"MikeFetters" (mikefetters)
09/01/2015 at 16:50 • Filed to: FCA, Dodge, Chrysler, JEEP, CUV
2
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"MikeFetters" (mikefetters)
09/01/2015 at 16:50 • Filed to: FCA, Dodge, Chrysler, JEEP, CUV | 2
| 28 |
With all of the news recently about Sergio Marchionne’s strange and burning desire for a merger and the huge model expansion from FCA, it seems that one market segment is still going ignored, small CUV’s. While it’s not the most exciting segment for Jalops - it’s one that FCA must offer vehicles in it if wants to survive. Yes, Jeep offers a wide range of small CUV’s and Fiat has the 500x, neither Dodge nor Chrysler seem to have plans to offer any vehicles to compete with the CRV’s, Rav4’s and CX-5’s of the world.
This is a mistake.
The Jeep brand will continue to sell plenty of small CUV’s - but so long as Jeep is seen as the off-road brand, it will not appeal to a large portion of the market. Chrysler, on the other hand, has the potential to emulate Buick’s success with a slightly upscale, but still affordable feel. Dodge has the ability to sell cars in the same market as Mazda; sporty vehicles with racy styling and better driving dynamics. But FCA is not selling these vehicles. Why? I can’t find a good reason other than that they are not a priority for FCA. It’s all well and good to build stupidly fast vehicles (and by no means do I think they should stop doing so), but it’s not the best business decision. And if FCA wants to keep building Hellcat everything - they need strong sellers elsewhere.
The small
CUV market is huge and in the opinion of this author, FCA has to prioritize this segment if wants to continue its growth. What are your thoughts? Should FCA attack this segment? Or am I writing nonsense?
CB
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:03 |
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To be fair, Dodge sells the Journey. It’s kind of lame, but it exists.
Also, the Fiat 500X.
Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:08 |
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I’d say the Renegade fills that market pretty well. It’s not too offroad-ish.
BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:11 |
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The Journey is Chrysler’s best selling model.
qbeezy
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:12 |
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They kinda do. And it’s very shitty. The best they could do would be to change the paneling and badge and grill and name it something from the past that doesn’t match up today, like the dart.
Edit: kinja’d before making point.
itschrome
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:13 |
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because minivan. you want an SUV/CUV buy a jeep.
Call me wrong but it wouldn’t really fit the marketing for dodge or Chrysler to pack on a CUV to the line up. The journey is amazingly still kicking(I know I’m shocked too) but wont be around too much longer, but why introduce that to the line up when they have jeep? as far as I can tell women mainly drive them any ways and when was the last time you saw Dodge or Chrysler really pushing that demographic? Even their mini van is a “Man Van” and hell if you little lady wants a nice CUv how about this cute little Fiat over there or you know if you ever need to drive it too a nice Renegade. Trail rated Bro, you wont look like a fool in that! but seriously, they have all the SUV/CUV they need under jeep with a Durango sitting cold in the Dodge line up. You can get that or the Grand Cherokee with plenty enough luxury options it would be asinine to push on out under Chrysler just for the sake of halo luxobarge.
WiscoProud
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:13 |
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Renegade, Cherokee, Fiat 500x are all small CUVs with slightly different targets utilizing the same platform.
HammerheadFistpunch
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:14 |
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I disagree, Jeep is killing it with Cherokee sales as they should since they are the SUV brand of FCA. They are selling 80% of this volume in the form of regular non-trailhawk cherokee’s to the type of person cross shopping similar sized crossovers. Dodge doesn’t really need a small cuv for its brand identity and neither does Chrysler, though I think a rebadged cherokee might not be a bad looking thing, and probably sell pretty well.
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MikeFetters
> HammerheadFistpunch
09/01/2015 at 17:19 |
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True - Jeep is doing very, very well. It just seems like a weird market not to try to at least get some market share in. I think you’re probably right about brand identity - they don’t need it - but it probably wouldn’t detract from either identity anyway.
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MikeFetters
> qbeezy
09/01/2015 at 17:22 |
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Yeah - it’s really shitty. Just seems like an easy cash cow without having to do a ton of development.
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MikeFetters
> BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/01/2015 at 17:22 |
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Wow, really?
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MikeFetters
> Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
09/01/2015 at 17:24 |
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True - it’s an awesome little cuv. But aren’t sales totally dwarfed by the Honda HR-V? I think the Jeep identity prevents some potential shoppers from going into the showroom in a way that a similar vehicle from either Dodge or Chrysler might not.
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:27 |
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My immediate response was “Um Jeep Renegade, duh” But your leaving Jeep out of the equation. I would guess that for one the Compass, and Liberty sold like crap, so they don’t seed a Dodge version doing well(altho that was the Caliber), but that platform of is done for, thank god.
I think we’ll probably see a Dodge version of the Renegade soon enough, Maybe bring back the Raider name?...doubt it. Altho a retro Raider could look pretty awesome, bringing up the captive import/DSM days of the 80’s and early 90’s probably isn’t something Dodge wants to do.
