What a ride it’s been at Chrysler these past few years. Neglected by parent Daimler and subsequent owner Cerberus, Chrysler was on the brink of collapse and on their knees in front of the US Congress begging for a bailout. Ironically, Fiat, a company who fled the US in the early 1980′s turned out to be Chrysler’s savior. And so far, the results have been encouraging. The bottom-feeder Dodge Avenger has been enormously improved. SRT is reviving the almighty Viper. The highly anticipated Dodge Dart with full Alfa Romeo DNA intact will be hitting showrooms soon.

There is no question that Chrysler had a myriad of problems, and it appears that Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is still at work at revamping the beleaguered company. According to a post from Autoblog, Marchionne confirmed the Jeep Compass will be killed off in 2014.  In spite of its 2011 redesign which modeled itself after the Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s attempt at targeting young urban types-especially females appears to have fizzled. The more successful Patriot, which shares the same mechanicals to the Compass has sold far better, with more traditional Jeep styling, but it is unclear what the future of the Patriot is. Still, these cars are dinosaurs, based on the now extinct Dodge Caliber which was mercifully let go in favor of the upcoming Dart.

The next casualty is the Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The Dodge Grand Caravan remains, which makes sense since the Caravan was the first minivan. Ever. Kudos to Sergio Marchionne for telling Chrysler it makes no sense selling the exact same car under two brands. Brand engineering is what nearly ruined the American auto industry, so killing off the Town & Country makes perfect sense to me.

In other related news, it appears there will be an SRT high performance version of the Dodge Dart that will sit above the Dart R/T. No word yet on what will sit under the hood. In sum, I find the news from Chrysler encouraging as failing and redundant cars are cut off, and under the control of Fiat they definitely appear to be a more focused company. The future looks bright.

Filed under: Chrysler, Dodge

Fiat promised a slew of new models when it took over at Auburn Hills, and our Italian cousins are making good on their word. But for the eager customers Chrysler is counting on, seeing photos of the new models is one thing, actually heading down to the local dealership and placing an order is another. Before most potential buyers these days get to that point, though, they tend want to know exactly how a new model can be spec'd out. And that's where online configurators come into play.

Fortunately Chrysler has just launched configurators featuring its array of new vehicles, including the new 200 sedan, the Town & Country minivan, as well as the Dodge Durango and Journey. You may not be able to specify the color of your seatbelts like on a Maserati, or the unfortunately-named paint shades like on a Bugatti. But if you want to know how that new Pentastar will shape up the way you want it, this'll give you a pretty darn good impression. Thanks for the tip, Ed!

[Source: Chrysler]

Configurators for 2011 Chrysler models appear online originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pricing on the 2011 Chrysler Town & Country starts at $30,995 — almost $5,000 more than the 2010 model's base price. We're no minivan mavens, but does 40 more horses and interior upgrades seem worth the up-charge? [Chrysler] More »

Filed under: Spy Photos, Minivan/Van, Chrysler, Dodge

Toyota and Honda may be improving the images of their minivans, but we mustn't forget about the company that started it all: Chrysler. The very first Dodge Grand Caravan went on sale 27 years ago, and through all of the ups and downs that the automaker has faced over the years (especially in recent times), the Grand Caravan and Town & Country twins have always been a mainstay.

The current pair of minivans was introduced for the 2008 model year, so it's only fitting that a slight mid-cycle refresh is on deck, and the folks at The Detroit News have snagged some spy shots of a Town & Country prototype out testing. In addition to modest exterior updates that include things like LED taillamps and a reworked rear bumper, expect Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 to be slotted under the hood. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, this should account for a healthy improvement in fuel economy, not to mention power.

What's most important for minivan shoppers, though, is interior refinement, and the 2011 T&C is expected to get a host of cabin upgrades. More comfortable seats, higher-quality materials and an integrated center console will be on hand, and we'd expect the nifty Stow 'N Go and Swivel 'N Go seating configurations to carry over, as well. Look for similar improvements to make their way into the Dodge Grand Caravan, as well. Thanks for the tip, Aaron!

[Source: The Detroit News]

Spy Shots: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country nip/tuck spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Etc., Safety, Chrysler, Specialty

Although the Chrysler Group still has a rather large amount of floor space here at the 2010 New York Auto Show, the company didn't have a lot to offer this year...at least not just-baked stuff for the assembled media. Instead of showing off a new 300 or maybe even a 200C hybrid, they merely gathered up a bunch of older concepts and special editions and dropped them off at Javits. Chrysler at least had the good sense not to have a press conference. To be fair, the Pentastar is struggling and we don't mean to kick them when they're down so we'll focus on the positive instead.

One new vehicle we found amidst the recently unveiled specials was a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country with seemingly every one of Chrysler's latest safety and security features. The press release, which you'll find after the jump, says the package includes the company's Rear Cross Path (RCP) and Blind-spot Monitoring systems (BSM) to help drivers in making "safe lane changes and backing out of high-traffic parking situations." Both features are apparently firsts in this segment.

This new "SafetyTec" package, as it's known, is an option on the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country Touring and new Touring "Plus" models, and will be standard on the Town & Country Limited. The grouping includes standard and optional safety and security features like multi-stage airbags, seatbelt pretensioning, constant-force seat-belt retractors (CFR), active head restraints and supplemental side-curtain air bags. There are also accident-avoidance features like Smart Brake and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), plus security features like an anti-theft alarm and the Sentry Key engine immobilizer among other things. If Chrysler knows anything, it's minivans and the importance of safety to minivan buyers.

The new SafetyTec package will be available late spring at an undisclosed price. Follow the jump to read the long laundry list of included features and take a look at our gallery below.



[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading New York 2010: Chrysler shows off new SafetyTec package for Town & Country

New York 2010: Chrysler shows off new SafetyTec package for Town & Country originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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