CANADA'S ecoAUTO REBATE

The Government of Canada's initiative to put more people into fuel efficient vehicles by giving them money sees a rearranging of models for year 2008. The list, with the cashback value, is below.

$2000
Toyota Prius
Honda Civic Hybrid
smart fortwo (coupe and convertible)
Ford Escape Hybrid (front and all-wheel drive)
Saturn Vue Hybrid

$1500
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Toyota Highlander Hybrid

$1000
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Yaris (hatch and sedan)
Mini Cooper (and Clubman)
Honda Civic (coupe and sedan)
Honda Fit
Lexus RX400h
Jeep Compass (2.0L w/CVT and 2.4L manual tranny)
Jeep Patriot (2.0L w/CVT and 2.4L manual-tranny)
Chevrolet HHR
Nissan Rogue

FLEX FUEL VEHICLES $1000
Chevrolet Impala
Dodge Avenger
Chrysler Sebring

OTHER NUMBERS FROM CAR & DRIVER'S JANUARY ISSUE

The Good Car Guy already filled you in on Car & Driver's 0-60 testing of eleven cars in its January issue. Other important Numbers are viewable below.

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24 - miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mini John Cooper Works Clubman, the best figure in a comparo where the Mini finished sixth. Its EPA city and highway figures were also the best-in-test.

18- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, the worst figure in a comparo where the Lancer Ralliart finished dead last. Its EPA city figure was worst-in-test and its EPA highway figure was tied for worst-in-test.

156- top speed, in mph, of the 260-bhp Chevrolet Cobalt SS, limited by aerodynamic drag, placing the Chevy tops in a seven-way comparo where it finished third overall

19- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the all-wheel drive Acura TL, better than what was managed by the aforementioned Mitsubishi with its 1.7L-smaller engine, 68 fewer horsepower, and 445 fewer pounds.

33- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Volkswagen Jetta, which with a 140-bhp 2.0L turbodiesel, still had to propel 3353 pounds.

24- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Hyundai Elantra wagon which posted identical acceleration figures to the Jetta TDI with one extra horsepower, 99 fewer lb-ft of torque, and 321 fewer pounds

0.61- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad.

1.08- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad

18- difference in sound levels, measured in decibels by C/D, between the loudest car of the year, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, and the quietest cars of the year, the Ford Flex Limited and Dodge Journey R/T, both of which let out 65 dBA at 70mph 

THE DETROIT THREE OFFERS TOO MANY TRUCKS? BY THE NUMBERS

Wall Street insiders attempting to predict the demise of the Detroit Three (GM/Ford/Chrysler) blame most of the domestic auto manufacturing difficulties on the rise and fall of the SUV. They believe that General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler LLC (mostly under the management of Daimler-Benz) didn't have the foresight to build high quality cars when money was pouring in from easy-profit vehicles like the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Dodge Ram. On the surface, these insiders appear to be correct. 

Take American luxury cars, for instance. In the early part of this millenium, the only prominent vehicles at Cadillac and Lincoln were their jumbo SUVs, the Escalade and Navigator. Mainstream brands like Chevrolet and Ford were offering an abomination called the Malibu and an ancient design called the Taurus. The few takers snapped them up at rock bottom prices.

For a deeper look at the gravity of the situation in numerical terms, check this Numbers post from a few days ago with figures supplied by TIME. For perspective on the issue, read The Good Car Guy's question from yesterday. For facts about automaker offerings in the U.S. domestic market in 2009, keep reading. Oh, and by the way, to attempt to sway the argument in favour of cars instead of trucks, models like the F-150, F-250, and F-350 were lumped together. It didn't help. Also, TSV means anything that isn't a car: trucks, SUVs, and vans.

