Sep 17, 2008
The
Dodge Grand Caravan may soon be a part of history, at least according to speculation from parent company Chrysler. The GC, like many duplicate models in Chrysler's portfolio, may be discontinued as Chrysler looks for ways to stop the money loss it has seen this year.
The Caravan, which created the minivan craze 25 years ago, would likely be replaced with a smaller five-passenger mini-minivan (think Mazda5) that will appeal to smaller, more fuel conscious buyers. The
Chrysler Town and Country will remain as the traditional minivan choice.
The
Dodge Durango will likely live to see another generation, however the
Dodge Nitro and Chrysler Aspen SUVs will likely be discontinued.
Jeep will lose the slow-selling
Compass and Commander, while the
Grand Cherokee will be reformatted into a seven-passenger competitor to the GMC Acadia.
Chrysler is also working on a fix-it plan for the Chrysler
Sebring/Dodge Avenger. Both have sold very poorly since introduction, and continue to be dogged by the world's automotive press. It is likely the current models will have a very short life cycle, and will be replaced with a single vehicle. It has yet to be determined if that new vehicle will be a Chrysler or Dodge.
The reason for the product cuts is in the bottom line. Chrysler Corporation is spending $100 million a year promoting and advertising vehicles that compete against each other. That budget needs to be slashed if the company intends on staying afloat while their sales continue to slide.
LINK:
Chrysler Hinting at Future Lineup
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