Chrysler Group: Directions…

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Hmm. Let’s see. Chrysler seems to be removing themselves from the midsize coupe and small sedan markets (as Eric Ridenour states, they have no plans for a three box sedan to replace the Neon, relying soley on the Caliber). Plus, they’re moving ahead with the woefully misbegotten idea of a full size SUV for Chrysler based on the Durango, and calling it an Aspen, of all things. We have a whole raft of new 5 door Jeeps seemingly on the way.

I’m sure the new Jeeps and their higher profit returns will make any former Chrysler/Plymouth dealers that haven’t forgetten the latter, forget it now. While the Commander will be rather beefy, the other two are smaller and should compete against the RAV-4’s and CRV’s of the world. So we’ll have five Jeeps (excluding the Wrangler which is it’s own niche), the Caliber, Durango, PT Cruiser, Pacifica, and the minivans.

My biggest concern here is the comments regarding no small sedans, that there’s not a market for one. Well, tell that to Honda (Civic), Toyota (Corolla), Ford (Focus) and even Chevy (Cobalt). Meanwhile they’re plunging further into the big SUV market with the Aspen.

This doesn’t sound like forward thinking to me. The Caliber is fine as an entry level vehicle…we moved from the Neon to the PT Cruiser because it fit our automotive needs. The bodystyle is one that I can see gaining in popularity for those who need more room than a sedan, on a budget. However by ignoring the small sedan market they’re removing themselves completely from a segment that may just become quite hot if we hit national $3.00 gas prices (today’s national average is $2.42 for regular; highest reported on gaspricewatch this morning is $2.92 in Hawaii). It certainly seems more viable than another full size beast.

There’s a concern here that they’re removing themselves from market segments entirely and throwing so much muscle into the SUV/5 door hatch ‘crossover’ segments. If the Caliber doesn’t hit, and if the refreshed PT insides don’t inspire sales, those that might have considered a small sedan instead will need to go elsewhere.

Again, don’t get me wrong; the idea behind the Caliber is fine. And, as long as you glance the other way while walking past Ford dealers you can make a decent argument that two door cars are passe. However, I think removing themselves from the small sedan market is a potentially grievous mistake, one I suspect they will change course on. � ]]>
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