Dead Nitro
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Chrysler is now saying they will merge the Jeep Liberty and the Dodge Nitro into one car.
That can only mean one thing: no more Nitro.
Chrysler is really trying to separate their brand images. That would mean Chrysler would sell car while Jeep would sell.. Well..
Jeeps, I guess. Even if the next Grand Cherokee will actually be car based.
I am not sure whare this lives the Dodge brand.
Sporty?
Chrysler luxury, and Dodge sporty ? Or cheap?
What do you think?
Well they did that that ad campaign at the beginning of the year (I think) with the babies dressed up for each brand. Chrysler = luxury; Dodge = sporty; Jeep = off-road and rugged. I still believe that is the case, they just need to get past step 1 and one to the step everyone else is on. I will probably buy one of the 3 as long as my mom works for them. So I hope they do something to wow everyone else.
THANK GOODNESS
A member of my family just bought a fire-engine red Jeep Liberty for her dog to ride in. That’s not a diss, it’s true. Her collie (BIG collie) sits on a doggie bed on the folded-down back seats, or has room to stand up fully and put her front paws on the center armrest.
Sometimes we can’t get her out of the car.
Y’wanna know how she picked the Jeep? The collie wouldn’t get into the Dodge Nitro.
While they’re at it they should get rid of the Caliber too. I’m sorry if anyone out there likes it or has one but man I just can’t stand the Nitro and the Caliber. They remind me of the Aztec. Confusing looking vehicles.
There is no reason for Dodge. Let it joined Plymouth in car heaven.
Dodge and Hemi are so entwined in car history that can’t drop the name. Dodge needs to be the sport brand of the three. From the muscle cars to the Rams. That crossbar grille is too much of icon in marketing to let it slip.
Dodge the hemi / muscle car / big truck division.
Jeep the SUV / off road division / maybe a small Jeep pickup (again)
Chrysler…Can’t be luxury as they need small fuel efficient cars. It’s the Ford or Chevy the mass market brand. They need to have everything from a city car to the limo service car that the 300 is.
Chrysler needs a Dodge-branded Jeep like it needs a third nostril.
Keep Jeep pure and kill any redundancy.
Translation: The beancounters found it too expensive to have 2 models, one of which didn’t sell well. The Nitro was a great looking SUV in my opinion, too bad it lacked the refinement it needed to be competitive. Why can’t the Americans ever get it right???
The Nitro's failure is a combination of poor execution and arriving too late on the market. It was another dumb move by the Daimler led Chrysler regime.
Differentiating the divisions will be a tough chore for Chrysler LLC. Jeep isn't as much of a problem because it has an iconic brand image (when Chrysler doesn't water it down). Dodge and Chrysler will be much harder to separate because of how diluted the Chrysler brand has become since Plymouth was discontinued. I would like to see Dodge become a sort of domestic Mazda type of division; a mainstream brand with a sporty edge. Chrysler needs to try to move upmarket into near luxury territory. I think the division has become too diluted to ever be considered as a top-tier luxury competitor. Chrysler LLC needs to ensure that the Chrysler brand does not carry any inappropriate products in the future (PT Cruiser, Sebring, Town & Country, Aspen) that would diminish its premium status. Hand me down Plymouth products (PT Cruiser) and fancy Dodges (Sebring, T&C, Aspen) will never help the Chrysler brand transcend its currently diluted state. Chrysler LLC has one heck of a major chore in front of them.
I think they need to bring Plymouth back in order to take the “cheap” out of Chrysler again.
They should know better that only GM can pull off making clones. At least they finally make MOST of them look different. At least the models that differ in price range.
I knew the Nitro wouldn’t last. This is no surprise to me.
Chrysler has a bad habit of discontinuing GOOD models. I applaud them when they decide to kill off something they should actually get rid of!
It does make sense. Selling the same model with two different names has always been weird.
I sat in the new Patriot, the one with the updated interior and still cheap. Also, you are able to see the ceiling shake once you start playing around with the sunroof. Don’t they realize what they selling or do they think the public is really dumb? Personally, I think the cheapest 2009 Fit that starts around $ 14k is so much better inside…
“It’s dead Jim!”
“The Nitro’s failure is a combination of poor execution and arriving too late on the market. It was another dumb move by the Daimler led Chrysler regime. “
You are kidding right? Too late to the market? It wouldn’t have made any difference…
Have you even sat in a Nitro? I rented one when I was in Colorado, not a base trim but the R/T. The interior was awful with the worst plastics and fit and finish I have ever seen in a vehicle. The ride was harsh and jarring but the Nitro was not sporty. The engine was incredibly crude, coarse and unrefined and got horrible gas mileage. The rear seat had no room and the cushions were too short. The front footwells were so narrow that it was uncomfortable and my feet aren’t that big (size 11). The doors sound terrible when you shut them and the wind noise was much worse than my own SUV.
If anything Daimler HELPED Chrysler, their products before the merger were abysmal oil burning junk.
Where does this live (sic) the Dodge brand, Vince? Dead.. as will be Chrysler.. as soon as Cerberus finds a way to farm out all their current products to other manufacturers (Ram to Nissan, Caravan to VW, Dakota to Mitsubishi), sells Jeep to the Indians, chucks their dealer network and becomes a pure industry supplier.