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TOTAL CARS @ GENERAL MOTORS: 21

TOTAL TSVs @ GENERAL MOTORS: 26

TOTAL CARS @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 10

TOTAL TSVs @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 14

TOTAL CARS @ CHRYSLER LLC: 8

TOTAL TSVs @ CHRYSLER LLC: 16

Buick cars/TSVs: 2 to 1

Cadillac cars/TSVs: 4 to 3

Chevrolet cars/TSVs: 6 to 9

GMC cars/TSVs: 0 to 8

Hummer cars/TSVs: 0 to 2

Pontiac cars/TSVs: 6 to 1

Saturn cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Ford cars/TSVs: 4 to 10

Lincoln cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Mercury cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Chrysler cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Dodge cars/TSVs: 5 to 7

Jeep cars/TSVs: 0 to 7

JEEP LIBERTY AND DODGE NITRO RECALLED FOR E-BRAKE ISSUE

"The park brake lever clutch drum may distort and reduce the effectiveness of the park brake system," NHTSA says in regards to 3,663 Dodge Nitros and Jeep Libertys. Specifically, this Dodge/Jeep Recall affects '07 and '08 Nitros with manual transmissions and '08 Libertys with manual transmissions.

Dealers will be replacing the whole park brake lever assembly after this Recall begins this month.

SMALL CHRYSLER LLC RECALL AFFECTS SEBRING, AVENGER, CALIBER, JOURNEY, COMPASS AND PATRIOT

Due to a new adhesive used in the powertrain control module, the circuit board in 712 MY2009 Chrysler products may break without warning; causing the engine to stall. Stalls at the wrong time can inflict damage, as you may well be aware.

It's a simple fix. Dealers will be replacing the PCM free of charge. The Recall affects the '09 versios of the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot. 712 new owners should expect to hear from Chrysler this month, but if you're curious as to the involvement of your vehicle, contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

WHAT IS THE JEEP ELECTRIC VEHICLE?

New fuel-saving technology isn't hitting the SUV market quite as quickly as it's taking over the small car segment. You'll soon be able to purchase a very inexpensive Honda Insight. The Toyota Prius is known to all. Upgrading significantly to the Chevrolet Volt isn't too far off. In the sport-ute world, the soft crossover Lexus RX400h is way too expensive and not financially beneficial. The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is based on a vehicle - the Tahoe - that doesn't conform with the habits of a huge chunk of the populace.

Read about the Dodge EV here

But Chrysler has a plan with the Jeep EV, based on the Wrangler four-door, to take a classic vehicle into the new world. Jeep calls it a range-extended electric vehicle that "uses an electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery system, and a small gasoline engine with an integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed." 268 horsepower and 295-lb-ft of torque power the Wrangler EV, but the powerplant can work, like the Chevy Volt, up to 40 miles without the internal-combustion engine. Overall, a range of 400 miles is anticipated. Chrysler LLC sees the Wrangler is the perfect type of vehicle to work with in-wheel electric motors, an idea the Lightning Electric Car has brought to fruition.

Check the news on the Chrysler EV here

A LIST OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN'S EIGHT CARS

Frankly, the old American dream of a wife, a few kids, two cars in the garage and a white picket fence doesn't belong to John McCain. Oh, he's got the wife; kids; and probably picket fence(s) but take a stroll by his driveway(s) and two cars there may not be.

Over the weekend, it was discovered that John and Cindy McCain, candidate for President of the United States and First Lady, combine to own thirteeen cars. Do the math. Inevitably you see at least three of the McCain's homes lacking the obligatory second car. 

(Click here for a post on all the candidate's cars)

Seriously, the part that has made the news has actually centred on the Senator's claims that, "I've bought American literally all my life and I'm proud." While the mainstream press doesn't like to share some of the specific models therefore making it difficult to know exactly where all the cars were built, the list below lets you in on some problems related to John McCain's claim.

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2004 Cadillac CTS: John's "daily driver"

2001 Honda 'sedan': one can assume it's a Marysville, Ohio-built Accord

2007 Ford F-Series: good for a ranch or three

2001 GMC 'SUV': GMC built a few in '01 - Yukon, Yukon XL, Jimmy

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet: Built by Mexicans in Mexico

2008 Jeep Wrangler: McCain would actually look like an everyday American if this was it

1960 Willys Jeep: Can you be any more American war hero than an owner of a '60 Willys and an '08 Wrangler?

2000 Lincoln: Guessing Town Car, considering the Senator's age, but it could be a Navigator, Continental, or LS

(3) NEV Gem electric: Like the aforementioned Town Car, every rich retiree needs a Gem

Lexus: Cindy's car is an unspecified Japanese luxury car with a license plate reading "MS BUD"

Toyota Prius: This car could actually be the vehicle of daughter Meghan or the Senator's or Cindy's. One struggles to keep track.

