Seeking opinions: What's driving this great (and long-lived) string of monthly sales gains for Chrysler? Aggressive pricing? Aggressive lending? Is it just that the current products show so well?
Product and a stronger dealer network are two big factors. But you also have to consider just how far Chrysler fell beginning in 2008. We are only just now getting back to 2006 levels, which a few exceptions (Ram has been posting best in a decade numbers, Grand Cherokee one month beat a record from 2003, etc).
any idea how well the 200 is doing...seems they ain't movin' very well around here and piling up on local lot, but that's a casual observation and hopefully not a good one!
Personally, our dealership is not selling all that many... There just doesn't seem to be anything driving traffic in to the showrooms on them. Very few people actually coming in to look at them. Those that do seem to love the car, but I think we are going to see a pretty slow start for the 200.
I know that certain political outlets like to hype that angle, but I'm not convinced it's actually true. Subprime lending has always been a driver of used car sales, especially at the lower end. But new cars... OEM captive-finance units are reporting subprime exposure at fairly modest levels. There's more coming from outside, maybe a little more than there was 10-15 years ago, but... a lot of peoples' credit ratings got beat up during the recession, through no direct fault of their own, so it's hard to tell if the exposure has really increased.
The unfortunate thing is, it is going to take awhile to get the buying public to think "Chrysler" and "Midsize sedan" in the same sentence.
With the prior 200 (all 2011 improvements notwithstanding) being sold mostly to rental companies and used-car lot wanderers, and just like with Dart, the public is not --yet-- trained to think of a CDJR dealership as the place to shop for an efficient FWD sedan.
Hopefully Marchionne is not counting on a magic wand, and has budgeted the hundreds of millions that will take to advertise these cars, consistently, for at least TWO product generations, each.
The good news is, both of these cars are in the two largest vehicle segments, so advertising them gets the attention of a lot of people which, over time, can become a steady source of dealer traffic.
If nothing else, these two cars should give a taste to FCA of the long-term commitment it will take to launch a roster of new nameplates under the Chrysler name.
Agreeing. ... without a credible car in those two categories (Dart, 200), Chrysler would be seen as the “big heavy truck-like” company and the next time gas prices rise, for whatever reason, bam! sales would plummet. Ford has worked very hard on cultivating a green image to go along with its gas-guzzling trucks.
Indeed. The temptation exists as FCA is selling every Cherokee, Wrangler, Durango and Ram it can build, while Darts and 200 sit in lots, to dismiss the car side of the business. It's happened many times before, and it can happen again.
Competitive cars are the insurance against economic downturns.
Sales may be increasing, and that is great to see, however keep in mind Chrysler's current sales are nowhere near what they were about 14/15 years ago.
Chrysler is not as big as it was 14-15 years ago either. I can think of 4-5 assembly plants that have been closed since 2000. Newark, St.Louis North and South and Pillette.
I've only seen one tv ad for the 200 so far, and while it's decent, it does not tell you a whole lot about the car. I've actually seen two on the road (one appeared to be on a test drive) and my local dealer also has a few of them sitting now. I can't see this car not being successful once people know it exists.
Perhaps the advertising frequency is regional. But I have to give Chrysler credit for trying. On the east coast the 200 ad is in serious heavy rotation. I cant rememeber seeing any other Chrysler campaign on the tv as much as the new 200. Even with the advertising its going to take some time... My dealership has only sold 4or 5 so far.... Just not that many folks comming in looking for it "yet"
200s must be selling somewhere. Sterling Heights will keep running during the normal two week summer break. It is one of four Chrysler assembly plants that will keep running.
I've seen a couple around here. My dealer has about a dozen or so. However, the original, fully loaded C that they ordered in the beginning is still there. There have been a couple of S models, but they seem to move rather quickly.
Although I saw a brand new one on a tow truck the other day...hopefully it was just being transported, and didn't die.
Saw my first new 200 on the road yesterday. High trim level too. Had a red letter next to the badge but didn't get close enough to see if it was an S or C.
a new 6? If so that is impressive as the 6 is generally regarded at least by the auto press as the best of the mid sized bunch when it comes to looks and driving dynamics
Sounds like he was out of a Mazda6 lease...? And being a Mazda6 owner, apparently he is easily lured in by the newest pretty face, which now is the 200.
Not that there's anything wrong with any of it. Attractive Styling is a legitimate, effective tool to conquest from the competition.
The low pmt is what got him in the door. But in the end ...the 200 won the day on its own merits. The customer was extremely impressed with the quality of the interior, loved the optional 8.4 and backup camera. Was satisfied with the 4cyl would have bought the v6 if it was in his budget. He was currently paying over 400mo on a 72 mo purchase and we dropped his pmts down to under 300mo.And yes, he loved the exterior styling.....
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