Chrysler Group is moving to address the early criticisms about the quality of its interiors with a change of colours for the 2008 model year across the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass and Patriot, and improved materials 12 months later with more soft-touch plastics.
“We need to do more in terms of interior quality,” said Peter Lambert, Chrysler Group managing director. “It was raised at the most senior levels and they recognise that we have to improve.”
Moves to improve existing products will supplement a trio of new Dodge models in the next 18 months, led by a secret new mini-MPV uncovered by BusinessCar in January. That should be joined by a supermini built in conjunction with Chinese brand Chery, and a production version of the Demon roadster concept.
The supermini will be built in China, subject to a rubber stamp from the Chinese government, and should take on the styling of the well-received Hornet concept car. “We’re not sure if it will be the Hornet, but it will be along those lines,” said Lambert. “We see it competing in the Mini segment, a high value for money proposition and it will be different.”
Lambert sees the business car market as a slow-burn growth segment for the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products. “I believe we have an opportunity to grow sales into that market, particularly contract hire and leasing,” he said. “We want to develop that, not force product because we haven’t got the margins of Ford or Vauxhall, but there are opportunities simply by going out and talking to people and getting our products onto their choice lists. That alone will grow volume.”
Chrysler Group currently has 20 new fleet-specialist dealers up and running, a number that’s set to grow once demand increases through closer links with the contract hire and leasing market.
“I talk a lot to people in the contract hire industry an they have very little knowledge of our products because no-one’s been out to talk to them about SMR and RVs, or where the brands are placed,” said Lambert, who predicts that closer links with the industry will bring down lease rates, which will get the company’s products onto more choice lists.
Lambert has also pledged to improving the “quality” of fleet business, confessing to some of the company’s previous volume coming off the back of Mercedes-Benz (the two companies are both owned by DaimlerChrysler) rental business. “I’m not a big fan of business where the car gets recycled quickly,” he said. “If the first user keeps the car for two or three years it helps keep values high and influence the RV guys to give higher residual values, which lowers the lease rate so we get more sales.”
