More DCX changes on the horizon..

The_Stache · 11-18-2007, 05:20 PM

Good or bad DCX is changing its business strategy..

Quote:

A plan now under discussion calls for Chrysler dealers to sell all of the automaker's passenger cars under the Chrysler name; Dodge dealers would sell only pickup and commercial trucks; and Jeep dealers would sell only Jeep and sport-utility vehicles, three dealers familiar with the discussions told the Journal for its online edition.

SRC

PS - Bob Nardelli (former Home Depot CEO) looks to be grinding another business into the ground.. Home Depot paid out his contract and basically said "see you later"... Not really happy with the way hes moving things now that he is with DCX..

*Mr. Wyndham* · 11-18-2007, 05:32 PM

Bad idea...don't know exactly why...but I can just feel this isn't gonna work out the way they want it to.

EDIT: Whoa, whoa...so WTF?! It's gonna eventually be a Chrysler Challenger?!?! I mean, either that, or Mr. "You can do it, We can Help" is gonna kill it off again!
:eek:

stovt001 · 11-18-2007, 05:33 PM

Yeah that plan just will not fly. Sadly Daimler just royally screwed Chrysler over, and by the time they sold it was not looking good that they would be able to be saved anyway, and having an industry outsider at the helm hasn't helped any. The all-star team the recruited around him from inside the industry sure are a help, but sadly Chrysler still has waaay too much to do and waaay too little time to do it. Look at the facts. They only have one decent compact, the PT Cruiser, and that has barely been improved and updated since it was introduced, and now it is going to be killed off. Their mid-size sedan is nowhere near competitive. Their full-size sedans are great, but mostly performance oriented and the quality just isn't there. Other than that they have trucks and Jeep. Jeep is fine. It has survived more failed owners than pretty much anything else out there, and if they kill off the Compass and Patriot you won't find a product portfolio more well suited to the brand's target market out there. So you have very few competitive existing models, with a ton on the chopping block, almost nothing in the pipeline, and horrid material and build quality on everything else. Times do not look good for Chrysler.

I don't see this plan flying because some of Chrysler Group's best passenger cars are the Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Viper, and you just can't rebrand those as Chryslers in the American market. With the truck market the way it is, you just can't have a successful stand-alone truck only brand. It only works for GMC because they are combined with Buick and Pontiac.

*DGthe3* · 11-18-2007, 05:53 PM

bad idea. I think that the chrysler brand should be up against buick, caddy, lexus, etc. Dodge against Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, and nearly all the other major car brands. jeep is jeep. Also, if dodge was stricty trucks it would be only the Ram and the Dakota wouldn't it? kind of a waste of a name plate

EllwynX · 11-18-2007, 07:42 PM

I posted this same response over on GMInsideNews.com, but...

IMO they are on the right track but I'd make one change. Dodge shouldn't be exclusively trucks.

Chrysler - Luxury division. (Though I'd hate to see the 300 become a high priced car, it's popular as it is.)
Dodge - Cars, Trucks, Crossovers and Minivans. Ford/Chevy/Toyota competitor.
Jeep - Only SUV's and the Wrangler. All with offroad options.

stovt001 · 11-19-2007, 06:09 AM

Chrysler just doesn't have the image to go full luxury. It can compete with Buick, Saab, and Volvo (am I leaving any in that category out?) but it won't be at Cadillac, Lexus, and Acura standards for a while, to say nothing of BMW and Mercedes. Luxury car buyers don't buy the car, they buy the name that goes with it. The individual merits of the car don't matter nearly as much as the prestige that goes with the name. So even if Chrysler started turning out some seriously nice cars, it will take a while for the perception to catch up. Their best strategy is to look at Hyundai. They're making cars that can rival the luxury and near luxury cars, but aren't considered in the same category.

*Mr. Wyndham* · 11-19-2007, 09:52 AM

I've always thought 'luxury' when I thought Chrysler...and Buick is Luxury now, directly competing eith Lexus

.
I don't know, I feel bad for all the Chrysler fans though. Sucks bigtime. On the brightside - maybe GM has new buyers they can win over

stovt001 · 11-19-2007, 09:55 AM

They certainly have a solid base for a luxury car in the 300. Just improve the material quality and give it a general update and its good to go. The Sebring and the PT cruiser just don't say "luxury" or even "near luxury" at all. Sure they have some cool gadgets, but the quality just isn't there.

The_Stache · 11-19-2007, 10:44 AM

Quote:

They certainly have a solid base for a luxury car in the 300. Just improve the material quality and give it a general update and its good to go.

The 300 is such a great seller becuase you can get one priced from just over 20k all the way to 40k.. what other car can you option out with 20 grand? That covers a LARGE consumer base.. that and even at base level the interior and standard equipment is very decent for its price..

