[Mopar AL]

Maybe someone can shed some light on where are the future models. With the 200 due to show in Detroit in less than 5 months, should we have not seen some camoed real mules driving around. The Dart has been out for over a year and I thought that the Compass/Patriot was supposed to be discontinued by now and the new Compass being made on the Belvedere assembly line along with Dart. We seem to be setting the stage for another Dart vs Avenger cash on hood war with Cherokee. Are we down to doing one project at a time here at Chrysler. Seems like sharing platforms should be making this a faster and easier, not longer projects. I can understand the RWD D class as that is a whole new platform. But the rest are using the Alfa/Dart platform which should by now have the kinks worked out as how to put it together?

Is the 5 year plan that liquid these days that I can't trust that anything will be on time?? I'm confused!!

 

[Stratuscaster]

If they are camo'd and mules, would you even know what you were looking at if you saw one? That said, there were recent pics of another Alfa Giulietta-bodied mule that MIGHT have had the "UF" code on the window.

Ask yourself - if you were producing a new vehicle that was expected to serve the incredibly large mid-size market, wouldn't you want to keep it under wraps until it's ready for prime-time? Why give it away?

Compass and Patriot will live on through at least 2015, I believe.

I don't see a "cash on hood" war with KL Cherokee and the Compass/Patriot - they are different enough in size and price - much more separated than Dart/Avenger is today.

There have been quite a few delays on a number of fronts, so no, the 5-Year Plan should not be trusted implicitly, IMHO. The only thing that's constant is change.

 

[Mopar AL]

Should not the 2014 200 and Avengers be out on dealers lots if the plan to shut down and gut SHAP at the end of the year for the new 200. I thought they said there would be a short run of 2014's or is that a no go now that they plan to keep the Avenger around for another year or two? Sorry that I keep running into why is this not happening like they said it would. Is the lack of cash flow due to the late arrival of the Cherokee sales. Is it my imagination or are there more than one project at a time going on. It seems to me that we have well over a year without a real new not updated vehicle. HAs Cherokee thrown that big a delay in all other projects that we should have had last year.

 

[marlon_jbt]

The 5 year plan has always been liquid.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

 

[JavelinAMX]

Early on, while the 5-year plan was yet brewing, they touted their ability to Street a design in about 16 months. Shortly after, the two companies 'normalized' on Turin's software choice. Yet there still has been a string of delays. The desire for better quality controls and a better final product would be worthwhile reasons for the delays; but it IS aggravating.

 

[mopar22]

If the guys at Chrysler coudl keep the Viper upder wraps for so long they can keep the new 200 under wraps

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

I'll say this: since Sergio took over Chrysler has become VERY good at keeping upcoming vehicles under wraps until they're very close to the official reveal. Their last new models (Cherokee, Dart) had such extensive mule bodies on them that it was impossible to get any idea what the styling was going to be (aside from general size) from them. Even if the mules are out there already, it wouldn't mean much to us.

 

[PCRMike]

And none of the new intros have been poor quality accprding to all reviews. Dart needed correct powertrain, but is a high quality ride.

 

[tomaz]

I think they mean quality issues with the new 3.2, 2.4, drivetrains, and new tranny calibrations to ensure best performance

 

[Dave Z]

Bob Sheaves said that using the other software would cause problems due to the lack of precision causing rounding errors in highly repetitive calculations.

 

[Lampredi]

Bob Sheaves said that using the other software would cause problems due to the lack of precision causing rounding errors in highly repetitive calculations.

What do you mean with "the other software" - other than what?

(Does anyone know why Bob Sheaves is no longer on this board, by the way? Haven't seen his posts in ages.)

 

[RVC]

What do you mean with "the other software" - other than what?

(Does anyone know why Bob Sheaves is no longer on this board, by the way? Haven't seen his posts in ages.)

NX vs CATIA (interesting article from a while back http://www.hdma.org/Main-Menu/HDMA-Publications/Diesel-Download-General-Archive/Diesel-Download-2010-Archive/Monday-May-03-2010/CAD-Software-Face-Off-at-ChryslerFiat-CATIA-Enovia-vs-NX-Unigraphics.txt)
Bob is absent on account of a shitfest that happened a while back.

 

[suzq044]

still hovers, i'm sure.. after all a forum is an addiction.

 

[IMPERIAL4EVER]

The 5 year plan has always been liquid.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

Chrysler needs a brand new breakout, must have vehicle. They have not had one in their stable for awhile.

 

[Dave Z]

A discussion that actually involves Bob is at -> http://www.allpar.com/corporate/chrysler-group/catia-vs-nx.html

 

[Erik Latranyi]

Those Chrysler 200 mules could also be running around Italy as Lancia mules.

 

[Lampredi]

Thanks, RVC and Dave, for the CATIA/NX info. I also found the old Allpar thread "Software face-off at Chrysler" dealing with this subject.

Those Chrysler 200 mules could also be running around Italy as Lancia mules.

Theoretically, yes, but unless we're talking hatchback (i.e. Giulietta) mules I highly doubt that. Lancia is for all intents and purposes a dead brand by now, so despite what Ralph said I'm not even convinced that a Lancia version of the 200 will ever see the light of day.

 

[Erik Latranyi]

Theoretically, yes, but unless we're talking hatchback (i.e. Giulietta) mules I highly doubt that. Lancia is for all intents and purposes a dead brand by now, so despite what Ralph said I'm not even convinced that a Lancia version of the 200 will ever see the light of day.

If Lancia is dead, they need to stop rebadging Chryslers in Europe. I saw plenty of Lancias in Hungary, Croatia and, of course, Italy during my two weeks.

 

[Lampredi]

If Lancia is dead, they need to stop rebadging Chryslers in Europe.

To be honest, that's what I expect will happen eventually (perhaps with the Chrysler brand brought back to some European markets).

I've mentioned it before, but the plan according to the FGA presentation from October 2012 is to "Reduce/curtail Lancia exposure, preserving uniqueness of Ypsilon and rely on Chrysler's NAFTA development to feed European brand, if economically viable" (my emphases, quotes from page 11). My impression is that "preserving uniqueness of Ypsilon" essentially means Lancia becoming what Autobianchi was up to 1995, a one-model brand (its last model being the Y10, which is incidentally the direct predecessor of the 3 generations of Lancia Ypsilon we've seen since then). And the "economically viable" criterion I'd assume would rule out most Lancia model launches in the European market these days, including the 200/Flavia.

 

[oh2o]

If the guys at Chrysler could keep the Viper under wraps for so long they can keep the new 200 under wraps

Yup, just keep any eye out for the 2015 Chrysler 200 Matchbox Edition.