Friday, May 14, 2021

#Chrysler Has "10-year Window" To Prove Itself, Says New Owners

[Auto Styling News]


Chrysler has 10 more years to prove itself as a viable brand, says it's new European Masters, Stellantis.

CEO Carlos Tavares says he's giving his brand execs a 10-year window to prove their worth. He says all 14 brands (Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram and Vauxhall) are being "given a chance."

“We’re giving each a chance, giving each a time window of 10 years and giving funding for 10 years to do a core model strategy. The CEOs need to be clear in brand promise, customers, targets and brand communications. If they succeed, great. Each brand is given the chance to do something different and appeal to customers.”

As you may or may not know, Chrysler currently has an anemic lineup of just two name plates, the Pacifica minivan, which comes both as a combustion engine and electric version as well as a stripped-down version they're calling the Voyager. 

They also have one car, the 300, which, while it has been updated several times, essentially is the same four-door sedan as when it was introduced in 2005.

If Tavares is honestly giving this brand a chance, he needs to seriously rethink the strategy of the previous owners, FCA.

To succeed, Chrysler will have to somehow developed a mini ute - the most popular vehicle in America right now, which is for some reason lacking in its lineup. It will also have to develop an electric strategy because many cars, if not most, in the 2030s will be electrified.

California is looking at going with a ban on all combustion engine car sales in the 2030s, as are several nations in Europe, such as Ireland and Germany.

Chrysler should look to other luxury car brands and see them as competitors once again. Clearly, the brand has lowered its standards and saw itself as a competitor to the likes of Ford and Chevy in the past few years. They need only look at Genesis to see how to build a highly successful luxury brand in this segment.
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

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