I think there's an easy answer to that one.....They don't really know themselves!
Usually we all refer to the trucks as Dodges, only some will argue they have a Ram Truck. No problem calling the decontented trim vans either Grand Caravan or Voyager, but why have one model name for the US & 1 for Canada? That's as silly as branding the Intrepid as a Chrysler in Canada.
Yes, at that time Dodge was going to be all trucks in Canada. And then the course was changed again.
Canadians won't care that the GC is a Chrysler. Canada is a very different market than the US. I can tell you the reason why the DGC is such an incredible seller here: VALUE. It's the most versatile vehicle on the market for the money. And they're cheaper than the competition. If they price the Chrysler Grand Caravan above any other van on the market (like Kia) then sales of it will tank. It's the same reason Journey is such a big seller here - there's no other 3 row CUV in the market in that price range. Majority of Canadians shop for value. Maybe its because of our long winters but very few here have the cash to buy a vehicle that's a vanity purchase. And no one is going to winter drive anything high dollar because it gets destroyed by road sand and salt. Even the majority of Chargers and Challengers I see are SXT's.
Sales taxes, bank rates and fuel prices are higher in Canada, too. And cold winters mean vehicles in Canada need to be replaced sooner than say in California, Arizona or Nevada. All of these conspire to make Canadian buyers more value-oriented in general.
I know Canada is a different market than the US. However, everything you just said can be applied to the US market. Journey was a big seller due to value, Grand Caravan also sold more than the Pacifica, Charger and Challenger are mostly SXT and GT trims (atleast in the midwest). I hope I am proved wrong and that moving the Grand Caravan name will work for Chrysler. In the US there is a hard time differentiating between Voyager and Pacifica touring/touring L trims. I know for people on forums the differences probably seem obvious, but this is a different story for most people who only look into vehicles once every seven years. I've met many people who don't even know that Chrysler and Dodge are related. I've also met people who will only drive Jeeps or Dodges and won't even consider Chrysler because they believe there is a difference in quality. Wouldn't be surprised if old Grand Caravan owners (both Canada and US) went to the Dodge website, saw that the Grand Caravan is gone, and then moved on to Honda or Toyota's website to look at vans.
I know that, you know that, but honestly the Grand Caravan buying Canadian public doesn't care about that. If the sticker price isn't the value leader in the market then Canadians will buy something else.
Yes cause I enjoy driving around in a p.o.s.
This. Its just like the neon, didn't matter if it was a plymouth, dodge or a chrysler and a lot of mundane Chrysler vehicles share that. You'll now start seeing them all over the place.
Chrysler Canada is its own deal, they did it.
This has nothing to do with what FCA thinks of Canadians. It has everything to do with Dodge now being this niche muscle brand with no room for mainstream vehicles.
Exactly. Once buyers see that the Grand Caravan isn't an option anymore, they will start shopping for alternatives. In Canada, at least they might come across the Chrysler Grand Caravan, so I do have to give them credit there. In the US, now they're starting over and start cross-shopping. How many of them pick the Pacifica or Voyager? How many of them pick the Sedona? Does FCA just not WANT to sell vehicles?
Which is a recipe for disaster. I do not understand the strategy here. Dodge can be muscle AND mainstream. Nobody has ever gotten confused because Ford sold a Mustang AND a Focus. Nobody ever decided not to purchase a Corvette because you could also buy a Chevy Trax. Those brands have wisely kept a broader focus while also leveraging the popularity of their halo cars to sell more pedestrian models.
Yer preaching to the choir.
