The Jeep Compass and Chrysler Town & Country will cease to exist in 2014, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne announced. The Town & Country will actually be replaced by a smaller crossover-type vehicle.
The changes are part of a long effort by Marchionne to give each Chrysler Group brand a more distinct identity and save a considerable amount of money by eliminating product overlaps.
More than 90% of the automaker's dealerships now sell all four volume brands – Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram – making brand identity a crucial strategic element.
Under its sheetmetal, the Compass is basically identical to the Jeep Patriot, while the Town & Country is nothing more than a premium version of the Dodge Grand Caravan. The replacement crossover may retain the Town & Country name, however.
While Marchionne has axed a number of vehicles since taking over in 2009, he has also added three separate brands to the North American landscape including Ram, Fiat, and SRT.
In other news, the CEO reaffirmed that an electric version of the Fiat 500 subcompact is heading to our shores later this year even though Chrysler "will lose money on every car we make."
Source: Automotive News
The changes are part of a long effort by Marchionne to give each Chrysler Group brand a more distinct identity and save a considerable amount of money by eliminating product overlaps.
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| Photo: Chrysler |
More than 90% of the automaker's dealerships now sell all four volume brands – Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram – making brand identity a crucial strategic element.
Under its sheetmetal, the Compass is basically identical to the Jeep Patriot, while the Town & Country is nothing more than a premium version of the Dodge Grand Caravan. The replacement crossover may retain the Town & Country name, however.
While Marchionne has axed a number of vehicles since taking over in 2009, he has also added three separate brands to the North American landscape including Ram, Fiat, and SRT.
In other news, the CEO reaffirmed that an electric version of the Fiat 500 subcompact is heading to our shores later this year even though Chrysler "will lose money on every car we make."
Source: Automotive News