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Barack Obama recently traded in his Hemi V8-powered Chrysler 300C for a Ford Escape Hybrid.

2008 JEEP LIBERTY RECALL FOR WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS

A certain batch of 2008 Jeep Libertys was put together with a batch of urethane adhesive that may not have been correct for the windshield and rear quarter glass. Obviously this presents a scenario where the adhesive gives way; and the windshield vacates the vicinity.

See other NHTSA Recalls by clicking right here

For the 494 Jeeps involved, dealers will replace the windshield and/or fixed rear quarter glass. Contact with customers is expected to begin this month, but if curiosity has you bent on discovering if your Jeep Liberty windshield isn't quite stuck in place, contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

MORE BAD CAR STATISTICS

So the F-150, Toyota Tundra, and some General Motors vehicles are struggling to escape dealer lots. That's not news to you. The actual statistics surrounding vague statements like that mentioned two sentences prior could strike fear into the hurt of a vehicle sales consultant, statistics available for the reading with a click on this link. But it's not news; not in the traditional sense.

More distressing Numbers are available below.

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38.3 - percentage drop in U.S. sales of the Chrysler PT Cruiser (recently tested for fuel efficiency at AutoEnergy) during the first half of this year, compared with the first half of 2007

40,014 - total Chrysler 300 sales from January-June of this year; 22,981 fewer than the same six months in 2007

19,500 - total number of Ford Expeditions in stock as of June 1st

28.2 - jump in sales posted by the Chevrolet TrailBlazer in June of 2008, not doing much to help the overall trend its posted of lowering sales to the tune of a 35% drop for the first six months of 2008

24,769 - fewer Ford Explorers sold in the first half of 2008 compared with the first half of '07, down to 49,935

30.4 - percentage drop in sales of the Dodge Ram in 2008.5 compared with 2007.5

39.1 - percentage fall in sales for the Jeep Wrangler in June compared with the previous June

42,793 - total Jeep Grand Cherokee sales in the six months ending June 30th, 17,668 lower than the same period of last year

5,118 - gap in sales between the better-selling Ford Mustang (even with its 28.8% drop in 2008.5) and the Ford Explorer

26.8 - percentage drop in sales in the first half of this year for the Dodge Grand Caravan while the minivan market is down about 19% and the small Mazda 5 is up 44.1% over the first six months of '08

7.6 - average number of cylinders under the hood of a Chevrolet Silverado, accounting for all five engines available; a large reason its sales are down 26.8% in the first half of the year

53.5 - percentage drop in Chevrolet Impala sales in June, compared with June of '07

226,000 - supply of F-series pickups held by Ford Motor Company as of June 1st

18.4 - percentage drop in sales of the Jeep Liberty in the six months ending June 30th

59,908 - total BMW 3-series sales in the first half of 2008, continuing its reign of sales leader in its class but trending downward 17.9% compared with the same period of 2007 while Mercedes-Benz's C-class posted a sales gain of 36.7%

17.9 - percentage drop in sales of the Toyota RAV4 from January-June of '08, still resulting in 71,516 RAV4 sales, 21,581 higher than the iconic top-seller known as the Ford Explorer

ODD LOGIC - Hummer, Jeep, Mazda, smart

Jeep and Hummer versus Mazda and smart. That kind of comparison sounds complicated, complex, convoluted even. Get this - we're not talking about the rumoured (in history) of the smart formore, nor are we discussing Jeep's baby Compass.

Nope. Not in the least. The purpose of the post is to see how great the contrast is between a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Hummer H3, Mazda's 3 and the smart fortwo. Granted, we will talk about the Grand Cherokee diesel, the smart fortwo diesel, and the gasoline-powered editions of both the Mazda and Hummer.

Environmentalists would lead you to believe that SUV's are bringing down the planet. (They happen to be ignoring the airplanes they use to fly around the country so that they can tell you about the bad SUV's, but that's another story.) Meanwhile, there is no dearth of justifiers for sport-utes on the planet. Farmers, boat-towers, horse owners and many others will tell you that all the smart's and Prius' and hi-po Lexus limo hybrids will never save the world from its fever.

