Liberty, Challenger top ‘ideal’ vehicle list

Two Chrysler Group LLC vehicles are on AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle list. According to the survey released today, owners of the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Challenger say they are driving a vehicle that meets, or even exceeds, their expectations, meaning those vehicles are perfect just the way they are.

"We are very pleased that the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Challenger have won high praise from their owners," Doug Betts, Senior Vice President - Quality, said. "In fact, this is the second year in a row the Jeep Liberty has earned this honor. This study is confirmation that we understand the needs of our customers, and are designing and building vehicles that they are proud to own. Because of their positive experience, these consumers become promoters for our brands and in this difficult market, their endorsement is priceless."

According to the survey criteria, an "ideal vehicle" is one that meets owner's expectations for the product when they acquired it. AutoPacific asked owners to indicate their desire to change their vehicle in 15 different categories ranging from power and acceleration to safety features and storage after having owned and driven their vehicle for 90 days. The buyers who are happy with their vehicle just the way it is, the ones least likely to desire change, are driving their "ideal" vehicle.

The Jeep Liberty earned top honors in the mid-size sport-utility vehicle category for the second year in a row. It also was recognized as the top-rated vehicle in AutoPacific's 2009 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research last month. The Jeep Liberty has remained a leader in the mid-size SUV market since its introduction in 2002. All-new from the ground up for the 2008 model year, the Jeep Liberty continues to offer legendary Trail Rated Jeep 4×4 capability combined with a new level of on-road refinement and innovative features.

The Dodge Challenger was the top vehicle in the sporty car segment. The Challenger returned in 2009, nearly 40 years after the debut of the original, merging the best American muscle-car characteristics - unmistakable design, world-class handling, powerful engines and cutting-edge technology - to delight driving enthusiasts across several generations.

AutoPacific, an automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm that has provided automotive analysis to carmakers since 1986, based its findings on a just-completed comprehensive survey of more than 25,000 consumers who purchased or leased new cars or light trucks in the period from September to December 2008.

Statement regarding J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS)

Statement regarding J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS)
Attributable to Doug Betts, Senior Vice President – Quality, Chrysler Group LLC

Today, J.D. Power and Associates announced the results of their 2009 Initial Quality Study (IQS), which measures new-vehicle quality at 90-days of ownership. We were pleased to learn that there are several bright spots for Chrysler Group LLC within this study, which demonstrate that the improvements we have been implementing over the past year are starting to show for the company as a whole and within each of the brands.

First, of the 10 most improved vehicles on the J.D. Power list, five of them were Chrysler Group vehicles, including the top three. The five most improved vehicles are the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Avenger, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty.

Second, the Chrysler Group improved 15 points on the survey, faster than the industry average of 10 points. The industry as a whole saw its greatest improvement since 2004. Despite this fact, Chrysler Group gained ground versus the competition.

The Jeep brand improved by 30 points and moved up three rank positions. This jump is attributable primarily to a 47 point improvement for the Jeep Wrangler.

Among the product highlights are:

• Chrysler PT Cruiser, which tied for first place in the Compact Multi Activity Vehicle segment.
• Chrysler Sebring (sedan and convertible), which finished fourth in the very competitive Midsize Car segment that includes such competitors as Nissan Altima, Pontiac G6, Chevy Malibu, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. In fact, when filtering out just the Chrysler Sebring sedan, it tied the Nissan Altima for first place in the segment with a score of 81 points.
• Dodge Grand Caravan, which improved by 60 points and now ranks third in the midsize van category.

What the J.D. Power IQS shows us is that we have some forward momentum. We have figured out how to improve vehicles in production and have taken aggressive actions to continue that progress.

During the course of 2008 and early 2009, Chrysler Group has made tremendous progress on quality, which we can see in our internal measures. The fact is that over last year, Chrysler has reduced its warranty claims by 30 percent. Our internal metrics confirm that we are currently operating with reliability that is better than it has ever been in company history. While the improvement is encouraging, we have by no means arrived at a resting place. With the implementation of Customer Satisfaction Teams (CSTs), Customer Promoter Score (CPS) and other initiatives, we are confident that we will continue to see improvements in our vehicle quality, which will exceed the pace of improvement in the industry as we did in the 2009 IQS.

Fiat's plan for the Chrysler PT Cruiser

Fiat, in its infinite wisdom and foresight, has granted to keep production going on the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the U.S. automaker's compact hatchback/station wagon. The PT Cruiser was previously scheduled to end production this summer.

After a quick rinse in bankruptcy and a takeover by Italy's Fiat (which now owns a 20% stake), Chrysler will continue production of the PT Cruiser, using the model until the Fiat 500 is ready to make its North American debut.

Once production of the PT Cruiser ends, the plant will go through a six-month retooling period, during which the plant will be made ready for production the Fiat 500 and the Fiat Panda (which will be rebadged as a Jeep, according to Inside Line). As it gains access to Fiat's dealerships and Europe and Brazil, Chrysler is apparently anticipating demand for its aging, early-retro-cutesy compact car in those markets.

Source: Inside Line
content from: http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6555089/news/fiat-saves-chrysler-pt-cruiser/index.html