In early October at the South Florida International Auto Show, Chrysler set up what they called “Camp Jeep”. To those less term enriched, Jeep made a driving exhibit to give test drivers the real-life experience of driving a Jeep off road. This was no minor feat for Jeep. To build their course at the Miami Beach Convention Center, they had to haul in over 220 yards of mulch and spend almost six days developing the obstacle course. The trail featured a water obstacle and an 18-foot “hill” as well as other driving challenges. All to show potential clients just what a Jeep can do out on the trails.

If this wasn’t enough, Chrysler is going it one better at their upcoming “Full Throttle Test Drive Event” at the Wild Rivers Water Park in Irvine, CA (Los Angeles area) this Saturday (Oct. 28) and Sunday (Oct. 29). Chrysler will be featuring its full line of vehicles on three different specialty courses, one of which will be a 4×4 off-road adventure course. Consumers will get the chance to test the off-road capability of Chrysler’s Jeep Wrangler, grand cherokee and Commander on the course.

This event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is free. Food and drinks will be available. People interested in attending are being encouraged to pre-register for a general arrival time on Saturday or Sunday by calling 888-809-7088 or visiting http://www.ridedrivewin.com/pr. Pre-registration is not required to attend. You do need to be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license to participate in the vehicle driving tests.

Is it worth the expense to construct these man-made obstacle courses? Chrysler must think so and some marketing studies would seem to indicate that it is as well. According to market research, 40% of the people that attend these types of auto shows will buy a vehicle within a year of the event.

We applaud Chrysler for their innovative way to demonstrate their vehicles’ performance and to give people a chance to see for themselves what they feel like out on the trails. We look for more marketing innovations out of Chrysler as they make a push to further strengthen their off-road image.

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There could never be a much perfect timing for the creation of the Chrysler 300 sedan. The production of the 300 sedan was a timely stroke of brilliance in Auburn Hills. It should be noted that in more years than anyone can remember the PT Cruiser, classic Jeep grand cherokee together with the range of innovative new minivans have saved Chrysler from near bankruptcy.

The only question now is: Does Chrysler has enough resources left to create another product-led comeback? The current cutting measures that the automaker is employing such as cutting jobs and stabilizing health care cost although it helps but is not enough to save the automaker from a possible buyout. It is also not a secret that DaimlerChrysler AG is looking for potential buyers for the Chrysler AG and if Chrysler will not exert effort to prove its worth to Daimler then it will have to find a new home.

Chrysler is not at all a bad company, as a fact, last year it was able to introduce a record of 10 vehicles of which there were no unqualified hits except for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited which is only a small part of the whole equation. And for this year, Chrysler will once again launch eight more new models. Not bad for a company that is on the brink of being torn to pieces.

Steve Bartoli, Chrysler’s Vice-President for global product planning said, “We just have to be competitive,” and further stated that the coming of new vehicles will help in paying dividends quickly. “It’s been a mixed mesh of new vehicles. And fortunately there haven’t been any disasters.”

Most analysts’ thinks that Chrysler needs to develop an emotional connection with its buyers. And at present Chrysler still designs and produces polarizing vehicles. As a fact, a great number of its newest models like the boxy and aggressive Dodge Nitro provide a distinctive look and one-of-a-kind features for its respective segment. According to Jim Sanfilippo, an automotive marketing expert with Team Detroit that handles advertising for several brands, “You don’t get 300s every year. They’re going to do OK. Chrysler has a lot of solid doubles and all of them four-cylinder engines, which is going to be important when gas prices start to climb again.”

Chrysler and its Minivans

And what about the Minivans will they be able to help Chrysler? One of the most important vehicle launches that Chrysler has for 2007 is in the segment it invented way back in the year 1983 which is the minivan. Starting from the time that Chrysler has introduced the minivans in the market it has been able to sell at least 11 million family haulers. “If Chrysler has a home run, it’s their new minivan,” said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN, an automotive consulting company in Grand Rapids.

