Chrysler News

It's the make-or-break Chrysler 300C that cost the bankrupt corporation more than $1 billion and must work to give Chrysler some much-needed leverage in its global partnership with Fiat.The 300C will eventually also wear Lancia badges in some countries but, as it is revealed today in Detroit, is a new hero for Chrysler.  It looks good and tough, is suitably lightweighted and technologically loaded, and is promised at value prices.The bad news for Australia is that right-hand drive production is a low priority and the new 300C will not land until 2012. Until then, Chrysler Australia has 12-months' stock of the outgoing car.Chrysler has a totally new take on the 300C, which retains some of its gangsta impact but is more modern in everything from the front-end styling to slimmer pillars and windscreens that drop away much more dramatically than the upright glass of the current car.It retains rear-wheel drive but has much-improved suspension and steering, the key engine is the new-generation Pentastar V6 already fitted to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and pricing in the USA starts as low as $27,995.  Chrysler has done a lot of work on touchy-feeling stuff, from better shaping in the seats to heated-and-cooled seats and cupholders, a 20cm touch-screen infotainment system and a dual-plane sunroof.The new 300C can roll on 20-inch alloys and there is more than two metres of acustic insulation and underbody paneling to smooth airflow and cut drag and fuel economy.The new 300C is displayed at Detroit alongside a revamped Voyager minivan and massively-updated 200 sedan that both reflect the new styling direction from Chrysler's hero car.

... with everything from vital new cars to $12 billion profit promises, at the opening of the 2011 North American International Auto Show.Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are all running in the black after the disasters of the global economic crisis and also have new models to tap potential demand in the USA and around the world.Chrysler has its new 300C flagship, Ford has the C-Max minivan and GM has a Buick Verano luxury concept as the obvious contenders for the opening day in Detroit.There is much more to be revealed on the new-metal front but the real key to their success is the companies' financial turnaround.Ford is doing best because, under canny chief Alan Mullaly, it was never driven into the bankruptcy that nearly killed GM and forced Chrysler into a new global alliance with Fiat.The blue oval brand is battling in Australia but in the USA it is climbing the quality rankings and is on-track for a $10 billion profit on its operations in 2010.GM is also doing well after reporting a $4.2 black-ink result to the end of September and even Chrysler, which was lagging last year, is heading towards a share float and an operating profit in 2011.Demand for new vehicles in the USA is likely to rebound by around one million in 2012 - the total number of vehicles sold in Australia last year - after tanking in 2009 and showing only mild signs of improvement last year.Sales in China now lead the world and the Big Three have been overtaken by Toyota, which is now global leader in showrooms, with Volkswagen planning to trump the lot to become worldwide number one by 2018.

The second-generation 300C is Chrysler's hero car for the 2011 North  American International Motor Show in Detroit, promising updated  styling together with the cabin quality and general refinement missing from the original car. But there is a giant 'but' for Australia. Right-hand production is not scheduled for at least six months and that means the first supplies of the updated car will not land until 2012. Chrysler Australia says the delay is normal on an all-new model and it has over-stocked with the existing 300C to take it through 2011. "Historically we've always had a six to nine-month window to get right- hand drive. We're actually loooking at a similar timeframe," says Chrysler spokesman, Dean Bonthorne. "The on-sale timing is quarter one of 2011 in North America. The  current plan is very early in 2012 for Australia." Chrysler knew about the delay in the final quarter of last year and that's when it started to stockpile the existing 300C. Around 400 cars were landed before the end of the year, but supplies of the $39,990  model - with a 3.5-litre V6 - are already running short. "There are still a handful of the 3.5-litre V6 petrol cars. We also have the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 and the 6.1-litre SRT V8. The Touring was discontinued some time ago," says Bonthorne. "We allowed to maintain a planned sales volume through the major part  of 2011. And we've got some great deals on those models until the 2012  version arrives." Chrysler is promising big things with the 300C, its first major model since the American company began a new partnership with Fiat of Italy. The basic body is similar to the existing car, although the windscreen is swept back by around six centimetres with slimmer door pillars to improve visibility. It is also fitted with daytime LED running lamps  to emphasise the new front-end look. Bonthorne makes no apology for the long wait on the 300C, which is essential to ensure the car gets a fast start in the USA. "They have pushed ahead to get the North American car ready." He promises the drought of new models in 2011 will be broken early in 2012. "Come 2012 and 2013 we have a huge number of new models coming," Bonthorne says. A new direction for Chrysler The new direction at Chrysler Australia is obvious from the top down. Clyde Campbell, formerly a senior staffer at Mercedes-Benz Australia, is the new managing director and occupies a desk in Dandenong. The new office site is part of the Iveco trucks' facility and reflects  Chrysler's move out of the Daimler family and into its new relationship with Fiat. Chrysler and Fiat operate totally separately in Australia, partly because the Italian brand is represented by Ateco Automotive as it independent importer. Chrysler is headed for a relatively quiet showroom year in 2011, with just three models on sale - the soon-to-be superseded 300C, the Grand Voyager people mover and Sebring Cabrio. But it does have the strength of Jeep, including the all-new Grand Cherokee.

