Autoblog

It's no secret that Chrysler has some overlapping models in its lineup. Case(s)-in-point: it's hard to make a rational argument that Jeep should be offering both the Compass and Patriot (not to mention Dodge selling the Patriot's platform sibling, the Caliber) or the Grand Cherokee and the Commander. The Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango barely pretend to be different vehicles and there's no reason to sell both the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro when they're basically the same machine. This revelation is as obvious to Chrysler's new management as it is to us, and Chrysler President Jim Press, says as much. "We're going to stop overlapping, we're going to bring everything under one roof. By doing that we will have more products in the markets we are not covering."

Also marked as redundant by Press are the Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan minivans, but as easy as it may be to pinpoint overlapping models, fixing that problem may prove more difficult. Dealers will need to begin offering the whole Chrysler line of vehicles if this strategy of "bringing everything under one roof" is to succeed. Expect to see drastic changes taking place in the next four to five years.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Having learned from the sales bank debacle of the past, Chrysler is now throttling back production to draw down inventory levels. Sales of the PM/MK platform cars – Dodge Caliber and Jeep ComPatriot twins – are down roughly 23 percent compared to last year. Part of that is due to a move away from fleet sales, but whatever the cause, the 3,400 workers at the Belvidere assembly plant will get a two week vacation starting Monday. It's a great time of year to take a trip, enjoy some of the last warm days before winter tightens its grip, or just get out and rake the yard. By the time the line starts back up again, the backlog of unsold vehicles will be reduced, and the looming catastrophe of UAW contract talks will be looming.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Compass, and Patriot are helping Chrysler defend its market share in a declining sales environment. Between these new models and incentives on Dodge and Chrysler vehicles, Chrysler has managed to stay 0.1% ahead of the market's year-on-year drop in sales. The Wrangler Unlimited is proving a noteworthy boon, helping lift Wrangler sales by 71% year-over-year. Steve Landry, Chrysler's EVP of North American sales said, "The four-door has really created a halo effect for the Jeep brand, bringing people into the Jeep showrooms and it has improved our two-door sales."

Although Chrysler-brand vehicles lead the way among the Big Three in incentives, Jeep has placed little reliance on them. The numbers mean that Chrysler's market share has actually improved a tiny bit, from 12.85% to 12.86% in the US. It's a minuscule improvement to be sure, but for a company that has been through the wringer over the past few months (years, some would say), it's still a great statement.

[Source: Freep]

Sheesh, it's about time... Pricing on the Dodge Caliber-based Jeep Patriot has been announced, with the first Patriots rolling off the line in Belvedere set to arrive in dealerships around January 1. The news, which comes a little later than the fall launch plans Chrysler announced previously, finally satisfies those of us who have been eagerly awaiting the little ute's arrival since its launch at April's New York Auto Show. As promised, the Patriot starts at under 15 grand -- $14,958 including shipping, to be exact. The Patriot Limited 4x4 rings in at $23,530, still at the low end of its class in terms of price.

Sharing a platform with the Caliber and Jeep Compass means Patriot is available with the option of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), as well as DaimlerChrysler's 2.4L World Engine. Die hards need not be disappointed by the non-truck platform, however -- in the upper-level trims, the vehicle still comes "Trail Rated," complete with four-wheel-drive, tow hooks and skid plates, and its design hearkens back to the Cherokees of the 90s. No word on the nature of the marketing push yet, but Jeep should roll that out by the end of first quarter when dealerships are all stocked up.

[Source: Automotive News]

Chrysler Group is determined to make its mark in Europe's compact 4x4 segment, and hopes that its new Dodge Caliber-based crossovers - the Jeep Compass Rallye (upper right) and the Jeep Patriot - will grab a significant share of a market that the automaker sees reaching 400,000 units per year by 2010.

If Autocar is a reliable indicator of the tastes of British car buyers, Chrysler may have to depend on the Patriot to carry the ball - the magazine thinks that the "distinctive" Compass Rallye could well displace the homely Ssangyong Rodius (right, below) as "Britain's ugliest car." Meanwhile, 4Car's reviewers are more kind, saying only that the Rallye's "different look is likely to polarise opinion."

Both Jeeps go on sale in the U.K. early next year.

[Sources: Autocar, 4Car]

Back in March we reported that Chrysler's Belvidere, IL plant that produces the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot models was hiring back 1,000 workers who had been idled in order to fill a new second shift. Yesterday the company reported it was adding a brand new third shift to keep up with the expected demand for the three models. The additional 1,000 jobs will mostly be new-hires and balloon the plant's payroll from 2,650 to 3,650 workers.

Chrysler even gave us a link for workers interested in applying for one of the positions.

[Source: Chrysler]

Jeep has released a spate of photos of its new 2007 Wrangler Unlimited four-door, which we should be seeing in the metal within a few hours here in New York. The Unlimited boasts the same modular-style removable top that engenders a lot of added flexibility, functioning as a t-top of sorts, a targa, and full-blown, wind-in-the-hair convertible. Be sure to click on the jump for more views inside and out, and click on each image for suitable-for-framing imagery.

 

The Jeep Compass, arguably the 2006 North American International Auto Show's leading whipping boy has been outed (along with company's upcoming Patriot twin) by James Healey at the USA Today as potentially damaging brand extensions. The two vehicles are based on the DaimlerChrysler's on-road-only Dodge Caliber, offering comparatively little of Jeep's trademark off-road prowess, thus calling into question the marque's direction and identity.

The question is: Will DaimlerChrysler's division to forsake the Rubicon Trail for the Primrose Path lead to a sales success, a tarnished image... or both?

This author went so far as to call the Compass the NAIAS' 'Worst In Show' within hours of the vehicle's introduction and has yet to see anything to change his mind. As a Dodge-branded vehicle unencumbered by Jeep's 'mountain man' aura, the Compass might have made for a reasonable offering. In fact, it likely will be a fine offering-- as a Caliber. But as it stands, the model's name takes on an unwelcome ironic sheen for a company clearly losing sight of who it is and where it's going. This is a particular shame given that Jeep has arguably long remained the most self-aware brand in the entire domestic auto industry.

(continue reading after the jump)