After having discussed the future of Jeep and the return of the Grand Wagoneer, Sergio Marchionne has revealed his intention of offering consumers a single minivan for 2013 and introducing a new model that will take on the likes of the Mazda5 and Ford C-MAX.
Chrysler’s president and CEO said either the Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country would get the axe if the automaker’s Genesis project were to come to fruition, which consists of selling all the manufacturer’s brands under the same roof.
If all Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products are sold at the same dealership “it makes no sense to offer consumers two minivans differentiated only by equipment,” admitted Marchionne.
The automaker had initially planned on keeping the Grand Caravan alive, an extremely popular model in Canada responsible for most of the sales in the segment. However, its Town and Country sibling is more successful on other markets, including the US. The brand image, pricing and equipment level of the single minivan need to be carefully planned in order to make the best possible decision.
The family hauler destined to butt heads with the Mazda5 and Ford C-MAX will be based on a new architecture that will be used for several new Chrysler and Fiat products. The platform will likely be created for the Fiat Giulietta and its chassis will be adapted for various models, including the Jeep Compass and Patriot.
Source: Auto Blog
Chrysler’s president and CEO said either the Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country would get the axe if the automaker’s Genesis project were to come to fruition, which consists of selling all the manufacturer’s brands under the same roof.
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| 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan (Photo: Chrysler) |
If all Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products are sold at the same dealership “it makes no sense to offer consumers two minivans differentiated only by equipment,” admitted Marchionne.
The automaker had initially planned on keeping the Grand Caravan alive, an extremely popular model in Canada responsible for most of the sales in the segment. However, its Town and Country sibling is more successful on other markets, including the US. The brand image, pricing and equipment level of the single minivan need to be carefully planned in order to make the best possible decision.
The family hauler destined to butt heads with the Mazda5 and Ford C-MAX will be based on a new architecture that will be used for several new Chrysler and Fiat products. The platform will likely be created for the Fiat Giulietta and its chassis will be adapted for various models, including the Jeep Compass and Patriot.
Source: Auto Blog