smk4565

VW has crazy cash, so this isn't even going to hurt them all that much, but I think no car maker will make diesel anymore because of stuff like this. It isn't worth it.

Losing 1-2 million sales is not a way to create jobs or strengthen the middle class, it is just bad and outdated thinking to tariff things. If they did put a 25% tariff on Chinese made cars, then the Buick Envision would cost more than th Enclave and XT5, which would make that vehicle dead in the water. The whole idea is just stupid.

Probably they should make a 911 Cross Country with lifted suspension and some plastic body cladding like the Regal Tour X. I think a 2-seater Cayenne roadster would be a good idea, really put the SPORT in sport utility, remove all the utility.

Good news, we need more crossover coupes. Where is The Cayenne convertible?

They should definitely build something called Grandmaster, that’s bad ass and will sell regardless of what it looks like.

Super Cruise on every Cadillac does make sense. I am not sure I believe Mark Reuss when he says a lot of customers come in specially for it because it is only offered on 1 Cadillac and it is on their lowest selling car.

But the E-class got larger and probably more equipment put on, so even if you take 220 lbs out of the chassis, you add it back on. And I don't think they should have increased size any, the E-class is 2-3 inches longer than it needs to be.

Hmmm, V8 power, delicious. I feel like this thing has looked the same since 2001.

Right, but the C-class, GLC, E-class/CLS all ride on the MRA platform, all 4 of them lost weight compared to their previous version. So they managed to make all sorts of vehicles from one architecture or platform or whatever you want to call it, it is the same foundation. FCA should be able to do the same thing. I thought the S-class was on MRA because of the added aluminum and reduced weight, it has the same construction theme of MRA, but I just read the S-class is not on MRA, it is on an updated version of the W221 S-class chassis. The next S-class will be on MRA though, so FCA could make a Quattroporte size car on the Guilia platform I think if they wanted to. The GLE and GLS will ride on the new MHA platform, and electric cars will get their own platform. I don't know, the VW Atlas full size SUV is on a Golf platform. But here is a nice picture of Sergio in his sweater thinking up new Alfa products.

Well that is the platform according to Motor Aurhority... "At the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles investor conference in Italy last Friday, Motor Authority asked company CEO Sergio Marchionne for clarification on what will underpin the next Grand Cherokee, and he confirmed it will be the platform used for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, as well as the Giulia sedan. "It started originally off the Alfa architecture, which has now been modified and extended to reach both a two-row and a three-row Grand Cherokee," Marchionne said, noting that the platform has been adapted to reflect the requirements of Jeep." So not only will it replace the current GC, but a 3 row version which you figure has to be at least 6-8 inches longer than the current vehicle.

Looks too much like a Ford Edge and the grille looks like something off a Toyota. Doesn't look at all like a coupe, nothing here looks exciting.

So I could lease an S560 4Matic for $1500 a month, or pay $3,000 a month subscription to get the same car. Sounds like a great idea. These subscription services make zero sense if they aren't a ride sharing thing with an autonomous car where 4 people can split the cost up and get robot chauffeured around for $500 a month. I think one other case this can work is for a replacement for car rental, where someone was on an extended vacation for a month or at a 2nd home in retirement, or sent on business to work in a particular city for a month, and in this case it could be cheaper to do this than to rent a car from Avis or Hertz for 4 weeks. But then if that is the purpose, you would need to do this in Florida for the retirees that go down there in the winter.

I wonder about that because Mercedes uses the same architecture for the 184 inch long C-class as they do for the 212 inch long Maybach S-class. Yes it is scalable platform and they change things, But how did they do it, and FCA can’t figure it out? I think Sergio’s end goal he is build Alfa/Maserati into a semi full line luxury brand and sell it for $9 billion to the Chinese. That puts money in the Agnelli coffers and it gives him a big bonus check for retirement.

Sergio has already said that the 2 and 3 row Grand Cherokee will be built on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio platform. That is a done deal. If they can put a 3 row Grand Cherokee on it, I don’t see why they couldn’t put a Charger on it, unless they plan to kill the Charger and don’t want to spend the money.

What if they used the Ghibli/Quattroporte platform? The Quattroporte is the biggest Sedan FCA makes and I don’t know if it is going to the Giorgio platform or not but if it does then Giorgio can underpin anything. I think no move to a new platform mean Charger and 300 are on death row.

