Dodge To Say Goodbye To Grand Caravan & Avenger, Replace With One Model

[William Maley]

Dodge To Say Goodbye To Grand Caravan & Avenger, Replace With One Model

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

October 10, 2011

Dodge will be getting one crossover to replace the Grand Caravan and Avenger. Fiat & Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne tells Automotive News the model is part of a plan to reduce the number of duplicated vehicles in showrooms and give their brands a strong identity.

"We cannot have the same type of vehicle in the showroom because the consumer is not stupid. We're not going to create the confusion and conflict in the showroom," Marchionne said.

The crossover will use the Town & Country's platform and come out sometime in 2013 or 2014.

Updates from Automotive News:

Editor's note: The Dodge crossover will be built on the platform of the new Chrysler Town & Country minivan. An earlier version of this story misstated the platform for that Dodge vehicle.

-- The Chrysler brand will get a replacement for its mid-sized 200 sedan in 2013. The 200 name may remain. The sibling Dodge Avenger will disappear, and Dodge instead will attempt to cover the mid-sized segment with a crossover -- the same vehicle that replaces the Grand Caravan.

-- A second smaller Dodge crossover is planned to replace the current Journey. That vehicle will arrive after 2014.

-- Dodge will cover the compact segment with a four-door sedan, expected to debut at the Detroit auto show in January. The model will replace the outgoing Caliber hatchback. The Chrysler brand will offer a "sort of hatchback," Marchionne said, built on the same underpinnings used by the Dodge compact sedan. That car will be sold in Europe as a Lancia. The Chrysler brand will share many platforms with Lancia.

-- The next-generation full-sized minivan, due in 2014, will be offered only by the Chrysler brand. The crossover that Dodge will offer in lieu of a minivan is meant to appeal to Grand Caravan customers looking for space, flexibility and sportiness. "A crossover is more in line for Dodge to cover that segment than it is for anybody else to cover that segment," Marchionne said.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

[Drew Dowdell]

Dropping a sedan to go with a crossover? I think I've seen this movie before... and I know how it ends.

[SAmadei]

Wow... that's just nothing but a bad idea.

To me, it wouldn't get you a Magnum wagon... but it would create a Dodge Crosstour and lots of fleeing customers.

Dodge just can't abandon the midsize car market like that.

[Camino LS6]

Pacifica II ?

[Drew Dowdell]

Pacifica II ?

except the Pacifica was actually really good.

[Robert Hall]

Ok....so only Chrysler will get a midsize car and minivan? And Dodge gets a midsize CUV? Wierd strategery. Unless they are setting up for a Dodge phaseout down the road.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

I thought the Journey already had that slot in the lineup. And Caliber II does not sound good to me.

I say just keep the Journey if they want to destroy decades of name recognition and goodwill toward the Caravan nameplate. Give Dodge a coupe and convertible version of the Chrysler 200 replacement with its own sheetmetal, drop the 200 convertible. Overlap problem solved.

300 and Charger need to both be preserved... they are very well differentiated at the moment.

[FAPTurbo]

Just when I thought ChryCo was actually becoming a smart, relevant auto manufacturer again!

[Robert Hall]

The 200 is outselling the Avenger, isn't it? And since Chrysler, not Dodge, is the international brand, maybe they decided Chrysler should get a global midsize while Dodge doesn't get one since it's NA only..

[daves87rs]

Easy way to tell what is staying or going here....ones that only got slight updates are gone....

I'm be willing to bet that the T&C is going too....just not yet.

I can kinda have a good idea (Really) about which ones......all I can say is to watch the plants closing.....

[thedriver]

The report is incorrect, the reporter has stated they misquoted. The Caravan is NOT being cancelled.

[Drew Dowdell]

The 200 is outselling the Avenger, isn't it? And since Chrysler, not Dodge, is the international brand, maybe they decided Chrysler should get a global midsize while Dodge doesn't get one since it's NA only..

Chrysler is no longer the international brand either.

