[Roryn44]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/07/16/chrysler-200-sebring-dodge-avenger-fiat-midsize-sedan/2523189/

"Chrysler gave a tour of the new body-paint facility Tuesday. Comments made during the tour sparked a number of conflicting reports – mostly wrong, Chrysler says -- about the timing of the new model and what would replace the Avenger.

The automaker's apparent midsize vehicle strategy is somewhat like its approach to the company's venerable and signal minivans – no need to sell essentially the same product under two names, requiring double the marketing expense. The Chrysler Town & Country minivan will be discontinued next year, Marchionne has said, and a new-design minivan will replace the Dodge Grand Caravan."


We can merge this thread, just thught I'd show everyone the constant changes in news for Chrysler.. They're as secret as the RCMP, or as the Americans FBI ahaha.. :thumbsup:

 

[Erik Latranyi]

The question is when did Marchionne say such a thing? He has been on both sides of the issue.

 

[FreeLantz]

This means T&C morphs into a crossover. Not an entirely smart move, but smarter than dropping Caravan would have been IMO. T&C has roots going back to the 1940's and was a station wagon, a convertible, and a sedan at one time or another. Caravan has always been a minivan.

 

[Stratuscaster]

Article references a "mid-size SUV" - pretty sure we've noted that the Journey - or whatever replaces it - was destined for SHAP.

 

[MoparNorm]

The question is when did Marchionne say such a thing? He has been on both sides of the issue.

Yes, grain of salt time, as this would be a blow to workers at both SHAP and Windsor.
As good as Sergio is with finances, he is equally poor at product and brand recognition.

 

[Erik Latranyi]

Yes, grain of salt time, as this would be a blow to workers at both SHAP and Windsor.
As good as Sergio is with finances, he is equally poor at product and brand recognition.

...and his statements are even worse at predicting future product!

 

[abgwin]

Note that the language in that article is ambiguous at best: Marchionne has said.. with no mention of when he said this, or in what context.

He certainly did not say this during the tour that this article is about, or I'm sure the Automotive News article would have included it (and provided context as well!)

 

[Stratuscaster]

What Automotive News article? The link above is a USA Today article. :huh:

 

[JRS200x]

I've said it before, I really think dropping the Town & Country is a bad idea. People driving Town & Country's are not easily put in to a Grand Caravan... its seen as a lesser vehicle. These folks will most likely jump ship to Honda or Toyota, whereas moving people from a Caravan in to a T&C is MUCH easier...

 

[abgwin]

Yes, of course Strat, is right, this is referring to SHAP and the other article is about Toledo, and my bad for mentally merging the two plant tours that were posted here on the same day.

 

[JavelinAMX]

Yes, of course Strat, is right, this is referring to SHAP and the other article is about Toledo, and my bad for mentally merging the two plant tours that were posted here on the same day.

No harm; no foul. Mix-ups happen; it's not fatal.

But we will require your left leg ...

 

[fenderbass]

I've said it before, I really think dropping the Town & Country is a bad idea. People driving Town & Country's are not easily put in to a Grand Caravan... its seen as a lesser vehicle. These folks will most likely jump ship to Honda or Toyota, whereas moving people from a Caravan in to a T&C is MUCH easier...

I absolutely agree that the people driving town and country would not move to GC. However, they are more likely to move to a large TC crossover (if done correctly). If one of them HAD to change to a crossover, I would have picked the TC anyways.

It's hard to make a decision without all the market data. I'm hoping Sergio and team did their homework.

 

[Roy Thigpen]

What if they took the Durango platform, and made a Town And Country Wagon and the Wagoneer? Make them both a bit retro-modern, as a nod to their historic ancestors.

 

[AutoTechnician]

The whole retro-modern thing has been beaten to death. It was a neat experiment and produced some interesting looking cars, but it's time to move on. Ford is moving away from retro. GM is moving away from retro, and Chrysler is as well. They are advancing styling. Relying on designs from the 60s (or earlier) is just being lazy and unimaginative. It would just prevent the brand(s) from moving forward.

For a low volume niche model, like the Challenger, it's fine, but to make yet another retro-modern "main" vehicle would just be ridiculous at this point.

 

[TWX]

I absolutely agree that the people driving town and country would not move to GC. However, they are more likely to move to a large TC crossover (if done correctly). If one of them HAD to change to a crossover, I would have picked the TC anyways.

It's hard to make a decision without all the market data. I'm hoping Sergio and team did their homework.

If the Pacifica had been better-marketed I expect that it would have taken off. Dad rented one and really liked it, and it was derived from the minivan. They could work on a Pacifica-type vehicle derived from the next-generation minivan that offers much of the functionality of a minivan but without the apparent stigma, and not have to sacrifice all of the good things about the minivan to do it either...

 

[Roryn44]

Town and country doesn't make sense as a van..it makes sense as a cuv. Caravan makes sense as the van. Dodge is more mainstream than Chrysler.. the 200 base model can't be cheap like the last model, so the dodge has to happen. Put together rumors and stories published, we get an idea. That idea is that Chrysler is sneaky and smart or the italians are clueless.

 

[Muther]

I am willing to bet Reuters contradicts, and re-contradicts, and re-re-contradicts, themselves several more times before anything actually happens.

Anyone wanna take the bet?

 

[tomaz]

hmmmmm....

 

[TWX]

hmmmmm....

lighting on that fender on our left makes it look to me like a regular Alfa wearing a car bra that was in a collision...

 

[RVC]

I agree entirely with the decision to drop the T&C. The Chrysler brand is being repositioned and a straight van wouldn't fit with the more upmarket lineup. I've said it months ago, and there was a product pipeline slide coming from Brazil, plus other bits of info, where all this was clearly evident.

JRS200x, do you think you'd have such an issue if people that were looking for a T&C and were not willing to "trade down", found a world class MPV/Crossover instead (as TWX suggested)? What if they manage to do a Corssover the size of the Pacifica, with the packaging ideas that FIAT has come up with for the 500L. That car is very cleverly packaged and feels huge for its size; imagine doing that with a T&C-sized MPV/Crossover! AND making it luxurious inside, better riding.

Btw, the rationale for this decision makes it even more likely that Dodge will likely not be positioned as a muscle car brand, but as a more mainstream sporty brand, a la Mazda.