All the signs are positive after a strong run through 2010 on everything from new models and new technology to the price of cars and petrol and even motorsport.Last year produced a million-plus result in showrooms, only the third on record and a huge turnover in a country with a population of just over 22 million people. And the sales total for 2011 is likely to be even bigger.The fuel for the sales growth will come, as usual, from the importance of cars in Australia and the incredible number of new models that his showrooms each year. No-one can underestimate the sense of freedom that Australians tap with their cars, or the genuine needs of people who rely on cars for everything from day-to-day commuting to long-distance nomadic work.Car companies are currently doing all they can to clear their backlog of 2010 stock in readiness for the first arrivals of 2011, which means great buying for at least another month. Cars are like horses, because they all get a year older on the same day, and anything in a showroom now with a 2010 build date is out-of-date.But there is nothing out-of-date about the lineup for the first major motoring event of the year, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It opens next week with the unveiling of everything from a Hyundai Veloster and the next Honda Civic to a new Porsche supercar.There will be lots of news from Detroit, perhaps including Holden's plans to revive Commodore exports to the USA and the potential future of the Ford Falcon. Chrysler will show its new 300C, which will take more than a year to reach Australia, and Chinese brands are promising another new wave of technology and small cars.Chinese cars will be one of the big stories in Australia in 2011, with Chery, Geely and Great Wall all planning to start passenger car sales down under. Great Wall is already doing well with its value-priced utes and SUVs but it's Chery that is looking for the big breakthrough with baby cars that undercut the Korean price leaders.On the motorsport front, the Dakar Rally is already blazing through South America - with Bruce Garland doing his best for Australia in an Isuzu D-Max - the V8 Supercar championship will be another boomer, and Mark Webber will be looking to improve on his 2011 season in another year with Red Bull Racing.Melbourne will be motoring central again this year, not just because it is home to the three local carmakers - Holden, which has the local Cruze this year; Ford, which is about to go with the updated Territory; and Toyota, which has an all-new Camry for 2011 - but also thanks to everything from the Australian Grand Prix to the latest running of the Australian International Motor Show.The organisers of the show have confirmed this year's dates as July 1-10, with the promise of a truly world-class event. Moving the date is planning to bring more people indoors to look at the shiny new metal and, more importantly, open up a new position on the global motoring calendar to allow the Australian show to become a major Asian motoring event each year.

The 200 is a small sedan that rides on the same underpinnings as its ill-fated predecessor but has a new skin, a revised interior and a reworked engine.All metalwork from the A-pillar forward is new. The nose is neater and has an attractive grille with blades that mirror the design of the new Silver Wing emblem.The biggest change is Chrysler's new Pentastar V6 - to be seen first in Australia in the Jeep Grand Cherokee - with 211kW and 353Nm.Chrysler will retain its aging 2.4-litre four cylinder and four-speed automatic which, together, gets only a 6 per cent better fuel economy than the V6 and its six-speed auto.  The 2.4-litre four-speed auto 200 is unlikely to make it to Australia.However, Chrysler says it plans to unveil an optional six-speed dual-clutch transmission for the four-cylinder.

