2004 Chrysler Pacifica - A Significant New Automotive Widget
What would you do if your company sold 10 different kinds of widgets and one specific example sold way more than all the rest? Would you keep building and selling the same line of widgets over and over expecting to achieve different results? That sounds like the definition of insanity to me. No, you'd probably create a new widget with some of the key selling features of the most successful one while developing some entirely new widgets and simultaneously upgrading the majority of old widgets so that they're more attractive to widget buyers.
Chrysler's most successful widget is the PT Cruiser. Even after the honeymoon has long since ended the two year old PT still outsells every other sibling nameplate. The closest rival is the Town & Country minivan, about 6,000 units behind. Next come the Sebring sedan, coupe* and convertible, combined units still lag 11,000 vehicles in arrears. Clump together the Concorde, LHS** and 300M sedans and the number falls 50,000 units less.
So let's take a look at the facts. Chrysler is selling way more multi-purpose vehicles, such as the 'segment busting' PT and ultra-functional Town & Country, than any of its other brands. What has to happen? Either Chrysler needs to build more multi-purpose vehicles, improve its line-up of cars, or both.
Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Chrysler Group, recently stated that the carmaker will begin to refocus on cars. In order to meet his goal of increasing sales by 1 million vehicles annually within five to 10 years, two-thirds of the 21 new or redesigned models Chrysler will bring out between the 2003 and 2005 model years will be cars. That equals more than 40% over the 2.3 million sold in 2001.