Isn't there some room in between the extremists? What about applying some bare-bones mathematics in order to answer the questions that arise. There are a number of issues that come to my mind; long after viewing the Energuide statistics or the EuroUnion CO2 figures. Here's a few of them:

• People mpg, or people litres/100km in the case of this post
• Combined effect on humanity. Ya can't blame one Hummer owner for creating the poor air quality my part of the world will suffer through today
• Quantifiable life-long usage facts

Driven in typical circumstances by an average driver in a normal climate, the Hummer H3 will use about 13.6 litres of fuel every time it drives 100 kilometers. Jeep's Grand Cherokee, when equipped with a diesel engine, will drink 10.5 litres of diesel fuel every time the vehicle travels 100 kilometres. A Mazda3? 7.3L/100km. smart's fortwo diesel will sip just 4.2L/100km.

Put another way, it would take about three smarts to use as much fuel as the Hummer. You could almost afford to fuel two Mazda3's for the cost of fueling your Hummer. Beyond that, diesel fuel is about 11 cents cheaper than regular gasoline in my city. The 600 km round trip I recently took to Prince Edward Island would have cost $64.89 CDN in the Grand Cherokee CRD. The Hummer H3 would have cost $92.20. Oh, my Mastercard would have been charged with a total of $25.96 in the smart fortwo. Ouch.

But there's more to it than that. If you think of peoplelitres/100km and filled the smart with two people, you're sipping at just 2.1PL/100km. The Hummer would fare much better if considered as a passenger-filled sport utility - per passenger the Hummer would use just 2.72 litres each. The Jeep would be the smart's equivalent and the Mazda would be even better, at just 1.46 litres each.

Does this mean the Sierra Group and the Green Party should love Hummers ? Maybe no. But full Hummer H3's are actually an efficient means of traveling. There's no denying that five people in a Hummer arrive at any destination in a more efficient manner than one person in his smart fortwo.

However, a Hummer which has never met its owners wife and kids is an awfully ineffective means of transportation.

Skew the debate to the smart's side, and things get ugly. Take five smart fortwo owners who love carpooling. They drive their buddies to work every day. The five Mazda 3 owners across the street can't stand the thought of someone else drinking coffee in their zoom-zoom machine, hence they travel alone. The roundtrip commute is 30 kilometres. All the smart's combined use just 6.3 litres to make the journey. The five Mazda's suck up 10.95 litres. The smart, remember, was being used as a carpooling machine, and therefore each person uses just .63 litres per day. Each single-passenger Mazda uses 2.19 litres each day.

This has little to do with real life, but it does show how quickly efficiency/economy/effectiveness can be altered by extra passengers. It also proves the depth of difference thousands of tiny cars can make when purchased instead of a regular small car.

That's enlightening. Now go check my math.

WHO BUILDS THEM TOUGH? SMALL, THIRSTY, SUVs

Simply put, "truck-based" SUVs are generally perceived to be less economical at the fuel pumps. These days, the worse the vehicle's efficiency; the more likely it is that sales numbers for that vehicle are dwindling. Phrases like "truck-based" or "body-on-frame" or simply "real SUV" stand in stark contrast to increasingly common terms like "crossover" CUV" or "crossover utes". 

Does the perception match reality if applied to the smallest examples of tall-bodied, lofty-drive driving position, usually all-wheel drive vehicles? In a word..... yes. While not necessarily the most fuel efficient or least fuel efficient drivetrain combinations for each vehicle are applied here (many transmission choices make little or no difference these days; sometimes the engine doesn't either), this sampling of vehicles are relatively well known and position themselves as tough or carlike. 

(Check out AutoEnergy to see the real life difference between the Nissan Xterra and Nissan Rogue)

Except for one, that is. Suzuki wants you to think that its Grand Vitara is in between; merging the best of tough with the best of car.  Guess what - the fuel efficiency story agrees with Suzuki, dropping the Grand Vitara in between the tough SUVs and the more car-like CUVs.

