There could never be a much perfect timing for the creation of the Chrysler 300 sedan. The production of the 300 sedan was a timely stroke of brilliance in Auburn Hills. It should be noted that in more years than anyone can remember the PT Cruiser, classic Jeep Grand Cherokee together with the range of innovative new minivans have saved Chrysler from near bankruptcy.

The only question now is: Does Chrysler has enough resources left to create another product-led comeback? The current cutting measures that the automaker is employing such as cutting jobs and stabilizing health care cost although it helps but is not enough to save the automaker from a possible buyout. It is also not a secret that DaimlerChrysler AG is looking for potential buyers for the Chrysler AG and if Chrysler will not exert effort to prove its worth to Daimler then it will have to find a new home.

Chrysler is not at all a bad company, as a fact, last year it was able to introduce a record of 10 vehicles of which there were no unqualified hits except for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited which is only a small part of the whole equation. And for this year, Chrysler will once again launch eight more new models. Not bad for a company that is on the brink of being torn to pieces.

Steve Bartoli, Chrysler’s Vice-President for global product planning said, “We just have to be competitive,” and further stated that the coming of new vehicles will help in paying dividends quickly. “It’s been a mixed mesh of new vehicles. And fortunately there haven’t been any disasters.”

Most analysts’ thinks that Chrysler needs to develop an emotional connection with its buyers. And at present Chrysler still designs and produces polarizing vehicles. As a fact, a great number of its newest models like the boxy and aggressive Dodge Nitro provide a distinctive look and one-of-a-kind features for its respective segment. According to Jim Sanfilippo, an automotive marketing expert with Team Detroit that handles advertising for several brands, “You don’t get 300s every year. They’re going to do OK. Chrysler has a lot of solid doubles and all of them four-cylinder engines, which is going to be important when gas prices start to climb again.”

Chrysler and its Minivans
And what about the Minivans will they be able to help Chrysler? One of the most important vehicle launches that Chrysler has for 2007 is in the segment it invented way back in the year 1983 which is the minivan. Starting from the time that Chrysler has introduced the minivans in the market it has been able to sell at least 11 million family haulers. “If Chrysler has a home run, it’s their new minivan,” said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN, an automotive consulting company in Grand Rapids.

The fifth generation 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan and top-selling Dodge Caravan which will hit dealerships this fall should be able to boost the lagging sales of Chrysler, according to Merkle. He also added, “The competition doesn’t have the ability to build more minivans. And Chrysler is introducing an excellent product.”

Despite the fact that Chrysler owns 28 percent of the segment, the sales for the Town and Country minivans still dropped by 12 percent last year while the Caravan sales decline by 6.9 percent that is according to Autodata. Fortunately for Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are now abandoning minivans which make Chrysler as the strongest producer in this segment and will be competing only against Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.—holding No.2 and No.3 spots respectively.

Chrysler and its Sedan
Although Chrysler may not be as lucky in the midsize sedan segment with its two introductions—the all new Dodge Avenger and the redesigned Sebring— but both of these vehicles possess distinctive designs and economical advantage since both were built on the same platform in Sterling Heights. The Avenger was given an aggressive and meaner look while the Sebring was given a face that is made for rental car fleet.

The Sebring sedan is scheduled to hit showrooms in December but sales remain sluggish which Bartoli blames to an end-of-year launch. The Sebring sedan with its short deck and snubbed nose makes it an ugly duckling in the range but wait till you see the convertible version of the sedan which is scheduled to come out later this year. The dropping of the top and the removal of the two doors makes the convertible Sebring sedan a standout.

The Avenger on the other hand is already available in dealerships and offers an attractive alternative to a segment that is filled with hot-selling bland vehicles. It resembles a small Charger and its unique features, strong styling, and good gas mileage is expected to attract new customers.

Dodge which is a brand that appeals to more men than women has a car on its hands that could pull more drivers who are looking for vehicles that have a sporty look and utility that is similar to that of the sedan.

The Dodge Caliber which has given Chrysler with a moderate success has continued the tradition of the automaker when it comes to offering a distinct alternative to the traditional competitors. Although the interior may seem simple but it comes with clever features such as a cooler in the glove box and a detachable cabin light. More than 90,000 units of Dodge Caliber were sold since its launching last year. Also a 300 horsepower high performance SRT version of the Caliber is scheduled for release later this year.