Agreed, cars from 50 years ago were death traps. The amount of structural reinforcement in cars today in incredible. Then you look at how much sound deadening material, speakers, power heated seats, Nav systems and computers, glass roofs, which requires more bracing, etc get added. A 90s Cadillac had power, heated, leather seats, 8 speakers, and a sunroof and that made it a luxury car because the average Chevy had manual crank windows and a 4 speaker am/fm radio practically. Now a Kia Forte or Focus has a heated steering wheel, self parking, radar cruise control, etc, they have equipment you got on year 2000 S-class now on compact cars, just with a plastic dash rather than wood and leather. All that crap adds weight.

I never said it was overweight, but Cubical said the 300 has to be at least 4,000 lbs as if weight was good, and if they put it on a lighter platform it would be bad. That is like saying a CT6 must add weight to be more "American." People want to praise the Cadillac chassis for cutting weight with aluminum and structural adhesive and mixed materials, then crap on the Giorgio platform which is the same thing. And the next-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee will be built on the Giorgio platform, and I bet it is lighter, faster, more fuel efficient, better braking and better handling than what they have now. The GLE and Grand Cherokee are obese because they still have too much of that 2006-2010 era chassis in them. And all the Mopar fans will say how great it is, not that the platform is from an Alfa Romeo Guilia.

The Australian police car market has to be in the 100s of cars per year, and the 300 was sold in Europe. It isn't now. Dodge/Chrysler failed in the 80s, failed under Daimler, failed under Cerberus, and so why would Sergio be expected to make them prosperous? I don't think Sergio is a great CEO but his job as CEO is to satisfy the shareholders, not to save Chrysler. As long as he makes the Agnelli family money he is doing his job, and the way to make them the most money is probably to split up FCA into pieces to sell off.

They aren't, but if Mercedes could make the E63 4,000 lbs vs 4,500 lbs that would be a big win. The cost would be ridiculous, but less weight is good. And yes, with 5,000 lb SUVs, a 4,000 lb car seems light. And suspensions and brake systems are better and better and can compensate for it, but weight hurts performance and fuel economy,

In their current form though the 300/Charger only sell in the American market, they are useless as a global product. That might not be a problem if the full size sedan market in America wasn't tanking fast. The 30 is down 11% YTD and the Charger is down 5% YTD. Which isn't terrible, but how many of those sales are rental cars. The worst selling Jeep outsells every Dodge except the Caravan, and I imagine a solid 50-60% of those Caravan sales are fleet sales

Why does it have to weigh over 4,000 lbs? Just because it has a V8 doesn't mean it has to be extra heavy, anytime you can cut weight it is a good thing. As far as Sergio hinting the 300 may not return, I would give a 5% chance at a next generation Chrysler 300 happening and a 50/50 chance of a new Dodge Charger.

Jeep is adding a 3 row D-segment SUV, a 3 row Grand Cherokee and a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. That is 4 new 3-row SUVs, they don't need the Durango anymore, or anything else from Dodge. FCA's formula will be simple, if you want a crossover, you buy a Jeep, unless you are in the Alfa-Maserati price territory. And they'll probably exit the sedan market just like Ford did, save for Alfa Romeo and Maserati luxury sedans, which who knows if they even each keep 2 sedans.

Mercedes conquers BMW again to remain the reigning, defending, universal champion. Mans yes manufacturing and slowing car sales can be sign of a recession, same with rising credit card debt which I think is an all time high right now.

I find it hard to believe that they are bleeding money on Maseratis that cost $80-125,000 and haven’t been redesigned in forever, no matter how poorly they sell. I looked at the product roadmap they put out for both, there is nothing in there to scare the German brands but I understand why FCA is trying, they see margin potential on high end cars.

What makes sense is to pull Fiat from the USA, build only the 500 and Panda for emerging markets like eastern Europe or South America. Dodge and Chrysler I wouldn't put a dime into, and let the vehicles run out their current life cycle. They could move the Pacifica to Ram and do cargo and passenger versions if they want to keep that van around. I can see them getting rid of Dodge and Chrysler in 2022, they aren't global brands. And if you chop FCA down to Jeep, Ram and Alfa/Maserati you are left with high margin product.