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Hummer H3 V8 - 14mpg

Jeep Wrangler 6-spd man - 16mpg 

Toyota FJ Cruiser man -16mpg

Nissan Xterra man - 17mpg

Dodge Nitro 4.0L - 17mpg

Suzuki Grand Vitara man - 18mpg

Ford Escape - 19mpg

Hyundai Santa Fe - 19mpg

Kia Sportage - 19mpg

Toyota RAV4 - 21mpg

Honda CR-V - 22mpg

CHRYSLER CHUGGING ALONG IN CANADA

Compare these following two statements: April 2008 saw a 29% decline, compared with the previous April, of Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep sales in the USA. Okay, now for statement #2 -> Chrysler Canada achieves its best April sales figure in over five years. 

Remember, the product lineups are the same, save for trim line and small option/equipment/features changes. So in what ways, specifically; are Canadians reacting differently to Chrysler LLC?

Historically, the Dodge Grand Caravan has been at or near the top of the list of best-sellers in Canada. Consumers north of the border are faced with higher prices (even when the dollar is at parity and even when the vehicle may've been built in Canada). Canadian consumers have also been faced with higher fuel prices than their American neighbours. Add these two factors together, and you see the need for vehicle purchases to be need-driven, rather than image-based. This results in the sale of a Dodge Grand Caravan, for instance, with a lower price and better fuel economy than the large SUV the equivalent American buyer would've purchased.

But this alone doesn't account for a company that has posted 21 consecutive months of improved sales compared with the same period of the previous year. Higher prices and more expensive fuel doesn't account for Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep being the fastest growing auto group in Canada during 2007. In fact, none of this explains how a company that builds the Commander, Sebring, and Caliber (not the Highlander, Camry, and Corolla) can be the second-largest seller in Canada.

Massive discounts -  aka incentives - go a long way to explaining much of the trend. In a land of higher prices and more expensive fuel, it helps when a company posts lower MSRPs on the sticker and counters Shell, Irving, and Petro-Canada with slogans like, "$1000 Free Gas!". Here are a few of the more telling results from April.

The Dodge Ram and Jeep Wrangler posted their best sales months ever. Dodge's Journey has quickly become the number two seller of crossovers, with 945 units sold in April, although we can't be sure of how Dodge classifies the category. We know they include 22 vehicles in the count. Jeep's Patriot and Compass, along with the Dodge Caliber, combined to sell 5,436 units in April. Minivan sales climbed 38%.

Is it possible for the trend to continue? Discounting Rams to the tune of $11,500 and offering 0% purchase financing at the same time might counteract $1.30/L fuel. The Sebring convertible enters the warm season with $7,000 chopped off the MSRP. Caliber pricing has plummeted to below $13K, the lowest price ever. In all, thirteen vehicles will feature an MSRP under $20,000. 

CHRYSLER'S GAS CARD COSTS AND SAVINGS

Assuming the offer for new Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep customers to purchase 700 gallons of gasoline at $2.99/gallon is taken up by a similar number of Chrysler product purchasers as were present in dealerships in April, what'll this cost Chrysler LLC? You've got 148,000 vehicles and can multiply that by 700 gallons of fuel on which there will be savings.

This is where it gets wishy-washy. Fuzzy math, perhaps. There's 103,600,000 gallons of fuel that'll be purchased with the use of a credit card (available to buy only the type of fuel their vehicle demands) at $2.99/gallon. Of course, different parts of America will appreciate this deal more than others. 

Chrysler buyers in Dallas would save - presently - a little over 40 cents. Chicago drivers could add at least another 20 cents, while L.A. and NYC drivers would be saving over 70 cents per gallon. $3.65 is a fair average for regular gasoline, so with a 66 cent cut customers will save 103,600,000 times, Chrysler LLC will be incentivizing to the tune of $68,376,000 for just 148,000 new cars, under $500 per vehicle.

Granted, some vehicles aren't included in the deal. Dodge Sprinters and Vipers, Chrysler Crossfires, and all SRT models aren't open to this deal. True, some buyers won't consume 700 gallons of fuel. Indeed, gas prices could drop. 

But it seems clear with dealers chopping $13,000 off the price of '08 $32,000 Dodge Rams, Chrysler needed to do something more to drive potential customers into dealerships. And hitting customers where it's currently hurting - at the pumps - is the most tempting method of incentivizing. 

