Chrysler renovates pre-owned plan

Chrysler’s Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle (CPOV) program is being upgraded with a new web site, more participating dealers, and more features. The program provides customers with used cars that are less than 65,000 miles old and less than six model years old; aside from the usual 125-point inspection (with repairs using Mopar parts), the program provides customers with a Carfax report, three month / 3,000 mile virtually unlimited warranty, and a six year, 80,000 mile transferable powertrain warranty with roadside assistance.

New features include three months of satellite radio (on vehicles that can take advantage of it), a $35 rental allowance when overnight service is needed, and various optional service contracts, including a lifetime warranty upgrade.

Chrysler claims that Certified Pre-Owned vehicle sales and inventories are growing.

The new Web site is www.certifiedpreowned.chrysler.com; it includes a variety of used cars for sale.

Enter the “Jeep Tweet to Win” contest

If you are an avid fan of Jeep vehicles and are steeped in Jeep trivia, Jeep’s “Tweet-to-Win” contest is made just for you.

“The ‘Jeep Tweet-to-Win’ contest is a unique and interesting way to build the buzz for the iconic Jeep Wrangler and the new special-edition Jeep Wrangler Islander which will hit Chrysler Group dealerships starting this spring,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Social media initiatives, such as this, offer the Jeep brand an opportunity to build and develop a connection with consumers and potential customers; this also enables the company to carry on a two-way conversation between the brand and its customers, which allows us to learn more about that customer and his or her needs.”

The Jeep Tweet-to-Win contest runs from Monday, March 15 to Friday, March 19 and takes place on Jeep’s Twitter Page. Each day, a new Jeep-branded trivia question will be posted to the site. The first person to answer the question correctly, and in the correct format, will win a trip for two to the 2010 New York International Auto Show where they will have chance to dig for the “Golden Tiki.” The contest is for U. S. residents.

On Thursday, April 1, contestants will dig in a giant sandbox, built specifically for the New York International Auto Show, to find the Golden Tiki. The first to find it will win an all-new Jeep Wrangler Islander.

Lake Mary HS gets to keep Ram logo

Under a special agreement, Chrysler is allowing Lake Mary High School in Seminole County, Florida, to continue using the Ram logo the school has adopted as its athletic mascot. The school had been illegally using the Ram image, a registered trademark of Chrysler Group, and was going to have to spend a significant amount of money removing the logo from the gym floor, mats, athletic uniforms, and even the yearbook.

Instead of having to pay for the removals and other changes, Lake Mary High School will be able to use them as a “Chrysler Business Partner” and will promote the relationship with signs saying “Lake Mary: Proud Partner of Chrysler.”

Chrysler’s original actions in requiring the removal generated bad feelings in Lake Mary, a town of about 15,000 located north of Orlando. Residents felt the automaker was treating the school harshly, though Chrysler had no choice under current U.S. trademark law, which does not allow exceptions to its vigorous defense standards. Officials at both Chrysler and Lake Mary High hope the new agreement will help mend fences in the community.

Dodge quietly adds incentive to Challenger

Dodge has quietly added a new incentive package to the Dodge Challenger R/T and SRT8, effective March 8, 2010. If the dealer gives the customer $2,000 in Mopar accessories or maintenance contracts, the dealer gets reimbursed by $1,700, making it a shared incentive. The program requires that the customer spend the full $2,000, and service contracts do not appear to be included.

The new program is designed to be subtle, providing incentives without slashing margins or cheapening the cars. Enthusiasts who would normally want to buy extra Mopar accessories can now spend $2,000 without extra charge, increasing the value of the car to the buyer without slamming margins unnecessarily; dealers only have to kick in $300, which might be covered in the profit of selling the accessories. Many Dodge Challenger customers buy accessories.

Couture edition coming

The production version of the 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser Couture edition is to start production on March 15, 2010.

The new edition of the née-Plymouth car honors pioneering Chrysler engineer Allen B. “Tobe” Couture. The car includes two-tone paint, chrome exterior touches and gauge rings, and new red leather (or existing dark gray) seats, and costs less than $20,000, including destination.

Bartoli moves up to international role

Today, Chrysler announced that Stephen Bartoli, who has headed Chrysler Europe sales and marketing, will now be the head of international product planning, business development, and integration, leading branding, strategy, and alliances outside North America. Bartoli reports to Mike Manley, who is in charge of international operations as a whole.

His former position will be held by Steve Williams, who is stepping up to head regulatory and planning issues in addition to his current advance engineering work.

One rationale behind the DaimlerChrysler deal was to increase Chrysler’s international presence, but it quickly became clear that Daimler did not intend for that to be a primary outcome. Fiat, on the other hand, has made it clear that Chrysler has a definite and well defined role to play internationally, providing vehicles larger than those which have been successful at Fiat (Iveco excepted). Chrysler’s stated goal is to bring global sales to 500,000 per year by 2014, more than double the current rate, partly by selling Chrysler Group vehicles through Lancia and other Fiat delivery routes, and partly by selling Fiat vehicles where the Italian company does not have a substantial presence.

(Via the Detroit News)