With the government still waiting to see how much it will get out of its equity in General Motors, The General seems to be attracting more of the media commentary than Chrysler these days. And not without good reason: GM saw the greatest drop in market share last month of any Detroit automaker, its government-hyped Volt is flopping, Opel continues to be an open sore and it can't help but flaunt its cluelessness about youth marketing. But interest in GM's shortcomings seems to be driven by little more than election-year political implications, which Chrysler was able to avoid by borrowing cash and misleadingly claiming to have squared up with the American taxpayer. After all, Chrysler is facing just as many challenges as GM, if not more. And despite having formally closed the bailout chapter of its history, Chrysler's performance still bears on the decision to rescue America's weakest major automaker.
Evidence that Chrysler is receiving something of a free pass from the media is not difficult to find, with Sunday's CBS interview with CEO Sergio Marchionne serving as Exhibit A. A fluffy profile of the Fiat/Chrysler boss, the CBS piece is so lacking in journalistic rigor that ends up providing more misinformation than verifiable facts. The "paid back the loans with interest" line makes an appearance, without any qualifications that might have explained the full truth of Chrysler's "payback." Another straight-up whopper: Sergio's assessment that Chrysler can "afford" to screw up on a single car. Chrysler only has one new post-Fiat car on the immediate horizon, the 2013 Dodge Dart… if Chrysler has "screwed up" that car, it will be a PR disaster that the company might not survive. Besides, with Fiat 500s piling up on dealer lots (82 days supply as of 3/1, down from 132 days supply on 2/1) despite $500 rebates or 0% financing, it seems that Fiat/Chrysler has already used up the one "screw up" that Marchionne says it can afford. Speaking of the Dart, Marchionne claims that the crucial compact is "mechanically outstanding" and has "nothing to apologize for"… and yet, it appears that it's already facing some challenges. Earlier this month, Marchionne said he was bumping the Dart's rollout from April 1 to "avoid being jinxed" by April Fool's day (Allpar notes that the April 1 launch was a "delay" from the planned January launch). That excuse is flimsy on face value, but the fact that Mopar will only build 2,000 Darts in May and that full dealer availability won't finalize until June shows that there are probably bigger problems under the surface than mere superstition. And Dodge boss Reid Bigland seems to already be turning down the wick on expectations, saying the delay is
What Bigland leaves out is that, although the segment is large, the competition among compact sedans is fierce. And the Dart is likely not as well-positioned as CBS implies when it claims its "base price just under $16,000 with 40 miles to the gallon." The EPA doesn't have fuel economy numbers for the Dart, but with an efficient 1.4 Turbo engine listed as an option, it seems highly unlikely that a 40 MPG highway version of the Dart will be available at the base price (at least until a 9-speed transmission becomes available next year). Oh, and the government's condition that Fiat build a 40 MPG Chrysler only requires 40 MPG combined unadjusted, a benchmark that is far less than 40 MPG EPA, and barely competitive with compact sedans already on the market. And with only 120,000 or so units of production planned at Belvidere, and exports planned from there to 40 different markets, it seems that Chrysler isn't banking on competitive sales figures (Focus and Cruze have been selling over 20k units per month). But if you dig deeper, you find that the mainstream media's breathless boosterism is sharply contradicted in the online press, where rumors of trouble in Auburn Hills are starting to pile up. Over at Autoextremist, the auto industry insider's outsider is posting emails from sources like "Anonymous in Auburn Hills," which indicate that there are either a few truly bad apples at Chrysler or (as the Autoextremist himself concludes) the Fiat-Chrysler marriage is facing serious issues. "Anonymous" writes
Another AE reader adds:
