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Filed under: Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler has unveiled a few plans for the future and, rather than using past successes to carve the path, will adapt its course according to the changing market. While speaking at the recent Western Automotive Journalists' dinner, Chrysler President Jim Press touched on the need to generate brand identity amongst Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler. While each brand currently has a core theme, Jeep - off-road, Dodge - volume and performance, Chrysler - affordable luxury, there have been many recent deviations, such as the conglomeration that is the Jeep Compass. Press hopes to put an end to that trend and focus the company's aim at the automotive enthusiast. Toyota can keep the automotive appliance title, Press wants Chrysler to appeal to drivers rather than consumers. Nevertheless, actions speak louder than words and Press backs up his claims through the current curtailing of vehicle production and the scheduled release of seven new vehicles come...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Etc. , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep If you have a Dodge Ram in the driveway and someone claiming to be Jim Press calls you asking if you're satisfied with your truck, it just might be him. Chrysler recognizes that it has a customer service problem, and the Pentastar is going to extraordinary lengths to correct it. Its top 300 executives and directors are participating in a program called "Customer First" that puts a priority on -- you guessed it -- the customer. The executives, even guys named Nardelli, Press, and LaSorda, are responsible for at least one customer call per day, and all execs will man at least one shift at Chrysler's customer call center. The Pentastar elite are also partaking in a three month competition to see who can generate the most sales. We don't know what the prize is for the winner, but whomever claims top sales should get something really, really good. Like a lifetime supply of Chrysler Sebrings. [Source: Detroit Free...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler president Jim Press saw what hybrid technology did for Toyota, and now the 37-year auto industry vet wants to repeat that success with the Pentastar brands. Press informed attendees at a seminar in New York recently that Chrysler would one day utilize hybrid power in each and every Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep. Of course, the charismatic exec had no timetable for Chrysler's full immersion into the land of hybrid hyperbole, but we would guess that kindergarteners may be ready for college by the time this happens. Before Press finished, he also mentioned an intention to sell as many Chryslers in other markets as the Auburn Hills-based company sells in the States. While it's easy to kick Chrysler when it's down, the privately-owned company has to aim high or it won't have much of a chance. From the day Press entered Chrysler's hallowed halls, he's had a consistent message that the company would...
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Filed under: Hirings/Firings , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler's previous consolidation strategy, dubbed "Project Alpha," was implemented in 2004 to trim and combine dealers. All told, Chrysler was able to cut its dealer network down from 4,000 to 3,600. Not nearly enough to get outlets on par with demand. So Chrysler's co-pres, Jim Press, announced today that Project Alpha is out and Project Genesis is on the way in. According to Automotive News, as you read this, business teams are fanning out across the U.S. to negotiate with dealerships to either buy other outlets or sell their own in an effort to pair down Chrysler's bloated sales network. The plan is to get all three of the automaker's brands - Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep - under one roof, with the possibility of creating satellite dealerships and service-only facilities in outlying areas. But if all of Chrysler's wares are in plain sight of the public, won't that confuse consumers with all the product...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Coupes , Dodge Click above for a high-res gallery of the Dodge Challenger. During yesterday's unveiling of the Dodge Challenger , Chrysler's Vice Chairman, Jim Press, confirmed what we've already known; that Dodge expects to sell between 20,000 and 30,000 Challengers a year once production goes full-bore. All 6,400 Collectors Edition SRT8 models due to hit dealers this spring have been sold and there's a waiting list for the 2009 models. Naturally, more variants will be available next year with less powerful engines and a convertible version is supposedly in the works. According to the Freep, Press expounded on the Challenger's virtues, saying that the SRT8 has a higher top speed (170 mph) than BMW's M5. Kind of a misnomer considering that the M5's speed limiter keeps the BMW sedan below 155 mph - unleashed, it has the potential of doing 205 mph. The Freep also quoted Press as saying that the Challenger has more torque than the...
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Filed under: New York Auto Show , Trends , Trucks/Pickups , Chrysler , Dodge click above for more pics of the 2002 Dodge M80 Concept Jim Press thinks that there's an emerging market for small, fuel efficient trucks. You know, the kind of trucks his former employer, Toyota, used to build. Press put in 37 years at Toyota, and he saw the evolution of the HiLux into the Tacoma, which is no longer the diminutive hauler it once was. Press owns a second home in Thailand, and observing how trucks are used in that country leads him to believe that there's a worldwide need for a small, versatile pickup. Dodge's Dakota saw its sales drop by one third between 2006 and 2007, and Press thinks that's likely due to buyers shifting to crossovers. There's not a whole lot of incentive to buy a midsize truck right now - they cost nearly the same as an entry level full sizer, the mileage is only marginally better, and the size differential isn't that great. We can recall two Dodge concept...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Etc. , Chrysler , Dodge It's no secret that Chrysler's going through a rough patch right now as it sets its turnaround plan in motion. Just last week, the automaker announced additional job and manufacturing cutbacks and killed off four underperforming models. Of interest to enthusiasts, however, is the news that SRT, the in-house tuner responsible for niche vehicles like the Dodge Charger SRT8 shown above, went unscathed. In an interview with Edmunds Auto Observer, SRT marketing head Michael Accavitti weighs in with his thoughts about SRT's current position and future direction, how the Daimler split affects it (not much, apparently) and how it'll fare under new Chrysler boss Bob Nardelli (Accavitti is extremely "up" on the former Home Depot chief). We encourage you to read the interview in full, but based on his comments, it seems that SRT remains very much in the plan for Chrysler. It has received support from new sales/marketing/product czar Jim Press, who...
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