Chrysler introduces "fight back" plan for sebring and avenger

[GMfan1111]

Chryslers newest scheme to bring sales to the slow selling sebring and avenger is to drop the 3.5 liter V6 models and to put some of the 3.5's toys into the lower trim level models more on this common sense strategy at the link.


http://jalopnik.com/398815/chrysler-...maller-engines

[EldoFan]

Too little......nearly too late. The Sebring/Avenger interiors are even worse than those in the Charger/300.........unless Chrysler puts a thorough refresh/redo at the top of their 'to do' list (and soon!)......these may be the balls/chains dragging the company to its grave.

[baby-vortec2900]

Anything is better then nothing...I guess

As mentioned in the article, Honda has been doing this for years. Its about time that Dodge comes around to this. I don't think that dropping the 3.5 will prove to be a good idea in a mid size car though

[RamJet502]

My aunt's Avenger has given her nothing but problems since she bought it, they're crap.

[Hitman1970]

Caliber is a better vehicle than Sebring/Avenger, but that is not saying much to begin with. At least in a Caliber when I press on the gas there is something resembling pick up. The interior, although Chrysler terrible, is less horrible than the mid-sizers.

[baby-vortec2900]

Originally Posted by Hitman1970

Caliber is a better vehicle than Sebring/Avenger, but that is not saying much to begin with. At least in a Caliber when I press on the gas there is something resembling pick up. The interior, although Chrysler terrible, is less horrible than the mid-sizers.

Aren't the Caliber and Avenger/Sebring built on modifications of the same platform?

[Hitman1970]

Originally Posted by baby-vortec2900

Aren't the Caliber and Avenger/Sebring built on modifications of the same platform?

I am not sure, but have rented my share of both in the past year. The Caliber feels like it is a better vehicle when you drive it.

I root for Chrysler, but have lost hope that they will find their way again. My first two cars were Chrysler products from the 70's and each had some issues but were not bad vehicles. I consider Sebring/Avenger to be bad vehicles from the start.

[t-rex]

Without some serious sheetmetal and interior changes, those cars are going nowhere.

[stormwatcher]

What a disaster for Chrysler. The Caliber, Avenger and Sebring are a mess. That the Sebring and Avenger ever got the go ahead for production is beyond me. If Chrysler hadn't cheaped out so badly on these vehicles, there would have 3 hot selling smaller cars right now. Instead, we get interiors even Hyundai would sneer at.

[zabolots]

While I agree with the trend to no longer tie 4-cylinder to ultra-low-content trim levels, it's gonna take a lot more than that to help the Sebring/Avenger, especially with their buzzy 4-cyl powertrains and poor interiors.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by t-rex

Without some serious sheetmetal and interior changes, those cars are going nowhere.

they are already nowhere and are left in the dust by nearly all of there competition. Unless Chrysler does an immediate and complete overhaul of these vehicles or speeds up development of the Phoenix cars they will become even more redundant and outdated. Also Chryslers design department needs a good kick in the rear as well. Case in point does anyone remember the jeep compass concept that Chrysler showed a few years back? nothing too special about that concept but it was pretty cool and it did have fans. But when it came time to turn the concept to reality it turned out to be a piece of crap.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by stormwatcher

What a disaster for Chrysler. The Caliber, Avenger and Sebring are a mess. That the Sebring and Avenger ever got the go ahead for production is beyond me. If Chrysler hadn't cheaped out so badly on these vehicles, there would have 3 hot selling smaller cars right now. Instead, we get interiors even Hyundai would sneer at.

I agree the Chrysler employee I talked to a while back actually got to see what some of the sketches and prototypes for the jeep compass looked like and he was amazed that Chrysler would allow something like the compass into production when it was clear early on that it was a flawed vehicle

[A Clue]

Just Cerberus undoing Daimler's disaster until new product shows up. You all laugh, but those cars will sell on the value factor alone.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by A Clue

Just Cerberus undoing Daimler's disaster until new product shows up. You all laugh, but those cars will sell on the value factor alone.

actually Daimler was also mentioned in my chat with the employee as well Apparently after Daimler merged (AKA took over) Chrysler, they began a massive cost cutting campaign. The sebring and avenger were some of the ill fated results of their cost cuts and other programs were affected as well

[EldoFan]

Originally Posted by GMfan1111

actually Daimler was also mentioned in my chat with the employee as well Apparently after Daimler merged (AKA took over) Chrysler, they began a massive cost cutting campaign. The sebring and avenger were some of the ill fated results of their cost cuts and other programs were affected as well

Christ almighty, you think after putting so much money into M-B, that they (Daimler) could afford to at least put Chrysler on par with the rest of the automotive world.........not 30 years behind it......