As Daimler of Germany closes on a celebration of the first 125 years since it put the world on wheels, the company is confident the automobile has a long way to run. "I'm convinced that in 125 years people will not want to rely on their legs," says Dieter Zetsche, head of Daimler and the top man at Mercedes-Benz.  Zetsche laughs a little as he says it, but his eyes are blue steel and he is dead-serious about the need for cars of some sort into the foreseeable future. "It seems that to me that individual mobility is a very important thing to people. Nor do they want to be packed into a form of combined carriages, either," he says. Zetsche is speaking to Carsguide on the first day of the Paris Motor Show, the biggest motoring event of the year. All the major brands have something special to show in the city of lights, from baby Kia concepts and new compact contenders that will wear Holden and Ford badges in Australia right through to the latest Mercedes SLS four-door coupe. The mood at Paris is bouncy and upbeat, with technology talk on every stand as carmakers accelerate development on everything from the inevitable electric cars and hybrids to new-age petrol engines, baby diesels, active aerodynamics and lightweight materials. Every brand is doing its best to cut fuel use and CO2 emissions without hurting themselves in showrooms.  The results from Paris will not be known for some time - not even the new-era cars from Ford, Mini and Citroen that will compete for next year's World Rally Championship - but there is a lot to see and a lot to like. Even Saab has news from the show of an Australian comeback.  But Zetsche has a much broader brush and he is painting a big picture for the automobile as Daimler builds towards its next big anniversary on January 29 next year. It's the date when Karl Benz filed the papers for its patent wagon in Berlin a full 125 years ago, starting the automobile age. Today's Daimler boss talks bullishly about the future of cars, even though he admits he is short on detail for the year 2135. "What technology we have, whether it's on wheels or whatever, I don't know," Zetsche says.  "But I'm sure that people will want to to move from A to B in a way that's fast and enjoyable. And they they are in a closed-up space where they are somewhat protected." Once Paris is done the German brand intends to finalise its plans for January, including a move to have January 29 turned into Automobile Day across the world And there is more, with the promise of something special to celebrate the 125th anniversary in 2011. "We have another patent that is just as important as the first one," Zetsche says, teasing and promising at the same time.

The renewal work makes it more elegant and stylish, including a considerable quality tweak in the cabin, but it still has the chunky body and hunkered-down look which has made it a global winner for Chrysler. But don't expect the all-new 300C in Australia any time soon, even though Carparazzi has caught three production-ready cars with its cameras.  A production switch for the new 300C means there will be no right-hand drive cars until 2012. Chrysler Australia has stocked-up on the existing model, with around 400 cars in the pipeline, to carry it through the drought but is not making any promises on the sales start for the new model.  It could have trouble clearing the backlog, based on the latest Carparazzi pictures. They show a car which looks a little shorter than the current 300C with styling taken from the 200C motor show concept car.  The shape of the new-look headlamps is obvious and so is the front fascia, including LED daytime running lamps. Cut-outs in the Chrysler camouflage along the front bumper and mudguard reveal a new sensor that Carparazzi sources say is for a frontal-collision warning system, adaptive cruise control and a blind spot/side assist system. On the sides, the 300C shows new rocker panels, a body crease that sweeps downwards toward the nose and new chrome-capped side mirrors.  The rear doors have also had the black plastic square at the rear swapped out in favor of more glass. In the rear there are LED tail lamps and a bumper with integrated chrome exhaust tips.  There are huge changes inside, with the test cars revealing a solid, leather-stitched dash top similar to the one in the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee now in production. There is also a large analogue clock for a bit more class and a massive navigation and entertainment screen. Carparazzi sources say there will be lots of LED lighting and a 500- watt Alpine premium audio system.  The new 300C rides on an updated version of Chrysler's LX chassis and comes with the new Pentastar 3.6-litre V6, also fitted to the new Grand Cherokee. There are also 5.7-litre and 6.4-litre Hemi petrol V8s and a diesel engine. Chrysler is aiming to start production at it's Canadian factory in Ontario during the last week of December, 2010, pointing to an official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November.

Just a brief look into any junior sports club shows fewer people now do more to keep such clubs and teams afloat.

