The Midsized Lineup from A to J

Many of us are eagerly awaiting the public’s response to the new mid-sized Dodge and Chrysler, replacing the slow-selling Sebring and Stratus, which replaced the somewhat quicker-selling Sebring, Stratus, and Breeze, which replaced the Acclaim and Spirit … and things get hazy before that.

The JR occupy what used to be the B-body’s ground, and Chrysler used to be BIG there – with the Belvedere and its kin, the Coronet and its siblings, and even the Cordoba. They’ve been falling for quite some time in that market, and the AA to JA move hurt sales (even as it raised profits) – as did the high price of the JR (the JA wasn’t THAT much pricier than the AA, but the JR sure is!). Indeed, while the Acclaim and Spirit were apparently not profitable, and the Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze (JA) were, sales did fall; and the second generation Stratus/Sebring (JR) seemed to have lower sales and lower profits alike.

If the JS (assuming that’s the new name for the JR’s replacement) is brought in at a lower price than the JR, and if it looks like a 300M inside (the Chrysler version at least), and if the Chrysler looks like a Chrysler and the Dodge like a Dodge, it might just succeed. What I’d love to see is the Dodge Avenger coming in at $14,000, just like the Caliber and stripperd-down Camry (four cylinder stick). That would explain the lack of a Caliber sedan! (The Neon and Stratus are about the same size inside, so don’t think that’s a nutty idea. The Civic went into Accord territory, and the Corolla and Camry overlap quite a bit.)

The Chrysler Sebring, on the other hand, should start at $20,000 and be fully loaded. None of this “Plymouth is gone so we have a base model” rationalization, which kills the brands. Chrysler should be upscale. Dodge can sell an inexpensive family sedan; Chrysler should not.

One last note… they are setting up Dodge as bold and exciting, Chrysler as upwardly mobile, sophisticated, elegant. What’s missing of course is Toyota/Plymouth, otherwise known as “dull but reliable.” It does sell if you can get people to believe the “reliable” part. What’s more, it frees Chrysler and Dodge to be, um, Chrysler and Dodge. If Plymouth was around you could have very differentiated models –

Sebring – essentially a JS with everything, upgraded interior, better sound insulation, spring rates that come on soft at first and then get progressively harder, etc. Only sold with a V6.

Avenger – a JS built for speed, bold and sporty looking, with performance gearing and possibly a standard V6, and starting around $15,000.

Valiant – a JS with the four-cylinder (possibly with an optional V6), conventional styling, starting around $14,000 with few options and moving up to near-but-not-quite Chrysler turf. Simpler interior, cloth seats (no leather), less sound insulation and frills, but more value. Selling lots of Valiants allows the construction of Avengers and Sebrings; but, more to the point, it allows Dodges and Chryslers to have clear personalities. I think BMW has shown us how well a clear, focused brand can sell. Come to think of it, so have Honda and Toyota, though Toyota has strayed a bit more.

Oh, and some more advantages of Plymouth – Voyager returns, Town & Country moves up to Lexus-challenger, and the relatively inexpensive PT Cruiser leaves the upscale Chrysler lineup. I think it’s hard for people in America to take a “luxury” brand like Chrysler seriously when there’s a Chrysler on every other block, and the cheapest Chrysler is at or less than $14,000. Not only that, but we all know the PT is really a Plymouth, so what’s the point of faking it now? The 300 can get a base 3.5 liter engine, with a big Plymouth getting the 2.7s for gas mileage; the Plymouth can be another big family car, without all the electronics in the Charger and 300C (let’s call it, for the moment, a Savoy or Belvedere). I suspect a big family car at a low price would be a big seller.

But to do all that, they have to bring Plymouth back, and that would cost them, oh, a couple of hundred thousand dollars for lawyers and nameplates and such, as well as the rather more substantial cost of actually making variants of the JS, LX, and minivans. But when you consider the cost of advertisements designed to change market perception of a brand, the cost of bringing back Plymouth seems much lower than the cost of maintaining the status quo.

Besides, they can always say they changed their mind due to customer demand… and/or that it was all the fault of those bunglers who have left the building!

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