TOP 5 SLOW SUV SELLERS by NUMBERS

With the advent of the Ford Explorer, sport-utility vehicles became everyday family transportation. Sure, others had come before. Jeep, Land Rover, and GMC were already in existence as purveyors of trucks and SUVs only. Others, including Ford, sold some form of a closed-in truck. But the Explorer made the sector. SUVs have been compared and contrasted with it ever since, regardless of its competitiveness. 

However, the strength of the American SUV market is meeting its match on two fronts: fuel prices and environmental social conscience. During the first three months of 2008, sport-ute sales have tumbled. Oh sure, the totals are still huge, but the percentage drops are frightening for those companies that pay their workers (and CEO bonuses) with the profits from large SUVs. 

He who argues that hundreds of thousands of SUVs sold so far this year indicates stability is likely the same person who thinks the lowering casualties in Iraq means the still populous middle-aged Iraqi male population isn't exposed to dangerous circumstances. Here are a handful of SUVs facing quickly fading sales. And yeah... I know this is more of a Bottom 5 than a Top 5. Live with it.

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#5 - TOYOTA FJ CRUISER: -38.5%
A relatively low base price and eye-catching angles can't propel this unique Toyota over the persisting trend. The FJ Cruiser's brick-like shape doesn't aid fuel thriftiness, with a city mpg number of just 15. Ouch. During January, February, and March, the FJ still posted better sales figures than any of the other members on this list.

#4 - JEEP COMMANDER: - 42.9%

This does NOT go to show that the profiency of cylinder shutdown systems is lacking. The Jeep's fuel economy isn't good. The cylinder shutoff can't overcome that. Nonetheless, one would assume that a 30mpg Commander would struggle to sell. It's ugly and discontinued.

#3 - MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER: -44.1%

Although the Outlander's drop isn't as severe as the Kia already mentioned, the 44% fall compared with last year's first quarter does put the Mitsu's sales total lower than the Kia's. Mitsubishi can't rightly blame the small SUV market share free-fall. The percentage drop for the Outlander is 15 points worse than the sector it competes in.

#2- KIA SORENTO: -54.2%

The Sorento sits on an ageing platform and performs with LR3-like mileage. Nail. Coffin.

#1 - LAND ROVER LR3: -62.7%

Though the Land Rover's drop only equals a couple thousands fewer units sold over three months, this puts the LR3 on pace for just 5,208 sales over the course of the year. Even the six-cylinder LR3's mileage is shameful; just 16mpg in the city. The Good Car Guy's drive of the LR3 revealed a terrific vehicle, but with quality problems, poor fuel mileage, and an expensive base MSRP. This Land Rover is in for a rough ride.

CHRYSLER UK RETHINKS ITS BUSINESS

Simon Elliott, the boss at Chrysler's UK branch, wants something better. Since returning to the UK after a couple years managing Chrysler's operations in China, Elliott has seen the dreadful numbers. Chrysler sales dropped 21% in the UK last year and Jeep sales dropped 9% over the same period. Though Dodge sales jumped dramatically, Elliott predicts an absence of growth from the Ram-badged brand this year. Yikes.

So, says, the boss, "We currently have 21 models across three brands and I would like to see that dramatically reduced over the next 12 months." Ya think? Chrysler brass is talking about this (and acting on it) on our side of the pond as well.  

Chrysler UK has 83 dealers, too. If that sounds like too much to you, Elliott disagrees. He just wants dealers to carry the cars that'll sell well in their region, rather than filling their lots with every single model. Sounds so revolutionary.  Wow. Dealer profitability is quite low or nonexistent. As some give up and, as Simon Elliott says, "lose their appetite for us", Chrysler wants to recruit new enterprises to keep the number up around 83.  

It might help Chrysler if some of the cars for sale were appealing to Europeans. 

JEEP RECALL

Jeep's Grand Cherokee and slightly bigger brother, the Commander, have been recalled. But wait... slow down. Ignore this if you're ute isn't an '08 model. And there are only 1,338 Jeeps involved in the recall which relates to stalling. Stalling is no good.

More interesting news involves the tens of thousands of other Grand Cherokees on the road, many of which suffer from stalling problems, as well, according to many individual consumers at ConsumerAffairs.com.

Oh, and the windshield wipers suck, too. So says NHTSA.