In an industry that so closely controls its PR, this burst of leaks is evidence enough that some serious dissatisfaction is brewing at Fiat/Chrysler. Add the Dart's delay to this, and the emerging picture at Chrysler is not of a company bound for great things. More troubling still is the counterpoint between these worrying signs and the dizzying ambition of Fiat/Chrysler's new product development plans. The Dart is built on a widened version of Fiat's C-EVO platform, but according to Allpar, that platform will be stretched further and converted to rear-drive to accommodate the forthcoming midsized Alfa Giulia and Dodge Avenger replacement. Oh, and the LX platform also has a front/rear-drive replacement under development as well, the E-EVO, which will underpin everything from minivans to an Alfa sports sedan. According to an Allpar source,
So, an apparently-dysfunctional, trans-Atlantic team is developing expensive, complex D- and an E-segment platforms that are convertible between front-drive, rear-drive and all-wheel-drive, and will underpin mass-market offerings as well as premium cars. If this sounds oddly familiar, it should: it's like a worst-of mashup of the cross-cultural issues of the DCX days and the engineering overreach of the early LH platform development (which Bob Lutz describes as having been "trapped in the classical 'more is more' planning maze"). And at the root of this mind-boggling complexity is yet another unsolved issue: Fiat/Chrysler's bloated brand portfolio, which demands this ultimate (and expensive) platform flexibility. Meanwhile, the context for all this is even worse, as Fiat faces a crushing downturn in the European market, made worse by the fact that Fiat is dependent on the Mediterranean markets that are being hit the hardest. Fiat lost half a billion dollars last year, its stock is on a 12-month downward spiral, it has frozen European investments, and it is grappling with numerous union issues (including a hauler strike that could cost it 10% market share in Italy). And with essentially no presence in China to offset European contraction, Marchionne's solution is another alliance with yet another struggling automaker, like Mazda or Suzuki. But the "tying two rocks together to see if they float" plan clearly isn't a path forward, and more merging will only wreak further havoc on Fiat/Chrysler's troubled culture. Meanwhile, Fiat is only just starting [sub] its third attempt at a Chinese production JV (building Fiat-branded Darts), and it's moving into Russia just as that market's growth slows. With huge losses likely to come out of Europe, and giant outlays likely on both Chinese and Russian expansion as well as investments in complex, multi-purpose platforms, Fiat-Chrysler has a seriously tough row to hoe over the next year or so. Successes will have to come from its stronghold in Brazil, which is seeing disappointing sales numbers so far this year, or from the US. With only the Dart coming down the pike, one hopes that its delays yielded serious results and that it makes an unequivocal case for Chrysler's Fiat-led future. Otherwise, we could easily find ourselves here a year from now, wondering once again if Fiat/Chrysler is going to make it through another 12 months. from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com | |||
| |||
| |||
|
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Blind Spot: Catching Up With Chrysler
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Archive
-
▼
2012
(7297)
-
▼
March
(728)
- BMW i8 Concept Spyder Debuts: Same Plug-In Hybrid,...
- Sound and Fury
- New or Used: Replacement for Rusty Rocker’d Ride?
- Opel Labor Leader Threatens Mother Of All Plant Cl...
- This Week's Most-Read Stories
- Interest For EVs Fading
- Hammer Time Rewind: Hit Em Where They Ain’t!
- Speed, And The Cop Might Get A Free Pizza
- Pocket Rocket Lovers Of The World, Rejoice! Uhmm, ...
- Automotive Lawsuit History Unearthed, Junkyard Sty...
- Junkyard Find: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S
- 2012 New York Auto Show Preview
- FS: One-of-a-kind Mercedes “Benzamino”
- Most-Watched Video Reviews of the Week
- Car Collector’s Corner: This1939 Rolls Royce Wrait...
- Bye, bye, Miss Emm Kay Five.
- Volkswagen Reveals Alltrack Wagon Concept, Don’t G...
- How To: Mess With Your Buddies’ Cars
- 2012 GMC Yukon and Sierra Heritage Editions Announ...
- Volkswagen Alltrack Concept; A Diesel Wagon, But A...
- 2013 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off a Big Retractable Glass...
- 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee Tested: 470 HP o...
- GMC Celebrates 100 Years With Heritage Edition
- You Thought That Car Was Expensive? Wait Until You...
- 2013 Subaru Legacy Quietly Drops 2.5GT Model
- 2012 New York Auto Show: What to Expect
- Dodge’s Facebook Campaign For SRT Viper Backfires
- Boo, Hiss: Daimler And BYD Launch Denza Brand
- Cars.com Buzz Index: March 2012
- Sergio Marchionne Confirms Third Fiat Model By 201...