...Any way... I’m very glad Chrysler Doesn’t have small SUV, every time I see a Buick Encore I laugh a little, or became filled with rage, to me it looks, cheap, ugly, and ment for people who just want a “nice car”. It cheapens the brand. I know small SUVs can be done well, and look good(see Mazda CX5, Hyundia Tucson) but 9 time out of ten they just look...normal, Chrysler has worked hard to build and image of being something special, for a certain kind of person. making a small SUV that you can’t go a day without seeing is the opposite of what they need. IDK about you but I get a little excited every time I see a 300, especially a 300S, And I’d like Chryslers to stay special. Unlike these ugly Buicks. They’ve become the Subaru Crosstreck fro boring people, in my mind at least.
Textured Soy Protein
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:27 |
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Plus while the Grand Cherokee and Durango are generally thought of as “trucks,” they share a platform with the W166 Mercedes ML/GLE-class which is...a crossover.
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qbeezy
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:36 |
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Yeah. They *should just build something of that platform. But that would make too much sense.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:43 |
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That might just be because the Honda is a Honda though.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:43 |
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Yeah, that surprises me too.
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HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:43 |
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You know people give the Compass and Liberty a lot of crap, but for what you pay you get a lot. Is it a “jeep” NOPE, is it as nice, or powerful as other “CUVs” No again, but it is CHEAP. When I was selling Chrylsers, and Fords you could buy a new 4x4 Compass for about the as equally equipped Focus. Alot of people how bought one came in looking at the Escape, and then saw that the Compass/Liberty were 4-6 grand cheaper. And you cuold get a very basic stripper Compass 4x4 with a stick! and roll up windows! need a 4x4 company car, and you don’t car if your employees like it or not? there you go. We sold two of those to local a hardware store that had warn out there old RWD Rangers. They were pretty excited about not having to go chase done stuck pup trucks.
and 100 more
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:45 |
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I think they’re afraid of self-cannibalizing their Jeep success by competing from within FCA. Hell, Jeep is doing so well, they’re still hitting record sales numbers on the Patriot, which is almost a decade old.
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Textured Soy Protein
> BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/01/2015 at 17:52 |
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Except...the Journey is a Dodge. It is the best-selling Dodge though.
Here are the year-to-date and monthly FCA sales numbers, as of August .
Ram Pickup - 294,045 / 45,310
Chrysler 200 - 135,709 / 14,032
Jeep Cherokee - 140,888 / 18,763
Jeep Wrangler - 139,930 / 18,160
Jeep Grand Cherokee - 126,091 / 17,144
Jeep Patriot - 80,186 / 11,058
Dodge Journey - 68,938 / 9,375
Dodge Charger - 63,316 / 6,734
Dodge Dart - 61,075 / 6,154
Dodge Caravan - 53,651 / 9,209
Chrysler Town & Country - 52,807 / 7,403
Dodge Challenger - 47,397 / 5,235
Dodge Durango - 41,222 / 5,604
Jeep Compass - 39,707 / 7,523
Chrysler 300 - 33,034 / 4,145
Jeep Renegade - 28,907 / 8,156
Fiat 500 - 19,403 / 2,054
Ram Promaster Van - 16,774 / 3,175
Fiat 500L - 6,695 / 305
Ram Promaster City - 4,557 / 889
Dodge Cargo Van* - 3,166 / 65
Fiat 500X - 1,999 / 1,029
Dodge Avenger* - 1,124 / 35
Dodge Viper - 454 / 40
Alfa Romeo 4C - 443 / 7
* The Dodge Avenger and Dodge Cargo Van are both discontinued and selling out the last remaining inventory.
bob and john
> BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/01/2015 at 17:55 |
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.....its still in production>?
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Textured Soy Protein
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 17:55 |
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The Renegade sold 8,156 units in August . It sold 6,320 units in July . Honda hasn’t announced their August numbers yet but the HR-V sold 5,909 units in July .
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MikeFetters
> Textured Soy Protein
09/01/2015 at 17:57 |
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I think something that’s really interesting in those numbers is that the Compass outsold the Renegade - and so did the Patriot. Wow!
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MikeFetters
> HammerheadFistpunch
09/01/2015 at 17:58 |
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Good point
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MikeFetters
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
09/01/2015 at 18:01 |
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I see what you’re saying about Chrysler. The Ecnore isn’t great looking at all - but it sells! The 300 is a really special looking car, and the 200 is miles better than what it replaced. I think that the problem with the notion that Chrysler needs to stay special is that they sell the Town & Country. That, to me, pollutes the specialness of the brand. With that in mind, I just don’t see the business case against say a rebodied Cherokee.
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Textured Soy Protein
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 18:03 |
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Keep in mind the Renegade has only been on sale a few months. It sold 633 more units in August than the Compass. The Patriot is still ahead of the Renegade in the monthly numbers, but I bet it’s being sold at quite the discount. Jeep is also going to have a new CUV in between the Renegade and Cherokee, to replace both the Patriot and Compass.
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BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
> bob and john
09/01/2015 at 19:09 |
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Yes. Until 2017 at least.
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BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
> Textured Soy Protein
09/01/2015 at 19:10 |
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Oops, I guess you’re right.
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HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> MikeFetters
09/01/2015 at 19:20 |
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I guess it thats true. I forgot all about the T&C.