CHRYSLER QUOTES AND ADVICE

SIMULCAST WITH www.CURRENTQUOTES.blogspot.com: Chrysler is in deep.  The announcement in November was for 11,000 jobs to be cut.  That adds up to a twelve month total of 23,000 jobs lost and 700,000 vehicles that won't be produced.  The Crossfire, Pacifica, Dodge Magnum, and PT Cruiser convertible?  Gone, baby, gone. Here's what they're saying - whoever they are.

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"We'll get the company sized right for the market we'll be in." Jim Press, Chrysler Co-President, speaks to Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealers. -> BusinessWeek

"When they get rid of one model, they may only get back 20% of those buyers with their remaining cars." John Wolkonowicz of the North American Auto Forecasting Group talks about Chrysler LLC's decision to cut models. -> BusinessWeek

"We don't know how many models we're going to have." Suggesting that nobody can know the future of Chrysler's product plans, Jim Press stresses the point to the group of American dealers. -> BusinessWeek

"We'll pick up more quality sales volume." Jim Press, expressing a desire to gain new customers that wouldn't previously have been Chrysler shoppers. -> BusinessWeek

"Isn't it better to do one that's world-class, and then add a crossover utility off the same platform?" Jim Press asks this question rhetorically in regards to the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring. -> Forbes

"I think it'll scare a lot of them." Alan Helfman, VP of River Oaks Chrysler Jeep, a Houston-area dealership, refers to people like him and their concerns about headquarter's wishes to place Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge together in as many dealerships as possible. -> Forbes
"You never know what the market is going to throw at us, but yes, the answer is that we have made the appropriate decisions." Jim Press, one of Chrysler's big men, feels that the cutbacks Chrysler has made will suffice.... for now. -> Chicago SunTimes

"You have to make some sacrifices. When I left Toyota I had to leave my Prius and this is what I'm driving now." Former Toyota executive and current Chrysler top gun Jim Press, standing in front of the Dodge Challenger. -> Freep.com

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So Jim Press has intimated that the group (Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge) needs, perhaps, five passenger cars, three SUVs, two crossover SUVs, one minivan, one full-size van, and a family of trucks.  What should they be building in 2012?

1- A Chrysler 300 with improved perceived quality and the diesel option the Europeans get.

2- Take the Chrysler Sebring.  Make it attractive and Accord-competitive and give it a new name; Chrysler .....?

3- If Chrysler wants to have any chance of surviving, younger people need to want that badge.  A Scion competitor may not be required, but a classy alternative based off of a discontinued but improved Caliber would be nice.

4- Sure, the Chrysler Firepower was a bit much.  But it had the appearance of a true Chrysler sports-tourer.  Give us a four-seat, GT alternative to the Nissan 350Z.  Without a hint of sportiness in the lineup Chrysler will be mocked by the more youthful crowd and thus; forgotten.

5- The Pacifica was supposed to be a game-changer.  It couldn't, wasn't, didn't.  As the world goes green, Chrysler will want an alternative to the large-SUV crowd that still craves space and style.  Do it right - think Enclave, Highlander, Ford Flex.

6- Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Liberty all need to be sold, but marketed with some flavour of 'greenness'.  It won't be many years - or months - before such a perceived guzzling/uselessness will be very harmful.  Put all three on a diet and tell the world about the enviro-solution that is techy materials.

7- If Dodge goes all truck, the Grand Caravan may be seen as.... truckish?  In that case, the Town&Country by Chrysler seems to be a better solution.  Jim Press doesn't want to overlap models, but we all know that even as the minivan market stagnates, Chrysler needs their minivans.

8- The Sprinter can keep on chugging.  Like Swedish hockey players and English television hosts, the Sprinter is the best of Europe brought to America.

9- The Ram and Dakota should be seen as simple entry points to the "family of trucks" that the suits at Chrysler are talking about.  Act like Toyota and distinguish one truck by its hybridization: give it a unique name and look.  Slight tinkering with the exterior and interior design could pay big dividends.  Ford's F-150 is cool as a base model or the King Ranch.  Do thou likewise.  Provide larger Cummins badges.  Let Dodge be truck.

There you find GoodCarBadCar's advice to Chrysler LLC.  Take it or.... more likely, leave it. Check out the post at CurrentQuotes by clicking here.