Chrysler Employee Discounts are Back

Chrysler News #1:
Employee Discounts for Everybody Returns July 1

According to multiple news reports, Daimler Chrysler is set to bring back employee discounts for everybody on or about July 1. The Detroit News also predicts that DC will introduce a 30-day like-it-or-your-money-back plan as part of the same campaign.


Chrysler News #2
First Pictures 2007 Chrysler Sebring

The 2007 Chrysler Sebring is set to be unveiled next week in London, but the first undisguised pictures are on the web. The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus are in the same size class as the Honda accord, but they are not even close to being in the same sales class. DC has been less than diligent in updating the current cars; preferring to sell them almost exclusively to rental car outlets in recent years.

The new cars ride on a new platform and get a mixture of new and carry-over engines. Unlike most cars in this segment which are offered with a four-cylinder and a six-cylinder engine, the Sebring/Stratus will get three engines. The base engine is the 172 horsepower "world" 4-cylinder which debuted in the Dodge Caliber. The middle engine is the 2.7-liter, 190 horsepower, 6-cylinder which is the upgrade engine on the current car and infrequently ordered base engine on the 300 series. The top engine is a 235 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 mated to Chrysler's, new, Kokomo-built, 6-speed automatic. I had originally read that this transmission would be ready for 2005 models.

The upcoming cars have a really tough task ahead. This is perhaps the toughest market segment in the industry, a segment where lots of players are good, and a few are exceptional. From the pictures, it looks to me that the styling will be controversial. Also, judging from the pictures, it's my guess that these cars will come in somewhat overweight. I'm guessing curb weight will be a couple hundred pounds more than the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. We shall see when the official specs are released. The cars are set to be available in the "4th quarter" of 2006.

By the way, if you want a Mopar midsized sedan with a manual transmission, you might want to consider getting one of the last few Stratus SRTs. From early information, no manual transmissions will be available on the new generation.