understand when you have little ones that depend on you for survival.
maybe you got lucky, of the 6 or 7 dealerships here in Socal that I visited when I owned Chrysler products they all treated the customers like garbage, and I have heard the same from many folks as recently as a week ago about the two immediately by me; Cerritos Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep and Champion Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep.
I've used 3 or 4 different Chrysler dealers since 2011, all have been very typical mainstream dealers in terms of service quality, and when I've had warranty concerns none of them were dismissive or tried to tell me "its operating as designed" the way Lexus does. All were willing to keep my vehicle and track down the problem instead of quickly giving up the way Lexus does.
Over the 20 years I've been a Lexus customer the quality of Lexus customer service has dramatically declined, I don't consider it anything special anymore.
As for quality, meh.. the General Contractor and Handyman I use for stuff around my home has had 3 Ram 2500HD Pickups Lemon Lawed since 2012, each time he took the dealer up on a trade special after the buy back and each on was lemon lawed within a year, and all for different issues, He finally went with a GMC 2500HD because he couldn't swallow a 4th.
You're talking about reliability not quality. I'm talking about the quality of the interior, paint, build, etc. Reliability is a huge problem I agree.
Among its product plans, the company focused on four brands: Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, saying it would electrify much of its lineup, offering new battery electrics, and move into new segments with new vehicles like a midsize Ram pickup, a three-row Grand Cherokee, and a Maserati midsize crossover.
Diesel phaseout, more electrification
Fiat Chrysler will phase out production of all diesel passenger cars in Europe by 2021, Marchionne said. The company sees the engine technology as increasingly challenged by both regulation and consumer attitudes, and of declining importance.
At the same time, the company will invest 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in electrification through 2022 Marchionne: “This is a systemic change” in the automotive market. He confirmed the reduction of the Fiat lineup to emphasize the 500 family and Panda, focus Western European production on premium models, and Punto to be discontinued. Fiat plans a full electric lineup around the 500 family. He said the company expects full utilization of Italian plants by 2022.
Autonomy, Connectivity
Fiat Chrysler will work with multiple partners to develop autonomous vehicles. In addition to the expanded partnership with Google’s Waymo announced on Thursday, the company has partnered with BMW AG and supplier Aptiv Plc.
With Waymo, FCA will take on more customization and development duties. The companies will collaborate on a Waymo-equipped premium-model autonomous vehicle. Level 4 autonomous systems will be available on some some FCA cars by around 2023. The systems will cost about $30,000 initially, reducing to about $10,000 over time. An FCA connectivity platform will be launched in April 2019 and be available on all new cars by 2021. The system is designed to integrate with any service provider.
Alfa Romeo
New Alfa Romeo head Tim Kuniskis said the brand would reintroduce the 8C, eliminate the small and aging MiTo in the subcompact segment, refresh the Giulia and Stelvio and add a larger crossover to its lineup by 2022. Kuniskis also promised to bring back the GTV on a new sports car, and that Alfa would add stretched wheelbase versions of most vehicles to its lineup.
Maserati plans Tesla fighter sports coupe; 32 more dealerships slated in North America
Maserati plans to add 32 dealerships in North America by 2022, and will aim squarely at Tesla with a new high-performance plug-in electric hybrid sport coupe based on the Alfieri concept, new brand head Tim Kuniskis said.
The brand will move from 153 to 185 dealerships in North America by 2022 as part of an ambitious plan to double worldwide volume in that timeframe with a new lineup, he said.
The all-wheel-drive EV will come in a droptop model as well and will feature an aluminum frame for weight savings, with a top speed above 186 mph. It will replace the GranTurismo in Maserati’s lineup.
Maserati will also launch a new midsize crossover plug-in hybrid by 2022, slotting below the Levante, Kuniskis said. Kuniskis, the former head of Dodge, said the new crossover would feature 50/50 weight distribution and a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio to boost its performance against competitors in the crowded segment. The same attributes will be imbued into new planned versions of the Levante and Quattroporte, which are planned to appear in the next four years.
Kuniskis said Maserati would eliminate use of diesel powertrains in its vehicles, although diesel Maseratis are not available in the United States, in favor of a greener move to plug-in hybrids and full electrics. He said Maserati would offer four full-electric models, and eight hybrids by 2022, but combustion engine powertrains would come from Ferrari.
Kuniskis said Maserati volumes should top 100,000 units by 2022, double the brand’s current volume.
Ram's expanded truck lineup will add midsize pickup
Ram will bring a production model of its 2015 Ram TRX off-road pickup to market, aiming squarely to take on the popular Ford F-150 Raptor, Ram brand head Mike Manley told investors today in Balocco, Italy.
The move is intended to aid Ram’s average transaction price, which lags major competitors from Ford and Chevrolet largely because of the age of the old model Ram 1500 pickup, Manley said. He said Raptor transacts at a level that is $28,000 above Ford’s average in the segment. Manley said he believes Ram can achieve similar results with the TRX, which features a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine.
The brand also hopes to improve its pricing with the introduction in 2019 of a new Heavy Duty version of its Ram pickup, which will significantly update the technology of its existing line. The current Heavy Duty Ram transacts at an average of $50,000, about even with Chevrolet, but far below the $56,000 average enjoyed by Ford in the segment, Manley said.
Manley also promised that Ram would enter the midsize pickup race soon, joining the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon and the return of the Ford Ranger. He did not say if the new midsize pickup would revive the Dakota nameplate used when pickups were under the Dodge brand.
On the commercial van side, FCA will bring a new version of the Ram ProMaster City, its small commercial van, by 2022, but will leave the current larger ProMaster commercial van, without a significant update, Manley said.
Jeep launches broad expansion of North American products, electrification, subscription services
Jeep will expand its model portfolio in North America, electrify all of its vehicles in some way, and then open a subscription service and other sharing options to allow its fan base access to those vehicles, according to a product plan presented Friday in Balocco, Italy.
Jeep brand head Mike Manley told investors that the marque plans to expand its global lineup into the smaller A-segment market -- a move it's considered for several years. Jeep also will broaden its portfolio in North America with a new three-row version of the Grand Cherokee, as well as a return of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.
Manley said the brand will electrify all of the vehicles in its portfolio in some fashion by 2022, with 10 plug-in hybrid versions and four full-electric models by 2022. The brand will also launch subscription and mobility services in North America to allow Jeep fans full access to its models. Jeep will also begin offering use-based insurance, important for off-roading, and fleet management for the first time, Manley said.
Globally, the longtime Jeep brand boss said he sees Jeep, which now represents one in 17 sales of utility vehicles globally, expanding by 2022 to account for one in 12 utility vehicle sales globally, a goal that analysts onsite called "ambitious." The brand over the long term aims for 20 percent of the global utility market, which has been a long-term goal since Manley assumed control of Jeep in 2009.