[Drew Dowdell]

The report is incorrect, the reporter has stated they misquoted. The Caravan is NOT being cancelled.

updated original post

[CSpec]

"We cannot have the same type of vehicle in the showroom because the consumer is not stupid. We're not going to create the confusion and conflict in the showroom," Marchionne said.

My translation: Chrysler and Dodge have no money and we're kinda screwed.

[Robert Hall]

The 200 is outselling the Avenger, isn't it? And since Chrysler, not Dodge, is the international brand, maybe they decided Chrysler should get a global midsize while Dodge doesn't get one since it's NA only..

Chrysler is no longer the international brand either.

It's murky...aren't Lancias going to be called Chryslers in the UK, but Chryslers will be Lancias elsewhere in Europe or something...strange stuff.

[cire]

So...

Is Sergio starting to view Chrysler as a mainstream brand since he is worried that certain models will be redundant with Dodge?

Is it really necessary for Dodge and Jeep to both offer crossovers? Jeep seems more than capable of handling mainstream utility vehicles. There definitely seems to be redundancy in the product strategies for these 2 brands. Are the Dodge crossovers going to receive sportier styling and handling than the Jeep crossovers? Why would a customer prefer one brand's CUV products over the other brand's CUV products?

If this report is indeed correct, Dodge will have a compact sedan and the Charger while Chrysler will have a midsize sedan (possibly "200", if the name is carried over) and the 300. Why? Does Sergio believe that compact sedan shoppers will be drawn to the Dodge brand while midsize sedan shoppers will be drawn to the Chrysler brand?

Since Chrysler has covered everything from affordable mainstream to entry luxury, does Sergio think this is the best brand to offer the midsize sedan and minivan? Given Chrysler's history, the new gen midsize sedan and minivan could offer trim levels that cover everything from affordable mainstream to entry luxury. Maybe Sergio feels that he can't really execute this strategy if the 2 products were badged under the Dodge brand. This would definitely eliminate the need to create 2 midsize sedans and 2 minivans.

It all sounds half baked and confusing to me.

Personally, I would simply make the Chrysler/Dodge/Fiat/Jeep/RAM channel the mainstream outlet in the US. Each brand would specialize in particular portions of the mainstream end of the market. Chrysler would offer mainstream sedans (compact/midsize/large) and MPVs (compact/midsize/minivan). Dodge would become an affordable performance niche brand. Fiat would focus on affordable city cars and small hatchbacks (compact and smaller). Jeep would become the designated mainstream utility brand (CUVs and SUVs). RAM would continue as the truck and commercial vehicle brand.

I would group Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Lancia together and launch them as the premium channel through existing Maserati dealerships. Expansion of this premium channel would only happen in or near major metro areas where Maserati currently doesn't exist. Alfa Romeo would handle premium cars (sedans, wagons, hatchbacks, coupes, convertibles) that are midsize and smaller. Maserati would specialize in large premium grand touring cars (sedans, coupes, and convertibles). Lancia would handle premium utility vehicles (CUVs and MPVs; the brand would be unlinked from Chrysler and revert back to its vertical slat shield shaped grille.

This strategy would eliminate redundancy and overlap while giving Fiat/Chrysler a relevant and competitive premium channel in the US market.

[Robert Hall]

Is it really necessary for Dodge and Jeep to both offer crossovers? Jeep seems more than capable of handling mainstream utility vehicles. There definitely seems to be redundancy in the product strategies for these 2 brands. Are the Dodge crossovers going to receive sportier styling and handling than the Jeep crossovers? Why would a customer prefer one brand's CUV products over the other brand's CUV products?

I think the intent has been both w/ CUVs and SUVs that Dodge's models were the mainstream family hauler models and Jeep's were more upscale...I can kind of see that today w/ the GC and Durango, less so with the Liberty and Nitro.. Likewise in comparing Dodge and Chrysler cars and minivans.

Kind of like a Chevy/Buick relationship, but less clearly deliniated.

Edited October 13, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar