Chrysler's Jim Press Talks Brand Strategy
#2
09-05-2008, 08:03 PM
Record Breaker
I feel relieved to hear the part about Dodge being volume and performance. The commercial and truck purpose was beginning to make me worry. I just hope that they follow through with those promises. I hope affordable luxury means the definition used with the LH approach to affordable luxury as opposed to the LX approach to affordable luxury (or perhaps to better clarify what I mean using the same car segment I hope they mean LHS as opposed to Concorde from base to Limited). Chrysler needs to learn that standard cloth seats, underpowered engines that are not significant in even the volume market let alone the luxury market, and an implied luxury nameplate does not work in bringing in the luxury crowd.
The 300M was an affordable luxury sport due to the fact that it came loaded at the base level with plenty of extra options that made it comparable to Cadillacs and Lincolns while costing at least $10K less. Meanwhile, the current 300 fails to achieve this due to its Concorde like marketing of making a cheap base model that would never be considered comparable to a Lincoln or Cadillac let alone any Import luxury brands. They aimed the base level at Mercury and Buick and maybe even Ford and Chevrolet. That was a huge mistake. That is why you Dodge for that segment, and even why you had Plymouth. The Concorde was the repeated attempt of the Chrysler E-Class to shut Plymouth out. Okay, rant off.
I hope that Chrysler will consider making their mid-sized offerings larger for the LH fans who preferred FWD and find the Avenger and Sebring too small. I've witnessed them loose many sales due to this.
The 300M was an affordable luxury sport due to the fact that it came loaded at the base level with plenty of extra options that made it comparable to Cadillacs and Lincolns while costing at least $10K less. Meanwhile, the current 300 fails to achieve this due to its Concorde like marketing of making a cheap base model that would never be considered comparable to a Lincoln or Cadillac let alone any Import luxury brands. They aimed the base level at Mercury and Buick and maybe even Ford and Chevrolet. That was a huge mistake. That is why you Dodge for that segment, and even why you had Plymouth. The Concorde was the repeated attempt of the Chrysler E-Class to shut Plymouth out. Okay, rant off.
I hope that Chrysler will consider making their mid-sized offerings larger for the LH fans who preferred FWD and find the Avenger and Sebring too small. I've witnessed them loose many sales due to this.
