Category: Chrysler

The last Chrysler Crossfire rolled out of its factory

Chrysler announced a lit of vehicles the company would drop one month ago and the Crossfire model was one of them. The last Crossfire rolled out yesterday after a five year production and 80,000 units being built.
Are we sad? Not really. The Crossfire was a Chrysler’s failure and the perfect illustration of the company’s German management. Instead of building specific products, Mercedes wanted Chrysler to build re-designed outgoing Mercedes model. The Crossfire was one of them. Based on the former SLK roadster, it failed in terms of performance but also in terms of design which never happened before to the company. Indeed, a model derived from a show car was always very close to the concept car but in the Crossfire case, the changes made to the original design created a coupé and roadster with a dubious front fascia which has nothing to do with the concept car.
With the Crossfire being stopped, one does hope that the Dodge Demon Concept will get the green light. A production version of the concept car might become a hit as it was targeted as an affordable roadster set to compete with the MX-5. Unveiled at Geneva this year, it was powered by a 2.4-litre petrol engine with an output of 170bhp being hooked up to a six speed manual gearbox.
December 19, 2007
Chery A1 to head to Mexico

Chery will sell the A1 in Mexico next year under the Dodge label following the agreement signed by Chysler and Chery this year. The exact price remains unknown but for Chery it’s an access to the American market where the small Chinese car will be sold by 2009.
2009 is rather a wish than a definite date as the A1 will have to comply with US regulations in terms of emissions and safety. The A1 has been especially developed for export markets. At 3700mm long, 1578mm wide and 1527 high, the A1 is roomy enough for four people and offers an appealing exterior design thanks to Giugiaro. On the inside, the dashboard’s styling can match western standards, but quality looks really poor on pictures.
The car is expected to cost $10,000/£4,962 in the US. Sales in Europe is unplanned at this moment, but for £6,955 you can have a basic Fiat Panda. It’s £2,000 more expensive, but re-sale value will also be higher.
December 19, 2007
Nissan might axe the Titan

The Nissan Titan has been a failure as sales has picked to 60,691 vehicles for the first eleven months of this year while its direct competitor, Toyota Tundra, has been sold at 177,336 units over the same period. With such low figures, Titan’s profitability has been compromised and Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is seriously considering killing the pickup.
The pickup market has been sluggish in recent years and there is a fierce struggle on for a pie. Added to forecasted higher gas prices, the Titan’s future looks shadowed. Axing the product would be the last solution as Carlos Ghosn would prefer a partnership with another car maker. Last Friday it was rumoured that Nissan was in talks with Chrysler on a possible partnership. For Chrysler, it would be an opportunity to reduce costs at a time when the American brand struggles financially to survive.
December 18, 2007
American car makers to stop building large pick-up models

Due to a big sales slump in November, Chrysler, Ford and GM have announced they will stop producing temporarily the large pick-ups in order to avoid having a whole stock of them.
Indeed, in November, large pick-up sales have decreased by 8.3% while the overall market has slowed down by 3%. GM has 5 months stock of the Silverado model while Dodge has 4 months stock of the Ram model.
GM will stop production in the three factories where the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are being built in next January. Chrysler will stop the Warren and Fenton factories from just before Christmas to end of January and in its Mexican plant during the first two weeks of January.
Ford hasn’t announced yet when it will stop the production lines. Perhaps the American car maker is still thinking about as the news might threat the launch of the new F150 model at the next Detroit Motor Show.
December 10, 2007
Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept

Here is the third Chrysler concept car for the next Detroit Motor Show. While the two other concept cars focus on sport and adventure, the Chrysler’s concept is destined for families. That’s the way it has to be as the American brand has a strong expertise with MPVs.

Perhaps the sketch does not render it properly, but the ecoVoyager is 191.2 inches long. At 63 inches high, it is 5.9 inches lower than the current Voyager. Despite its dimension, the ecoVoyager only seats 4 passengers. Like the Dodge Zeo Conpept, the ecoVoyager is equipped with an electric engine, which delivers an impressive 300 miles range thanks to its lithium-ion battery pack. It also features a small hydrogen fuel cell that serves as a range extender.
November 21, 2007
Big Three lose majority market share

It looks like an revolution. For the first time in 102 years, the Big Three American carmakers have lost their majority market share to imported brands. According to Automotive News, American carmakers sold 629,569 vehicles while imported brands delivered 679,523 vehicles in July. This gave the latter a 51.4% market share.
Some defeatists may say that this is the beginning of the end, but actually it is just an economic cycle for the American giants. After years of suffering (slightly dramatic word?), all American players are focusing on core products in order not to spread themselves too thinly. They are also restructuring their plants to cut production costs and reducing sales discounts to keep their finances afloat. In the near future, the Big Three will come back with better products, will start to expand again and will win back their majority market share. Unless, that is, imported brands decided to fight back…
Source: Automotive News
August 6, 2007
Wolfgang Bernhard may be next Chrysler chairman
The charismatic Wolfgang Bernhard may be set to become the new Chrsyler chairman after Cerberus closes the deal to purchase the company from Daimler-Benz.
After an acrobatic lay-off from Volkswagen, for which the German carmaker is well known, he joined Cerberus as an adviser on the Chrysler deal. Insiders report that he is currently reviewing the planning of future products.
Is Wolfgang Bernhard the right candidate to turn around Chrysler? The former Volkswagen’s CEO is charming but his past experiences cast doubt over his abilities. At Chrysler, he was given credit for the turnaround that happened a few years ago but Chrysler’s recent situation seems to prove his achievement is far from successful.
At Volkswagen, he attempted to restructure the company but met with strong resistance not only from unions but also from Ferdinand Piech, chairman of VW. We will not see the results before next year, when Volkswagen will launch the Golf VI. Wolfgang Bernhard revamped the production system in order to cut costs by £1,300 per Golf VI.
August 3, 2007