The fifth generation 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan and top-selling Dodge Caravan which will hit dealerships this fall should be able to boost the lagging sales of Chrysler, according to Merkle. He also added, “The competition doesn’t have the ability to build more minivans. And Chrysler is introducing an excellent product.”

Despite the fact that Chrysler owns 28 percent of the segment, the sales for the Town and Country minivans still dropped by 12 percent last year while the Caravan sales decline by 6.9 percent that is according to Autodata. Fortunately for Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are now abandoning minivans which make Chrysler as the strongest producer in this segment and will be competing only against Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.—holding No.2 and No.3 spots respectively.

Chrysler and its Sedan

Although Chrysler may not be as lucky in the midsize sedan segment with its two introductions—the all new Dodge Avenger and the redesigned Sebring— but both of these vehicles possess distinctive designs and economical advantage since both were built on the same platform in Sterling Heights. The Avenger was given an aggressive and meaner look while the Sebring was given a face that is made for rental car fleet.

The Sebring sedan is scheduled to hit showrooms in December but sales remain sluggish which Bartoli blames to an end-of-year launch. The Sebring sedan with its short deck and snubbed nose makes it an ugly duckling in the range but wait till you see the convertible version of the sedan which is scheduled to come out later this year. The dropping of the top and the removal of the two doors makes the convertible Sebring sedan a standout.

The Avenger on the other hand is already available in dealerships and offers an attractive alternative to a segment that is filled with hot-selling bland vehicles. It resembles a small Charger and its unique features, strong styling, and good gas mileage is expected to attract new customers.

Dodge which is a brand that appeals to more men than women has a car on its hands that could pull more drivers who are looking for vehicles that have a sporty look and utility that is similar to that of the sedan.

The Dodge Caliber which has given Chrysler with a moderate success has continued the tradition of the automaker when it comes to offering a distinct alternative to the traditional competitors. Although the interior may seem simple but it comes with clever features such as a cooler in the glove box and a detachable cabin light. More than 90,000 units of Dodge Caliber were sold since its launching last year. Also a 300 horsepower high performance SRT version of the Caliber is scheduled for release later this year.

The new 2008 Liberty will received a redesigned independent suspension at the front while a new five-link suspension is placed at the rear. It also has standard side curtain airbags plus a full-length “Sky Slider” open-canvas roof that provides an open-air experience same as the one offered in Wrangler. The Sky Slider is offered in both Sport and Limited trims as part of the option and cost $1,200. The Selec-Trac II full-time four-wheel drive system is available only on the Limited 4×4 models. The Selec-Trac II system is ideal for use on either dry pavement as well as on low-traction surfaces.

In terms of powertrain choices, there are no changes. It’s still the same 210 horsepower, 235 lb-ft of torque 3.7 liter V6 matched with a four-speed automatic.

Dodge Nitro struck a Dog Commercial

Fortunately it only happens in a commercial which was shown recently in YouTube. The Dodge-Nitro Striking-A-Dog-with-electric bolt commercial has been running on YouTube for two weeks already. And according to people who have viewed the ad it was done in bad taste. As a matter of fact, a consumer has alerted Chrysler about the commercial saying that it’s quite disturbing.

The commercial shows a dog sniffing the tire of the Nitro probably to find the perfect spot to leave his territorial mark unfortunately for the dog before it can even shower the Nitro’s tire with his marking fluid an electric bolt coming from the truck struck the dog and set it into flames. This is the part of the commercial that viewers find rather disturbing especially those animal lovers.

By the way, seconds after the dog was hit by the electric bolt came flashing on the screen the “Dodge Nitro” name followed by a line of text of reading: “Charged with Adrenaline”.

According to Chrysler’s spokesman the commercial was created by a BBDO office based in Netherlands. The spokesman of BBDO New York has chosen not to comment on the matter. BBDO is a unit of Omnicom Group.

According to the Chrysler Group, they would be sending out two new vehicles for the Paris Motor Show. One would be the all new Jeep Wrangler while the other one would be the Dodge Avenger. And as per the latter, Chrysler even further says that this new vehicle actually is soon going to be marketed as a brand new saloon vehicle and it would be coming to the United Kingdom’s market come the middle of 2007.

