Archive for the 'Credible Rumors' Category
November 2nd, 2009 by DaveAdmin
Citing “people with direct knowledge” of the plan to be unveiled on Wednesday, November 4, Automotive News wrote that Jeep will be the only Chrysler nameplate to be sold outside North America.
Chrysler sells vehicles under its own name and the Dodge brand in numerous countries, but aside from North and South America, the quantities sold are small, especially compared with Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. Instead, shared vehicles would be sold under the Lancia brand.
Wednesday’s plans will be presented over the course of five hours.
Automotive News wrote that the Jeep brand would be “developed” and “beefed up” in emerging markets. Jeep has a longstanding presence across the world. The article, which carried no byline, also said that plants slated to close will do so.
Fiat will, according to the article, also take over Chrysler LX development, taking away the only car still known to be under long-term development by Chrysler. The underpinnings of the 300C, Charger, and Challenger, as well as the once-approved but possible now cancelled 200C, would be developed by Fiat rather than Chrysler, the article implies.
October 27th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
According to the Wall Street Journal, which claims access to people who have seen Fiat’s plan for Chrysler, many of the recent rumors regarding current models are incorrect, and Chrysler will incorporate more Fiat Group products than expected.
Vehicles planned for the US, according to the Journal article, include a replacement for the Chrysler Sebring, based on a Fiat design. The PT Cruiser, Sebring, Avenger, Compass, Caliber, and Patriot will all have their final year in 2012, with even the popular Dodge Caravan ducking out; the Chrysler Town & Country will be Chrysler’s sole minivan, according to the article, though historically the Caravan has sold better. The Nitro will also be dropped.
Marketing for the Fiat 500 is unclear; the article claims it will not use the Fiat name but “will be marketed as the 500.”
Alfa Romeos to be sold in the US starting in 2012 include the MiTo subcompact hatch, a midsized sedan, and the Milano, all to be made in North America. Chrysler will start up a Sebring replacement and compact sedan in 2012 and a compact Fiat-based Jeep in 2013, they say.
To be kept are the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger.
Under this plan, Dodge would be strictly muscle cars and trucks, while Chrysler would take over the “Chevrolet – Plymouth – Ford – Toyota” position as the “everycar” brand. No mention was made of plans to move Chrysler upscale, which were announced by the former head of the Chrysler brand shortly before he resigned.
October 6th, 2009 by Bill Cawthon
It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Dodge passenger cars are likely to get a new logo as part of the brand shakeup at Chrysler Group LLC. With the separation of the truck operation into the new “Ram” brand, Dodge cars will no longer wear the stylized mountain goat that has been the symbol of Dodge products since Avard Tennyson Fairbanks (1897-1987) designed it as a hood ornament for the 1932 model year. Instead, sources say the cars will have a new trademark with the word “DODGE” inside a crest while the new Ram brand trucks, which will likely include rebadged versions of the Iveco Daily and Ducato vans, will wear a design similar to the current Dodge logo.
The same sources claim Chrysler’s winged logo will be changed as well. The wings will be shorter and more stylized and the traditional Chrysler seal will be replaced by a blue rectangle containing the word “CHRYSLER.”
Chrysler Group is scheduled to release its five-year business plan next month and the are some indications the release could come sooner as more and more questions are being raised about the changes being made by new CEO Sergio Marchionne.
October 1st, 2009 by DaveAdmin
Reuters claims that the first Fiat-based Chrysler model will appear by late 2011 and that current Dodge trucks will be moved to a Ram brand, citing “people involved in the discussion.”
In the past, Reuters has not had an admirable record for Chrysler predictions, and the report should be considered with some skepticism.
Other leaks suggest that the Sebring and Avenger will be revised, rather than scrapped, and either moved to another plant or continued at Sterling Heights. Some analysts have pointed out that the criticisms of the vehicles tended to center around styling and the base powertrain, and incremental revisions have allayed these concerns somewhat.
September 29th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
JackRatchett has provided a second 2011 Dodge Charger rendering based on available information and rumor. The full-size rendering is on our 2011 Dodge Charger page.
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September 27th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
Even under Daimler rule, Chrysler engineers pushed forward with what one engineer observer called a state of the art transmissions that eliminated most of the disadvantages of its competitors. The dual-clutch automatic transmission, a manual transmission with two clutches which was operated without the need for driver input, would be smoother than a conventional automatic or manual, and get better gas mileage than an automatic. It would, according to insiders, even be less expensive than the Mercedes five-speed automatic, though pricier than the Chrysler six-speed automatic.
This transmission was dropped, though, as Chrysler and Getrag fought a legal battle about who would pay for the factory where it was to be built. Nearly a year ago, Getrag’s division for building the transmissions filed for bankruptcy and all work on the plant stopped.
Now, the Kokomo Tribune quoted the Howey Political Report as saying that Chrysler may be interested in picking it back up, though they will face competition from a renewable-energy firm which wants to make solar panels there. The Tribune’s sources said that Chrysler had been interested in the plant a few months ago, but was not interested now.
The plant was 90% finished, with a half billion dollars invested. The bankruptcy court, acting in the Getrag case (unrelated to Chrysler LLC), gave the plant to a group of contractors who were owed money, ordering them to sell it for at least $45 million.
(Thanks, KCP Worker.)
September 20th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
Chrysler is set to launch a fourth brand, according to the Toledo Blade. The plan has already been launched to dealers and some customers, according to the article; but it won’t be Plymouth. Instead, it appears that Chrysler will change its branding so that Dodge, rather than being reserved for trucks (as proposed at times), will be reserved for non-trucks. The new brand will be Ram, used for trucks only, not unlike GMC. This would allow the Dodge brand to be associated more with Fiat-based vehicles with high gas mileage.
An e-mail was sent to customers with four logos at the top, according to the article – Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep. Dodge would, presumably, fill the slot once covered by Plymouth.
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