Chrysler News: Marchionne Reveals Some Of Chrysler's Future Plans

[William Maley]

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

May 29, 2012

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is on a mission to end to product overlapping among the divisions of Chrysler. At a media event last week and interview with Automobile Magazine, Marchionne said two vehicles will be gone.

First will be the Chrysler Town & Country, leaving the lineup sometime after 2013. That will leave the Dodge Grand Caravan as the sole minivan. Marchionne said an upscale crossover will take the Town & Country's place, sometime in 2014/2015.

Also saying goodbye is the Jeep Compass. The Compass will be leaving in August 2014. Marchionne is keeping quiet about its replacement, saying only that “there are a number of candidates to take the place of the Compass."

Our guess: it will be vehicle based on Fiat's new CUSW platform that has been undergoing testing for the past few months.

Marchionne also revealed something has been rumored since the launch of the Dart. SRT has begun work on the Dart SRT.

"The only thing we're fighting over now is to determine how big an engine we stick in it," said Marchionne.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[ZL-1]

Upscale crossover = something in the spirit of the Pacifica? If so, good idea!

[riviera74]

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Ditching the T&C for a more luxurious crossover is much more interesting. I suspect people would still get the 2014/15 Enclave instead.

[Robert Hall]

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Well, they had the Neon SRT. And Ford has the Focus ST coming...

[William Maley]

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Umm, I would.. I like my sport compacts very much

[regfootball]

losing the T/C or the GC is a bad idea.

[Drew Dowdell]

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Ditching the T&C for a more luxurious crossover is much more interesting. I suspect people would still get the 2014/15 Enclave instead.

Fiat 500 Abarth

Mini-Cooper S

Ford Focus ST

Chevrolet.... well... we just won't go there.

[Turbojett]

I donno if ditching the Town & Country is such a good idea, but I do see his point. The Compass however, good riddance to un-Jeep rubbish.

[G. David Felt]

riviera74, on , said:

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Umm, I would.. I like my sport compacts very much

Dart SRT would totally Rock. The Neon SRT proved you did not need AWD to compete with the STI or any other Pocket Rocket.

Rock on DART SRT!

riviera74, on , said:

An SRT Dart? Why would anyone buy that? A FWD compact car that goes fast? What is this, 1981?!

Ditching the T&C for a more luxurious crossover is much more interesting. I suspect people would still get the 2014/15 Enclave instead.

Fiat 500 Abarth

Mini-Cooper S

Ford Focus ST

Chevrolet.... well... we just won't go there.

What about the small Chevy SS that was Supercharged and then Turbo Charged. I forgot the name, but it was a fun little compact.

[Drew Dowdell]

You mean the ones that are no longer made? The Cobalt and HHR?

[daves87rs]

Too bad on the compass,,,,

[ocnblu]

If the tea leaves I'm reading are correct, it means the next miniature Jeep will follow the Patriot formula rather than Compass. Makes me glad if it happens.

DARTSRT sounds like a smashing idear. Of course I'd love to see an expansion of bodystyles, like a 5-door and a coupe to provide a little brother to Challenger/Barracuda for those of us more cash-strapped customers.

And I'm glad the Caravan is the one that's staying. A minivan is a family vehicle more closely fitting the Dodge brand than Chrysler, imo. A new Pacifica might work well and be a good differentiator for Chrysler.