62 replies to this topic

[News Feed]

Blaine Martinson pointed out that, on the U.S. Dodge website, the high-end Journey Lux has been removed, and the Mainstreet renamed to SXT. New to the Dodge line is the "American Value Package" (AVP), a stripped down Express, similar to the Omni America and Sundance America launched under Lee Iacocca. One noticeable change in the AVP is the use of older-style tail lamps, instead of the higher-end Journeys' expensive-but-slightly-safer LEDs.
AVP is around $2,000 less than SE (formerly Express), and has the older style tail lamps, clear windows all around, and no roof rails. Crew remains, and it appears that it can be optioned out to equal the old Lux. Blaine pointed out that this might be due to Dodge CEO Reid Bigland; the package echoes the Canadian Value Package used for several years to keep Caravan and Journey in their top sales spots. The Dodge Journey has been..

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[fargo59]

sounds like bigland's plan is to make dodge plain and bland to compete with toyota and honda.

[CherokeeVision]

Not sure where Sergio is trying to take all of the Chrysler brands. Jeep, Chrysler and now Dodge seem to be getting really shuffled around as to what they used to be and what the future holds. Chrysler T&C shifting downward to cover the Grand Caravan and now the Dodge Journey shifting downward too?

The one vehicle that has really shifted upward has been the Jeep Grand Cherokee but it lost what a Jeep is supposed to be in the process.

[Marauder_Pilot]

Or affordable, so that the company can still exist at all.

Breigland's plans have kept Dodge dominating the top-selling vehicle categories in Canada for a long time now.

[fargo59]

oh i know that. all we ever sell anymore is journeys and caravans, with the occasional ram. maybe 10-15 LX's a year tops.

[Marauder_Pilot]

It's the economy. Nobody's buying large cars any more because mid-size ones do 90% of the work for 66% of the price, and the Avenger still hasn't quite shaken its old name, despite being awesome.

[gforce2002]

All this appears to be doing is aligning the trim levels with the same set that seem to work so well in Canada.  You can STILL get a very nicely equipped Journey (for a considerably higher price that the CVP, of course).  They don't seem to stock many of the CVP around here, but that low starting price sure seems to get people in the door.

[MoparNorm]

This makes perfect sense and fits into an overall plan to bring Lancia and Alfa here.
Fiat will build all future Dodge and Chrysler C & D sizes on Fiat platforms using Fiat architecture and then push them down market to open up slots for new Lancia and Alfa's built upon the same architecture.

Not saying it's a good plan, or that I like it, just saying the overall picture of what to do with so many vehicles under one roof, is starting to get clearer.

[gforce2002]

Or, it could be a plan that has worked for many years in Canada to help make Dodge Caravan and Journey two of the biggest selling models in the country.

[valiant67]

Face it, all these nice new interiors and such cost money.  There's a limit on how much prices can go up.  Nothing wrong with offering a lower trim version to those who want it.  It should be quite popular for those posters here who constantly post about "feature creep" on new cars.

[LXbuilder]

gforce2002, on November 30, 2011 at 05:57 pm, said:

Or, it could be a plan that has worked for many years in Canada to help make Dodge Caravan and Journey two of the biggest selling models in the country.

Maybe, but Canada is a diffrent market with much more emphasis on value. After all we are taxed to death compared to our friends in the U.S., and fuel is much more expensive along with most living expenses.
The Caravan and Journey are just very good value for the money here, making them the huge sellers that they are.

[MoparNorm]

valiant67, on November 30, 2011 at 06:09 pm, said:

Face it, all these nice new interiors and such cost money.  There's a limit on how much prices can go up.  Nothing wrong with offering a lower trim version to those who want it.  It should be quite popular for those posters here who constantly post about "feature creep" on new cars.

Well, here's the rub, folks complain about prices, but the first time auto reviewers complain about cheap or decontented interiors, sales plummet.
US Dodge sales have rebounded nicely by upgrading the interiors and adding content.
While Canadian sales are admirable, they are very small percentage wise when compared overall to US Dodge sales and there is no guarantee that what worked in Canada is going to work in the US, as noted by LXbuilder.

[Erik Latranyi]

So Dodge is the new Plymouth?!  

And how does this fit into the new Dodge Dart/Hornet/Duster/Caliber/not-Camber having an interior that is well-trimmed?

Edited by Erik Latranyi, November 30, 2011 at 07:27 pm.

[Jeepnut]

Ok chicken littles the changed trim levels on one vehicle let's not panic.......Yet!!!!!

[Bob_Sheaves]

Just shoot me....

[gforce2002]

Very true about the markets being different.   However, given that it's still possible to option up a Journey to the same specs as before I don't think they will necessarily LOSE any sales from this, they may just not gain a lot.  Or, they may.  It would appear they believe it's worth the gamble to find out.

Also, the CVP version of the Journey is still a very nice vehicle inside - all the padded surfaces and fabrics, etc. are still there.  Since they're already running CVP versions down the line, it's probably not too big of a deal to configure them for US sale.

[Marauder_Pilot]

Here's a helmet so you don't get hurt by all those chunks of falling sky.

[MoparNorm]

gforce2002, on November 30, 2011 at 07:52 pm, said:

Very true about the markets being different.   However, given that it's still possible to option up a Journey to the same specs as before I don't think they will necessarily LOSE any sales from this, they may just not gain a lot.  Or, they may.  It would appear they believe it's worth the gamble to find out.

Also, the CVP version of the Journey is still a very nice vehicle inside - all the padded surfaces and fabrics, etc. are still there.  Since they're already running CVP versions down the line, it's probably not too big of a deal to configure them for US sale.

It should also be noted, that unlike past decontenting efforts they will still offer the other trim levels and features, so it might be a real accurate and simple way to tell if this has merit. If they sell well, it works, if they don't, it doesn't.

[Stratuscaster]

I felt the "Mainstreet", "Crew", "Heat", and the other new trim levels did more to confuse consumers than anything else. Not every trim appeared on every model, when they did they didn't seem to be "equal" in terms of content, and the names didn't really MEAN anything to anyone. The lack of marketing those trims didn't help - and if I recall, only "LUX" models actually had trim-specific badging - never saw a "Heat" or "Hero" or "Mainstreet" badge. Then again, they didn't badge "SE" models much either, did they? If your not gonna badge it, then leave it as "base" and move SE up a step

Moving back to the SE-SXT/R/T trims should help, but - IMHO - for Dodge, top should really be ES, with R/T playing the "SE with a hotter drivetrain" role.

I'm sure Bigland would love to get Journey sales in the US up in the same percentage as Canada.

[Marauder_Pilot]

Also, quick note: You never actually see CVP packages on the road. The local CDJ generally brings in two or three at the beginning of each model year, until they get a nice incentive across the hood at the end of that model year and they get sold for about the price of a decent lunch.

What the CJD packages do is get people to go 'Holy balls! I can get a whole 7-passenger SUV for under $20,000! Awesome!', then they go down to Metro Chrysler, sit in the CVP Journey, than the salesman says 'Well, if you like that, for just a few more a month, you can have all this, too...', puts them in an SXT and they end up buying that.

It's just like the existing Avenger SE and 200 LX. The dealers keep one miserable one around so they can run an ad saying you can get a whole brand new car for $20,000, then they show people the much nicer one for $25,000. Statistically, a person is about 60% more likely to buy an item once they can touch and hold and feel it, and when you tell yourself 'Well, it's only $50 more a month', sit in the car, take in the new car smell and look at all the awesome gadgets and how much nicer it is than the base model...well, it doesn't take an amazing salesperson to move them.