Personaly I think its a bad move for DCX but we will see *shrug.

11-18-2007, 05:32 PM	#2
Mr. Wyndham I used to be Dragoneye... Drives: 2018 ZL1 1LE Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 31,876 View My Garage	Bad idea...don't know exactly why...but I can just feel this isn't gonna work out the way they want it to. EDIT: Whoa, whoa...so WTF?! It's gonna eventually be a Chrysler Challenger?!?! I mean, either that, or Mr. "You can do it, We can Help" is gonna kill it off again! :eek: __________________ *"Keep the faith."* - Fbodfather

11-18-2007, 05:53 PM	#4
DGthe3 Moderator.ca Drives: 05 Grand Am GT Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Niagara, Canada Posts: 25,372	bad idea. I think that the chrysler brand should be up against buick, caddy, lexus, etc. Dodge against Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, and nearly all the other major car brands. jeep is jeep. Also, if dodge was stricty trucks it would be only the Ram and the Dakota wouldn't it? kind of a waste of a name plate __________________ Note, if I've gotten any facts wrong in the above, just ignore any points I made with them __________________ Originally Posted by FbodFather My sister's dentist's brother's cousin's housekeeper's dog-breeder's nephew sells coffee filters to the company that provides coffee to General Motors...... ........and HE WOULD KNOW!!!! __________________ Camaro Fest sub-forum

11-19-2007, 09:52 AM	#7
Mr. Wyndham I used to be Dragoneye... Drives: 2018 ZL1 1LE Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 31,876 View My Garage	I've always thought 'luxury' when I thought Chrysler...and Buick is Luxury now, directly competing eith Lexus. I don't know, I feel bad for all the Chrysler fans though. Sucks bigtime. On the brightside - maybe GM has new buyers they can win over __________________ *"Keep the faith."* - Fbodfather

11-18-2007, 05:33 PM	#3
stovt001 Drives: 2006 Cobalt, 2004 Taurus wagon Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,812	Yeah that plan just will not fly. Sadly Daimler just royally screwed Chrysler over, and by the time they sold it was not looking good that they would be able to be saved anyway, and having an industry outsider at the helm hasn't helped any. The all-star team the recruited around him from inside the industry sure are a help, but sadly Chrysler still has waaay too much to do and waaay too little time to do it. Look at the facts. They only have one decent compact, the PT Cruiser, and that has barely been improved and updated since it was introduced, and now it is going to be killed off. Their mid-size sedan is nowhere near competitive. Their full-size sedans are great, but mostly performance oriented and the quality just isn't there. Other than that they have trucks and Jeep. Jeep is fine. It has survived more failed owners than pretty much anything else out there, and if they kill off the Compass and Patriot you won't find a product portfolio more well suited to the brand's target market out there. So you have very few competitive existing models, with a ton on the chopping block, almost nothing in the pipeline, and horrid material and build quality on everything else. Times do not look good for Chrysler. I don't see this plan flying because some of Chrysler Group's best passenger cars are the Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Viper, and you just can't rebrand those as Chryslers in the American market. With the truck market the way it is, you just can't have a successful stand-alone truck only brand. It only works for GMC because they are combined with Buick and Pontiac.

11-18-2007, 07:42 PM	#5
EllwynX Drives: 2010 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 2,260	I posted this same response over on GMInsideNews.com, but... IMO they are on the right track but I'd make one change. Dodge shouldn't be exclusively trucks. Chrysler - Luxury division. (Though I'd hate to see the 300 become a high priced car, it's popular as it is.) Dodge - Cars, Trucks, Crossovers and Minivans. Ford/Chevy/Toyota competitor. Jeep - Only SUV's and the Wrangler. All with offroad options.

11-19-2007, 06:09 AM	#6
stovt001 Drives: 2006 Cobalt, 2004 Taurus wagon Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,812	Chrysler just doesn't have the image to go full luxury. It can compete with Buick, Saab, and Volvo (am I leaving any in that category out?) but it won't be at Cadillac, Lexus, and Acura standards for a while, to say nothing of BMW and Mercedes. Luxury car buyers don't buy the car, they buy the name that goes with it. The individual merits of the car don't matter nearly as much as the prestige that goes with the name. So even if Chrysler started turning out some seriously nice cars, it will take a while for the perception to catch up. Their best strategy is to look at Hyundai. They're making cars that can rival the luxury and near luxury cars, but aren't considered in the same category.

11-19-2007, 09:55 AM	#8
stovt001 Drives: 2006 Cobalt, 2004 Taurus wagon Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,812	They certainly have a solid base for a luxury car in the 300. Just improve the material quality and give it a general update and its good to go. The Sebring and the PT cruiser just don't say "luxury" or even "near luxury" at all. Sure they have some cool gadgets, but the quality just isn't there.

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