For more about your Jeep parts needs like Jeep fuel pump, visit your trusted online source.

Lisa Ziegler is a 29-year old native of Waldport, Oregon and is currently working as a senior research analyst in a top Automotive Research Consultancy firm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Ziegler
http://EzineArticles.com/?Was-it-Just-Luck-for-Chrysler?&id=499658

Chrysler Group’s new 2008 minivans, unveiled at this year’s North American International Auto Show, offer three distinct seating and storage options. The newest seating option is a cutting-edge seating technology called Swivel ‘n Go(TM). It includes second-row quad seats that swivel 180 degrees rearward to face the third-row seats. Swivel ‘n Go also includes a removable table (1) that installs between the second- and third-row seats. The seats swivel outward, which eases entry and exit or the placement of a child in a car seat. Both swiveling seats can also be removed. Heated cloth or leather first- and second-row seats are available in the Swivel ‘n Go and industry-exclusive Stow ‘n Go(R) seating and storage system configurations in the 2008 Chrysler Group minivans.

To further enhance the new minivans, Chrysler Group worked with Intier Automotive Seating to develop a powered version of its fold-in-the-floor third-row seat. The one-touch operation, which stows the seat in less than 15 seconds, is a minivan first. The one-touch, power-folding, third-row seat will stow in four different modes. Depending on the passenger/cargo needs, the entire seat can stow, be in tailgate mode or each section of the seat can stow or tailgate individually. The third-row, power-folding seat also includes an obstacle-detection system that will stop the seat from folding in the event a person or object is in the way.

Intier Automotive Seating is an innovative leader in the development and manufacturing of complete seating systems and seating mechanisms for the automotive industry.

Magna International, the most diversified automotive supplier in the world, designs, develops and manufactures automotive systems, assemblies, modules and components, and engineers and assembles complete vehicles, primarily for sale to original equipment manufacturers of cars and light trucks in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Its capabilities include the design, engineering, testing and manufacture of automotive interior and closure systems; metal body and structural systems; exterior and interior mirror and engineered glass systems; exterior systems, including front and rear end modules, plastic body panels, exterior trim and other systems; various powertrain and drivetrain systems; as well as, complete vehicle engineering and assembly.

Magna International has approximately 84,000 employees in 228 manufacturing operations and 62 product development and engineering centers in 23 countries.

Swivel ‘n Go and Stow ‘n Go are registered trademarks of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

(1) Intier Automotive Seating did not develop and does not manufacture the removable table.

Anyone can enter the contest at www.chryslersebringhatsofftothederby.com by March 5, 2007. The public will help decide the favorite hat designs. The public will vote on the top 15 hat design submissions to determine their favorite sketches. The 15 quarter-finalist designs will be posted on the contest Web site, www.chryslersebringhatsofftothederby.com, from March 20 – 26 for public voting.

The top five vote getters will be provided seed money and convertible top fabric to produce their hat. After viewing the completed hats, judges will select the top three finalists, who will receive a trip for two to the Kentucky Derby and a chance to win an all-new 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. The grand prize winner will be decided by a panel of judges and announced in Louisville, Ky., Kentucky Derby weekend.

Entries will also be accepted by mail at:

Chrysler Sebring Hats Off to the Derby Contest
Department 4764
P.O. Box 6650
Stacy, MN 55078-6650

Mailed entries must be post marked no later than March 5, 2007 and received no later than March 9, 2007. Additional details are provided on the contest Web site.

About the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
The completely redesigned 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible offers a sleek and elegant design, exhilarating performance with excellent fuel efficiency and a spacious interior. The Sebring Convertible also offers what no other convertible has offered before – three automatically latching convertible top options: vinyl, cloth and a body-color painted steel hard top, all of which can be retracted with a push of a button on the key fob.

The Chrysler Sebring Convertible has long held the honor of America’s favorite convertible, solidly leading the segment for the past decade. In fact, Sebring Convertible has earned the title of best-selling convertible in the United States for seven of the past 11 years. The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible is poised to be in the winners circle when it becomes available in U.S. dealerships in the second quarter of 2007 and in global volume markets in the second half of 2007.