I never hated the Airflow Concept. It was fine. And that was the problem! It needs to be something really special, and I do not think the concept hit that mark.
Understandable. It's hard to believe anything they say when everything they announced gets canceled or postponed.
"Every man premium" is now called "mainstream." Every brand sells "loaded" models now. Traditionally mainstream brands now overlap significantly with their luxury counterparts. Look at Toyota and Lexus, or Nissan and Infiniti. Even Dodge and Jeep are not affordable anymore. Both are premium.
Chrysler needs to leverage its strengths. Just a few years ago, Chrysler was winning awards for its beautiful designs. That's where the opening is, I think. They need to sell counterparts to Dodge and Jeep vehicles that share technology and sell at similar price points but offer a different experience with a very different image. Development costs are minimized by sharing as much as possible with its Dodge and Jeep counterparts.
Chryslers should be refined, classy, and beautiful-- no boy-racer Dodge esthetic, no pretensions of Dodge sportiness or Jeep ruggedness. Frankly, Chrysler should have a more feminine ethos and it should appeal to a more traditionally female demographic (not to say that there are not men who would like a classier boulevard cruiser vibe, just like there are plenty of women who love Dodges and Jeeps).
In a way, it is the decision to make Jeep more refined and "luxurious" that is tying Chrysler's hands. Can the Chrysler CUV distinguish itself enough from the Wagoneer S to be successful? Only if the design is breathtaking. It should be easy to design a large sedan that shares most of its engineering and many of its parts with the Charger but has a much more refined, sophisticated look and feel. The pricing would have to be similar in order for it to sell-- the Charger is overpriced as it is, so pricing a Chrysler version higher would be suicide. The Chrysler version should not be an upmarket version of the Charger-- it should be an alternative, another flavor for buyers who do not resonate with the Charger's more aggressive vibe.
Another strength of Chrysler's, as we've discussed in another thread, is its image as a brand of people-movers ("I got me a Chrysler-- it's as big as a whale, and it's about to set sail! I got me a Chrysler-- it seats about 20, so hurry up, and bring your jukebox money!"). Not only should the Chrysler platform-mates of Dodge and Jeep vehicles have a different image and feel, they should be taller, roomier, and more comfortable. The Chrysler version of the Wagoneer S should be taller and have 5+2 seating like the old Journey or the LATAM Jeep Commander.
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