During the mentioned auto show that will be held in the European region, it would also be the very first time that the newly revamped and upgraded Jeep Wrangler would be shown in the continent. According to Chrysler, they would be showing off the Jeep Wrangler in two versions. One would be the one that holds two doors while the other one would be the Jeep wrangler unlimited Edition and this would be holding four doors. Come the month of April next year, the United Kingdom auto maker would be able to purchase the vehicle. And as per the kind of power this vehicle has? Well, let us simply say that the new Jeep Wrangler would be sold mounted with the new 2.8 liter engine that runs on diesel fuel. But Chrysler further informs that there would be a couple of units that would be coming in with a 3.8 liter engine that would be running on petrol fuel.

The Dodge Avenger, on the other hand, is a vehicle that sure would be holding the interest of many of the auto show’s goers. It sure does look like a muscle car and with that you would also know that it would be holding a really good amount of power. Chrysler also informed the public that this vehicle would be really friendly to the family and it also has got a good fuel economy and would be a very efficient vehicle at that.

The oldest manufacturing facility in North America, Toledo’s Parkway Plant has built about 11 million vehicles in its 96-year history. In 2006, the operations at the site came to a halt after manufacturing Jeep brand products for 64 years. The Jeep brand included military vehicles for World War II. And just last year, the production of the Jeep Wrangler and the new, four-door Unlimited version of the Wrangler was transferred to the new, $2.1 billion state-of-the-art Toledo Supplier Park.

Deb Morrisssett, the Vice President for Regulatory Affairs for the Chrysler Group, commented that the site holds a rich history and is close to their heart though the Parkway facility does not anymore offer their manufacturing needs. He added that the group was invested in Toledo’s past and the city’s future so they were hoping that the preserved smokestack serves as a reminder to the constituents of Toledo of the significant role they portrayed in history.

The site became the headquarters and main manufacturing facility for the Willys-Overland Motor Company in 1909. Parkway started producing Jeep military vehicles in the early 1940s before shifting over to the Civilian Jeep (CJ) in 1945. The Kaiser Motors in 1953 acquired Willys-Overland. A decade later, Kaiser-Jeep Corporation took ownership and then sold it in 1970 to American Motors Corporation, the maker of quality American-motors oxygen sensor.

Aside from the preservation of the smokestacks, the Chrysler Group also announced its plans for bricks from the two crossed up smokestacks.

Frank Fountain, the Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Public Policy for the Chrysler Group, said that they were inviting Toledo constituents to own a piece of the Jeep history by buying the bricks from those smokestacks. He added that the proceeds of the sales will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Toledo and the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund will match the proceeds that would double the benefit to this worthy cause; thereby remaining the two stacks part of the Toledo Community. The bricks can be bought at $39.99.

In the state of Ohio, the Chrysler Group has 7,941 employees and earning $465 million in annual wages and providing more than $26 million in taxable income to the state. Nonetheless, the group’s dedication to the city of Toledo and state of Ohio is not just for business sake. Chrysler also sponsors a wide array of community programs in Toledo that include the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Festival, the Toledo Urban League, City’s Youth Entrepreneur Program, Toledo Opera, the Toledo Museum of Art, Valentine Theatre and the Diamante Awards.

For the Dodge brand, the Nitro compact SUV posted the strongest month ever with total sales of 7,532 units. Other Dodge models also performed well in March 2007 including the all-new Dodge Avenger with 9,026 units sold; Dodge Caliber with sales of 8,634 units, a 32 percent increase; and Dodge Charger with 41 percent sales increase 12,707 units sold.

The Jeep brand gained an overall 4 percent sales increase in March 2007. Chrysler Group’s off-road vehicle brand finished the month with 45,335 units sold. The Jeep Wrangler and wrangler unlimited posted an impressive sales increase of 64 percent, selling 13,397 units in March 2007, making it as the best month ever in the history of Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot, both equipped Jeep tail light cover also performed well with sales of 3,802 units and 2,109 units respectively.

