Not only is Chrysler working on their 5-year plan, but they are also planning to bring TV to Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles. This FLO TV will feature up to 20 channels that includes Nickelodeon, MTV, MSNBC, Comedy Central, Fox News, CNBC, CBS Mobile, plus many more.

The Mopar system uses a small antenna, and the associated receiver and wires will not be seen by the occupants. The screen will be the DVD player with its 7-inch display, and passengers can use the wireless remote to surf the channels. FLO TV will be offered as a deal-installed option for most new Chrysler SUV minivans for about $629, which includes one year of pre-paid FLO TV service subscription.

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I don’t know about you, but when someone comes to me saying that they have a five-year plan, it is usually a good sign that it is something they don’t follow in the next year. Let’s hope Chrysler will follow its 5-year plan that it made in its 7 hour long presentation and actually achieve its desired results.

There is a few models on their way out, new models that are on their way, and some that will be hanging around and getting their annual upgrades. Check them out from Chrysler’s website here.

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And the answer to the big question above?  Chrysler.

Ouch.

See, this is doubly unnerving after discovering that, yesterday, they were still trying to get a cohesive corporate strategy together and won’t actually have one until sometime later today.  Or at least not one they want to tell their franchisees about, who are probably all looking at this news with a kind of confused rage and just longing to scream various epithets at anyone who’s in charge over there.

Chrysler needs a comeback, plain and simple.  So what they’ve got to do is offer stuff you can’t get anywhere else.  Frankly, I have a hard time imagining just what it is they CAN do.  I drive a Chevy, myself, a wonderful if aging Monte Carlo, and my folks drive Ford Explorers.  There’s not a whole lot of taste issues as I’m considering switching to a pickup fairly soon anyway, and chances are I will go either Ford or Chevy.

Chrysler needs to get some new and interesting product, or it doesn’t matter how many bailouts it gets–it’s still done for.

Tags: Business, Chrysler, Ford, GM, improvement, lagging, Toyota

Yeah fellas, keep waiting.  I got a feeling that, before you get a viable strategy out of Chrysler, Hell will be a Frigidaire dealership.

But there’s a vague glimmer of hope here, as Chrysler franchisees will now be getting their marching orders from Fiat SpA rather than Chrysler proper.

Now, ordinarily, I’d laugh myself stupid at the thought that somehow Fiat (widely known by the acronym for Fix It Again, Tony) would be able to generate a more viable corporate strategy than Chrysler, but hey…I’m laughing out the other side of my face today as it becomes clear that Fiat outlasted Chrysler.  And in business, survival is the only real judge of viability.  If you’re still in business tomorrow, then your business model works.

So what will that strategy be?  We won’t find out until at least Wednesday, when the franchisees get the word.

Tags: Business, Chrysler, Fiat, fiat spa, merger, strategy

Dodge Challenger is sporting a new look, and it almost looks like Bumblebee from the Transformers movies. One can’t help but wonder why, because that Revenge of the Fallen movie sucked real bad, and made Bumblebee a mute robot once again, for no reason whatsoever, and little explanation.

If this Dodge Challenger could transform into a robot, I hope it would feel better about itself. What’s next for Chrysler’s 2010 lineup? A Challenger painted to look like Optimus Prime?

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You can add another feature to look forward to for upcoming Chrysler vehicles. Audiovox has announced that they will start supplying Chrysler dealers with FLO TV Entertainment System which should perk up the in-car entertainment being demanded today.

The FLO TV service is live mobile TV with the capacity for up to 20 channels with something for everyone. This includes programs like sports, news, children’s shows and reality TV. The system includes a OE headrest DVD and seat top solutions which can integrate with factory rear seat entertainment systems. A Mopar 7” DVD screen, remote controls and a small antenna is also included, promising better car entertainment for future Chrysler vehicle owners.

(Source) Press

Tags: antenna, audiovox, car entertainment, Chrysler, chrysler dealers, chrysler vehicle, chrysler vehicles, entertainment system, entertainment systems, flo, mobile tv, reality tv, rear seat, seat entertainment, sports news, tv entertainment, tv service

For those who don’t know about California’s “cool cars” regulations, itis a policy that requires auto manufacturers to install windows that prevent 45 percent of the sun’s energy from entering a vehicle by 2014, and then 60 percent by 2016. Yeah, you got to love Calli-forn-ia (how the governor says it) and its stringent environmental laws.

Oddly enough, the Jeep Wrangler soft-top is exempt from this rule because it has flexible plastic windows. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t be allowed to sell it in the great state of California. Nice.

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Chrysler may be the worst off of all the big three–not only were they smaller going in than GM, and both were much worse off financially than Ford, but Chrysler is the one you don’t hear from.

But now, some fresh news has emerged that should surprise some people–Chrysler’s Dodge brand is now essentially two businesses  in one.  Both divisions are overseen by their own CEO, but one branch will focus exclusively on cars, the other on trucks.

On the surface this seems like a good idea.  Specialization allows a company to take advantage of economies of scale, though I’m not sure how good an idea it was to hire TWO CEOs, considering how big a drain on resources a chief executive officer can be.  Of course, as long as the board of directors keeps executive pay at an even keel, this may not be too bad a move.  Get the economies of scale without the huge CEO pay package?  I’ve heard worse myself, and from Fiat, that’s especially surprisingly lucid.

Tags: brand, brand split, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat

Chrysler got a new lease on life some months back with regards to its current financial standing. Now it seems that they have totally forgotten how to redeem itself from their poor showing as the company is still mum on what it plans to do with their current product line. There has been no word on new vehicles that would be coming out and yet we are nearing the close of 2009. Has Chrysler totally lost it?