- Fiat Brazil: Uno Kicks Gol Off Top Spot. Films At ...
- 2014 Fisker Nina Spied Nearly Completely Uncovered
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 30, 2012
- What Is The Model T Of Our Time?
- SRT Reveals one More Viper Pic
- Recall Alert: 2002-04 Honda CR-V, 2003 Honda Pilot
- LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Two-Stroke Miata!
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Mercury Comet Sedan
- Modern Marvels: IG Metall Hires Bob King As Opel B...
- Young People Drive Less, Surf More
- Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Passat...
- Cadillac XTS' Seat Buzzes for Danger
- Car Collector’s Corner:1948 Plymouth Convertible w...
- SRT Previews 2013 Viper’s Interior on Facebook [Ne...
- Mini Baker Street, Bayswater, and Highgate Special...
- 2013 Volkswagen CC First Drive: New Nose, Same Goo...
- Shake, Rattle, and Squeak: Long-Term 2011 Mini Coo...
- Chrysler Dealers Who Regained Their Franchises Bac...
- Mitt Romney Slammed for Joke Referencing Plant Clo...
- What Car Would You Buy if You Won Mega Millions?
- Edmunds Sees SAARing March Sales
- New Ram Truck Teased Before Debut, We Expect Refre...
- You Won’t Need A License To Drive This Renaut
- 2013 Subaru Legacy at the 2012 New York Internatio...
- Mercedes Will Cut Platforms In Half
- Capsule Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport 5-Door
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 29, 2012
- 2013 Subaru Outback at the 2012 New York Auto Show
- Introducing The 2014 Mercedes C Class
- Toyota Bumping Up RAV4 Production By 50,000 Units ...
- Americans Paying Off Car Loans Before Mortgage, Cr...
- New C/D YouTube Channel to Launch May 1; Here’s Ou...
- Honda Fit. Officially Hecho En Mexico
- OnStar's Family Link Helps Parents Keep Tabs on Te...
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Ford Maverick
- PSA And Toyota Open Tie-Up Season
- Opel Supervisory Board Meets, Decides Nothing. Eis...
- Would You Buy It? 2013 Ford B-Max
- 2012 Audi Q5: Car Seat Check
- Vellum Venom: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse: Hard Candy Shell, Soft Go...
- 2013 Acura RDX First Drive: A More-Mature Compact ...
- 25 Cars Worth Waiting For: The Choicest Rides Arri...
- Italy Seizes Gaddafi’s Stake In Fiat
- EXCLUSIVE: Jost Capito, Head of SVT and Performanc...
- Lotus Vehicle Development on Temporary Hold, Long-...
- European Patent Filing Reveals Possible Chevrolet-...
- 2013 Lexus ES Confirmed for NYC, Previewed in Phot...
- Cadillac Previews Driver-Assistance Systems for XT...
- Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 129
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse at 2012 New York Auto Show
- Ford Explorer Sport Gets 3.5L Ecoboost
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: First Look
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: The Closest Thing to an ...
- Fiat’s Future In America And Elsewhere: A Counterp...
- Ontario Cutting Electric Vehicle Subsidies, $43 Mi...
- GM Issues Media Black-Out For Ellesmere Port
- Renault Opens Import Company In Allegedly Closed M...
- Hammer Time: Buy! Buy Buy!
- Generation Why: Jeep’s Old Man Truck, Pinterest An...
- 2012 Jaguar XFR Video
- 2013 Maserati Quattroporte Spied: Maserati’s Next ...
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 28, 2012
- New Lexus ES at New York Auto Show
- Buick Encore May Get Chevrolet Variant
- New Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at New York Auto Show
- UAW’s Bob King Will Fire 7,000, Close Two GM Plants
- Azure Dynamics Files For Bankruptcy, Suspends Ford...
- Junkyard Find: 1970 Toyota Corona Sedan
- Car Collector’s Corner:1966 Coronet 426 Hemi 2 Doo...
-
▼
March
(728)
No comments:
Post a Comment