But peak motoring body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries believes consumers are confused enough to warrant a broad-ranging education program about what ESC is and what it does.The Transport Accident Commission has already been running an ad highlighting the merits of curtain airbags and ESC. It has been endeavouring to lift awareness among buyers about what they do, via websites like howsafeisyourcar.com.au.But with Victoria moving ahead for the compulsory fitting of ESC to all passenger cars from January, the FCAI believes now is the time to increase awareness among car buyers.Despite TAC's efforts some carmakers like Honda believe consumers are still confused by the different acronyms used to describe the various systems. However, FCAI spokesman, James Goodwin, believes it will be difficult to mandate a single naming strategy."It comes down to marketing," he says. "All systems are different to some degree."Goodwin also believes it would cost too much to standardise the terminology on imported cars because the volumes are relatively small. Carmakers use different terms for the proprietary electronic stability program invented by Bosch and co-developed with Mercedes-Benz.Subaru Australia spokesman, David Rowley, says Subaru's own research shows a higher awareness among buyers of its own electronic stability control system, called vehicle dynamic control."Our customers tend to look in depth at the features of our cars," Rowley says. He backs an education program as “something worth considering" but balks at a name change. "A lot a brands have invested a lot of intellectual time in creating a point of difference with their various stability systems," he says.What they call it -Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Holden, HSV, JeepElectronic Stability Program (ESP) - Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Skoda, Peugeot, SuzukiDynamic Stability Control (DSC) - Ford, FPV, BMW, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, JaguarVehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) - ToyotaVehicle Stability Control (VSC) - LexusVehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) - Nissan, SubaruDynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) - VolvoElectronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) - Audi, VolkswagenActive Stability Control (ASC) - MitsubishiVehicle Stability Assist (VSA)- HondaAutomatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T)  MiniMaserati Stability Program (MSP) - MaseratiPorsche Stability Management (PSM) - PorscheStability and Traction Control - FiatStabiliTrak -Hummer

Jeromy Moore, race engineer for Craig Lowndes, said under the new guidelines for the category's Car of the Future, it would be "easier and cheaper" to build a new race car than convert from Ford to Holden as they had done this year."Lexus has several V8 engines available and Chrysler has 5.7 and 6-litre V8s, while Hyundai seems like a company with the drive and enthusiasm to want to take part," he said. "We will probably see the first cars up and running halfway through next year, but I doubt we will see any newcomers on the grid when the rules take effect in 2012. Most will adopt a wait-and-see approach."V8 Supercars "Car of the Future" chief Mark Skaife said he had been contacted by several interested manufacturers since the plan was launched last month. But the five-time Bathurst champion says even if no other manufacturers end up joining Holden and Ford in the championship it won't dent its future. Skaife says the plan, which is to be implemented by the start of the 2012 season and aims to dramatically reduce the cost of the race cars, will work with or without the support of new manufacturers."If in five years down the track no other manufacturer has joined Ford or Holden the whole plan is a better car for us over the next 10 years," he said. Moore said the introduction of the new guidelines could shake up the series. "I think we'll see a lot of surprising results and a big separation in the field until they all come back together, a bit like F1 last year," he said. "You might see big teams struggle and small teams do well if they strike it lucky with set-up."Regardless of whether other manufacturers join the championship, Skaife said Holden and Ford would remain key partners in the V8 program. "Ford and Holden are the absolute foundation of where we are today," he said. "They don't really feel endangered by this in a competitive sense because they've got their own factory teams already. If those teams weren't good enough they wouldn't be the factory teams. If another manufacturer came in they're not going to be able to acquire Holden Racing Team for instance, so that part of their feeling is desensitised because of already having factory racing outfits."Skaife also emphasised the sport's commitment to using a V8 engine as the power-plant for any future cars competing in the championship."For us the mandate of being a V8 power plant is crucial to the sound, the vibe and the atmosphere that we're able to deliver as an entertainment package," he said. "That part of it we're pretty strong on. Clearly there are other alternatives from all sorts of V8s. The capacity of the V8, how hard they rev, what weight they are, whether they're all alloy, what sort of specification they are, we've got a very scientific way of analysing that specification and being able to equalise the performance of the engine."