Unlike Ford which has put much of its weight on their electric car, the Volt, Chrysler has not leaked or shown any new car models to look forward to. Rather they are providing customers with perks like car leasing and specialized features. How long can they do that? Unless they start getting their act together they are better off closing the company or perhaps selling it to someone else. They do have plans of a brand makeover but time is essential. Apparently Chrysler forgot all about that.

Tags: auto chrysler, available resources, car industry, car leasing, car models, Cars, Dodge, doors, economic turmoil, electric car, Ford, makeover, market position, models, new blood, new car, new direction, new lease on life, new vehicles, quick time, rebates, signs of life, special offers, trucks, Volt, waste of time

Although expensive for a small car, the Fiat 500 is definitely a looker. And the car is coming to the USA soon with Chrysler being responsible for its distribution. So if you’re planning to walk in a Chrysler dealership soon, don’t be surprised to see this small beauty patiently waiting for its future owner in a corner of the shop right next to a Dodge or a Jeep which Chrysler also happens to sell.

The 500 will come straight from the Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico but you’ll have to wait for late 2010 to get one in the US. Chrysler will make about 100,000 units of the Fiat 500 and if everything goes well, the whole 500 lineup will be available in the years to come. So what do you say Fiat fans? Anxious to get your Fiat 500?

via Autoweek

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When you get a new car, chances are you will be paying attention to all the features that it comes with. Question! Do you know how to operate it? You can tinker with it all you want but it still remains that the proper way to operate them exists. And apparently thanks to all the excitement a new car owner would be brimming with, he forgets that a user manual comes with the car, something that should guide him to properly operate these features.

Apparently there is something lacking as far as taking note of these car owner’s manuals. And now Chrysler may finally be the first to break the ice by offering Digital Owner’s Manuals to come with select models. Among the models that will be carrying this new digital technology include all 2010 Chryslers, Jeeps, and Dodge vehicles.

Not only will this be keen, it will also be environmentally friendly in a way as its will save 930 tons of paper, the equivalent of 20,000 trees annually. However, customers requiring a traditional printed manual may obtain one by contacting their dealer or calling customer service.

Image Courtesy: CNet

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In what is perhaps another effort to jack up car sales and entice customer interest, Chrysler has announced the return of their leasing options for all 2010 models of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge through their long-time ally and preferred lender GMAC financial services. With the additional financing options now back in harness, potential car buyers can now look forwards to broader options as far as buying new cars under the Chrysler brand.

Leasing will start on September 17 for all the 2010 Chrysler models. Among the featured vehicles for lease up to September 30 include:

• Chrysler Town & Country
• Dodge Grand Caravan, Ram 1500 and Journey
• Jeep Wrangler and Liberty

continue reading "Chrysler Brings Back Car Leasing"

Tags: buying new cars, car buyers, car leasing, chrysler brand, chrysler chrysler, chrysler jeep, chrysler models, chrysler town, customer interest, dodge grand caravan, financing options, gmac financial services, jeep wrangler, leasing options, model cars, preferred lender, ram 1500, time ally

Despite the fact that Ford is still the last of the big three automakers to not have accepted any government bailout money, they’re still operating in a tough environment.  Let’s face it–everybody’s been operating in a tough environment ever since about 2007.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone to hear this:

“We plan to sell,” Booth said. “It’s not about Volvo, but because we want to focus on Ford. The situation for Ford around the world is still tough. Ford is still losing money.”

Ford is still losing money and they want to focus on Ford.  Well, frankly, you can hardly fault them for planning to deal with their own problems and, meanwhile, spin off some divisions.  Especially given that Volvo is a loss-maker for Ford.

Who’s going to buy?  Well, some have said that the Chinese are interested.  But some Chinese firms have said that they never actually made an offer.  If something doesn’t happen soon, Volvo will be Ford’s albatross.

Tags: china, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Sweden, Volvo

Seems that, at the last minute, the big three automakers (which aren’t so big any more, ho ho, that really isn’t funny in any conventional sense) Ford and GM and Chrysler caught on to a fact that they probably should have caught on to long before now, that big cars are out.

What’s in, you ask? Golf carts!

Okay, so I’m being a little facetious there– but I’m not too far off from the truth.  The key thing here is, people don’t want bigger and more  than they had last year.  People are a little more willing to fix what they have and make do rather than going out and buying the latest and greatest.  To be fair however, some of this is forced on them.  Loans for big and fancy are a whole a lot harder to come by than they were this time last year, let alone this time five years ago.

But a small loan for a small car? Comparatively, far simpler.

Will this trend stay a trend?  No way to know that just yet.  But you know we’ll keep an eye on it.

Tags: auto loans, big cars, car buyers, car buying, Loans, small cars

It was recently announced that Chrysler will be releasing an updated version of their 2010 Dodge Caliber onto the European marketing at some point in the near future.

This updated diesel burning engine will be capable of 163 hp and 236 pounds-per-foot of torque along with a 40.6 mpg rating. Chrysler says the new Common-rail diesel engine will give the car 16% more power and  3% more torque while improving 5% better gas mileage and reducing  CO2 emissions by 3% which make up for the above mentioned numbers.

Of course this is just a brief overview of what will be in the new Dodge Caliber. You can read about the rest of the features in the press release after the break.

continue reading "Chrysler updates European 2010 Dodge Caliber with more powerful/efficient diesel engine"

Tags: Chrysler, commin-rail diesel, dodge caliber, engine