 Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be Eliminated |
The Detroit Free Press has an interesting article in which they speculate which Chrysler vehicles should be the next on the chopping block. They back it up with some convincing facts from an industry analyst (although, if you're reading this site, aren't we all "industry analysts" - at least amateur ones).
Todd Turner, president of Thousand Oaks, Calif., consultant Car Concepts Inc., said he can think of at least three more vehicles Chrysler should drop: the Jeep Compass, Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Commander.
The Compass fills a spot also occupied by the Patriot, another compact utility vehicle. Jeep needs a small, fuel-efficient vehicle to hedge against rising gas prices, but it doesn't need two of them, Turner said.
Chrysler is not a strong enough brand to pull off a luxury SUV, such as the Aspen, he said. And the Commander crowds a market already covered by the Grand Cherokee, Turner said.
If Jeep wants to add a large SUV, it needs more separation, he said. The Commander is only 1.9 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee.
"The Commander just has to be stopped," Turner said. "It's so close to the Grand Cherokee that it makes no sense."
Pulling the plug on models, though, is not an easy decision, said Phillippi of AutoTrends.
Even if sales are modest, some vehicles help cover costs for new factory equipment, Phillippi said. The Compass, for example, is made at the same plant as the Patriot and Caliber.
Digg This Story
Save This Page to del.icio.usReader Reactions
The comments are owned by the poster.
We aren't responsible for their content.
You must login or register to post a comment.
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Renegade | Posted: 2007/11/8 21:09 Updated: 2007/11/8 21:09 |
Quite a regular   Joined: 2005/8/11 From: Atlanta, GA Posts: 61 |
 Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be...I like the idea of a boxy line-up.
•Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited. •Make a JT and name it JK-8/Scrambler. •'08 Liberty •Revamped GC/Commander. Full-sized, 7 seater styled like the Rescue. •Make a pick-up version named Gladiator (& gimme da side mounted spare!). •Patriot... but I'm iffy on it. I almost feel like it should be restyled a bit, too, perhaps tweaked with some Trailhawk design cues... Diesel options all around... |
|
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| uparms | Posted: 2007/11/7 19:45 Updated: 2007/11/7 19:45 |
Just popping in  Joined: 2006/3/4 From: Posts: 7 |
Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be... Drop the compass and commander.
Give me a 2 door lib with hatchback. Or give me the long wrangler with 2 doors. I am running the 05 Unlimited now. The 2 door long wrangler with a top or truck option combo would be great. |
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Havoline | Posted: 2007/11/7 14:47 Updated: 2007/11/7 14:47 |
Just popping in Joined: 2007/8/28 From: Posts: 16 |
Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be... Drop the Compass.
Drop the Commander. Re-style the Grand Cherokee to the "boxy" shape of the Commander. Re-name the Liberty the Cherokee.  |
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| RUBICON | Posted: 2007/11/7 14:37 Updated: 2007/11/7 14:39 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2005/7/13 From: Chandler, AZ Posts: 357 |
Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be... Wow, I need to become an "industry analyst" and magically pull things out of my you know what...
Insider sources have already pointed to an XK/WK replacement that is slightly larger than the current XK. This could possibly have a whole new name or might continue the Commander or Grand Cherokee name. The new Liberty is close to the same size as the current Grand Cherokee so there won't be a hole in the lineup there. The Compass might be dropped to put more focus on the Patriot. Basically what me as an "industry analyst"  (ha ha) thinks you can expect the lineup to look in 2010:Wrangler Wrangler Unlimited JT (name would probably change) all-new Commander (possibly all-new name) Liberty Patriot I DON'T see the current Commander getting cut before it's scheduled ending as it shares many of the same parts as the WK. |
|
|
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| davert | Posted: 2007/11/7 13:28 Updated: 2007/11/7 13:28 |
Just popping in Joined: 2007/5/14 From: Posts: 15 |
Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be... What makes their guesses any better than anyone else's? Do they have profitability data? Commander makes sense to keep going as long as it doesn't require an extra shift. That's why they pulled the Compass. Also, they may want to keep Commander around for the NEXT generation, when they can make it a little longer and hence more useful as a three-seater.
|
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| MarkH | Posted: 2007/11/7 13:01 Updated: 2007/11/7 13:01 |
Home away from home Joined: 2005/7/20 From: The Great White North Posts: 406 |
Re: Industry Analyst Suggests Compass and Commander to be... I'm all for keeping the 4 boxes & eliminating all the curves.
 If I had a magic wand (well, I do, but that's another story...  ) this would be my line-up:1) Patriot (Lower the price & "downscale" the options list) 2) Liberty (Pretty good the way it is... Offer the 4.0L V6 as an option with both a 6spd stick & an AT) 3) Wranglers (Same as in #2) 4) Commander (Let the GC fade away, make the 3rd row optional, & offer a 6spd stick for all engines. Imagine that thing with a manual shift HEMI!?) OK, I can't resist: 5) Produce the JT & call it the Scrambler. End the jellybean-shaped car era. If you don't like right angles, stay out of a JEEP showroom. Hell, my ideas can't hurt them more than they've hurt themselves...  |
