Daimler Chrysler depending on new Dodge models to increase European share

Chrysler is counting on the charms of Dodge's new vehicles to kick its European market share up a notch. Chrysler hopes that models like the Dodge Caliber, Dodge Nitro and a possible replacement for the Stratus will more than double the automaker's market share, taking it from .6 percent to 1.4 percent by 2009. While it's not a huge chunk of the 16.4 million units that is the European market, Chrysler's efforts represent an interesting idea -- if American automakers have reached the bottom of the barrel in North America, it's time to find another barrel.