According to Tom LaSorda, President and CEO of Chrysler Group:

“We continue to deliver on our promise to spend more time with our dealers, and make their profitability a priority. One important achievement in the month of March was that our vehicle inventory was down by more than 100,000 units compared to the previous year – in-line with the guidance we gave earlier.”

Meanwhile, Chrysler Group is proud to announce that March 2007 is the best month ever for the company’s sales operations outside North America. Chrysler Group brands, including Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler obtained 18 percent sales increase with 22,375 units sold.

“The efforts of our sales teams in all of our International regions contributed to this month’s performance. We have said that our business outside North America has a key role in Chrysler Group’s Recovery and Transformation Plan. These markets have solid teams in place to help grow our business, and with the right products tailored to meet the needs of global markets, there is a lot of potential to reach new customers.” said Thomas Hausch, Executive Director of International Sales and Marketing.

“Chrysler Group’s clear definition between brand offerings, improved quality and overall value are ensuring balanced sales among the top products. In 2007, we expect this to continue as we introduce eight new products, all of which are part of a balanced product portfolio and are designed to meet the needs of a specific group of customers, and complement, not compete with one another.” he added.

Major markets for Chrysler Group models include Eastern Europe and Russia (with 69 percent sales increase) and Latin America (with sales increase of 43 percent in March 2007).

With the shift of auto trend, some enthusiasts expect that the Chrysler Group’s aces would be limited to on-roaders like the Jeep Compass. However, the smooth-riding on-roaders are outshined by the new hit from Jeep.

The new four-door 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which has debuted at the New York Auto Show (NYIAS) in the previous year, is a serious, no-compromise piece of off-road machinery that can run errands as well. But it is not really designed for that.

The Jeep Wrangler is engineered to compete with larger off-road vehicles like the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the Hummer H3. The mini SUV has the same engine and transmission choices given to the short-wheelbase JK. The engine is also complemented by a Jeep cold air intake to produce utmost performance. However, the Unlimited variant offers more options and equipment than any Wrangler variants.

Features of the SUV include standard electronic stability program and optional seat-mounted side airbags, navigation system, remote keyless entry, and the Sirius satellite radio.

Crossovers offer a smooth carefree ride, like cars. The Wrangler does not. Crossovers and cars are quiet. But the Wrangler is not. However, the Wrangler has features that crossovers are lacking. They include rollover cages, removable doors and windshields that can be folded and strapped to the hood. And these features make Wrangler standout from the rest of the vehicles in the market.

Consumer Reports, after testing the wrangler unlimited, gave it a score of 17 out of a possible 100 and this is the lowest score for any current model. The magazine also noted the vehicles’ “dismal fuel economy.” It also performed well in the standardized rock-climbing test. “Off-road capability remains extremely impressive,” said the magazine in its April issue.

The appeal of the Jeep Wrangler could be ascertained by the fact that while the sales of other SUVs plummet, Wranglers are rushing off dealers lots. The Wrangler Unlimited’s days-to-turn is 20 while the average vehicle overall is in excess of 60. The data was divulged by the Power Information Network.

For Chrysler Group’s brands that include Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, the success of the Jeep Wrangler is the most remarkable. According to the automotive Web site Edmunds.com, the average days-to-turn for Chrysler Group vehicles is 106 days.

How attractive is the Jeep wrangler unlimited? Well, the Toyota FJ Cruiser, another serious off-roader, sells at half the volume of the Wrangler. In February, Jeep sold 9,240 Wranglers of both the two- and four-door types in February. The figures have increased by 63 percent over the same period last year.

Pricing also shows the strength of the four-door Wrangler. Six months after its introduction, the average price paid for a wrangler unlimited has increased, according to the Power Information Network. “It’s very rare that the price of a new model goes up,” said Tom Libby, an analyst with Power Information Network. “I think it shows the strength of the Wrangler name,” added Libby.