The Devil In Project D
Nothing in Chrysler's dated portfolio needs attention more than its Camcord-fighting D-segment offerings, the Avenger/Sebring. The March departure of the lead on the Avengbring replacement didn't bode well. Motor Trend now reports that Project D is heading for disaster, gobbling-up huge engineering and design resources. Chrysler's in crisis mode. Option one: an all-new platform. No money. No way. Option two: deploy an existing chassis (e.g. Nissan's Altima) and wrap it in new sheetmetal. Option C: rip off another automaker's work wholesale, a la VW Routan. Needless to say, these cop-out options will do nothing to improve Chrysler's rep for mediocre products. Then again a badge-engineered Altima might be better than what Chrysler can cobble together on a shoestring. Either way, with Project D seemingly doomed to mediocrity, what else can keep Chrysler alive? Hybrid minivans? Cherys? Government bailouts? Not good.
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They should go dig up Dodge Aries, as is, with the 2.2 and stick. Frugal and roomy. They haven't made anything better in 20 years. Kinda sad, really.
???"mediocre products"??? Come on! KIA puts out a better product. Chrysler is the junk line of the United States.
I thought this was related to the japanese Initial D anime, maybe one new season :rolleyes: I read this yesterday... it sounded like bad news to me. I saw a Sebring here 2 days ago... it doesn't look that bad seeing its side. Proportions are similar to the Caliber... just with a trunk. Maybe a GOOD facelift, interior improvement and calibration change may take this car from "turd" to "acceptable". Don't get the point of doing an entirely new platform. Also, never got why they replaced the Neon with the Caliber. And why they abandoned the cab-forward design? Honda copied it in the Civic, and it was ok.