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What Will It Take To Turn Chrysler Into Another Toyota?

When private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management put Robert Nardelli in charge at Chrysler LLC, the promise was that business as usual would be a thing of the past (BusinessWeek.com, 8/6/07).

Nardelli's right-hand man, former Toyota Motor (TM) executive James Press, is making that happen, mainly by trying to emulate the efficiencies of his former employer. At meetings with Chrysler's dealers this week, Press revealed the beginnings of a plan to overhaul the troubled automaker's lineup, trimming its 28 existing models to something in the neighborhood of 16 and adding new ones to fill existing gaps.

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What Will It Take To Turn Chrysler Into Another Toyota?



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theoptimisticpessimisttheoptimisticpessimist - 2/12/2008 2:22:03 PM
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What Will It Take To Turn Chrysler Into Another Toyota? Toyota.

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/12/2008 4:44:13 PM
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It will take quality, durability, reliability and huge economies of scale.


theoptimisticpessimisttheoptimisticpessimist - 2/12/2008 7:06:27 PM
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EnnNorak

Like I said Toyota


TargaTarga - 2/12/2008 2:26:00 PM
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Great marketing, slightly better designs, slightly better quality.

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/12/2008 4:49:15 PM
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I hope that by "great marketing" you are not promoting the old-school marketing that no longer works on today's smart consumer. Consumers today want full disclosure, honest products, and reliable technology instead of intangible and questionable benefits promoted by marketing hype.


TargaTarga - 2/12/2008 7:36:06 PM
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I am not promoting any type of marketing. Toyota has a great marketing team. It is your choice to drink the Kool-Aid they are selling.




sold2earlysold2early - 2/12/2008 2:31:51 PM
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Let me find a book about magic and I'll let you know.

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carguy68carguy68 - 2/12/2008 2:48:04 PM
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ATripATrip - 2/12/2008 2:50:24 PM
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that is a crazy question, Toyota an impressive organization by any standards, not just auto industry. If it were as simple as a few suggestions Toyota wouldnt be Toyota.

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Designer1Designer1 - 2/12/2008 3:02:29 PM
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oh that's simple, a miracle.

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GTR35GTR35 - 2/12/2008 3:11:49 PMView My AgentSpace
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They need to be very Boring and aim at the Senior Citizen group. But a miracle wouldnt be bad either.

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w209w114w209w114 - 2/12/2008 3:27:37 PMView My AgentSpace
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Hire Guigiaro as chief designer of all new Chrysler models. And use IKEA inspired interiors with decent quality.

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w209w114w209w114 - 2/12/2008 3:29:09 PMView My AgentSpace
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Add this to effective marketing which give the cars an aura of sporty yet upscale sophistication at the common man's reach.


w209w114w209w114 - 2/12/2008 3:46:59 PMView My AgentSpace
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If measures like these are implemented, they can succeed and thrive in the auto industry. Chrysler has more history and heritage than Toyota and has always been on the upscale side from say a Chevy, Ford or Dodge and approaches towards Lincoln territory (historically)


RupertRupert - 2/13/2008 6:12:17 PMView My AgentSpace
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Ikea inspired?
Can you imagine the panel gaps if you had to put it together yourself?
They'd be even worse! And the glovebox wouldn't stay closed...and there would be missing bits. Like "Where's the shift lever?"


rockerrocker - 2/12/2008 3:54:12 PM
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Both Chrysler and Ford have new bosses and a new Direction. It will be interesting to see who improves the most. I like the crew Chrysler has put together. Ford still has a few let's say incompetents hanging around(Fields, Mays and of course Ford, jr).

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PlanBPlanB - 2/12/2008 3:55:05 PM
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Upgrade. Everything. The exterior designers can stay though.

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DenaliDenali - 2/12/2008 4:17:23 PM
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bring back MBZ , lol

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/12/2008 4:53:18 PM
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There is nothing that Chrysler has that Toyota needs. A better solution (and a long shot) would be for Ford and Chrysler to merge. They can flip a coin as to who would run it but I would put my money on the airplane guy.

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wilkiesrwilkiesr - 2/15/2008 1:40:45 PM
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All this BS about Toyota being better than American products is crap. They have had better markting but thats going to change.All of our co. cars are Ford products,and we sell them at 200,000 miles. The trucks we keep on running. I personally know of one van with 237000, and still running. We have diesels with over 300000 and still working. All you people that buy off shore owned automotive products had better take a look at your country. I have to sleep at night,I can't buy toyota or any other one.I have to buy to many China products ,and there cars are next. The euro is worth more than the dollar gosh I wonder why

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mini22mini22 - 2/12/2008 4:21:11 PM
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Well obviously Press is trying to do what he did with Toyota. Brand name recognition is important as Toyota did that with the Camry and Corolla.Perhaps models specific to Chrysler and Specific to Dodge and Specific to Jeep is a good way to start out. Better styling,better interior quality on ALL models,and better driving characteristics,especially on FWD and AWD models would help a lot. Chrysler has to create a lust for their FWD main stream vehicles like they did for the Dodge Challenger. Maybe they need to bring back the "Cordova" with corintian leather. Who knows. Toyota can get away with boring cars but Chrysler as well as no American car maker can. There can be no such thing a the default choice.Every vehicle Chrysler makes has to create some sort of gotta have response to the consumer.All it's vehicles have to have a uniqueness or coolness to them. A very tall order.

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hatepussshatepusss - 2/12/2008 5:08:23 PM
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Just buy a Toyota.

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charlik05charlik05 - 2/12/2008 5:48:34 PM
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1. drop the jeep patriot, commander and compass.
2. update the 300. kill the aspen.
3. update durango, dakota and ram.
4. make the magnum only a v8. (no cheap variant.)
5. don't expect to sell 30,000 challengers.
6. kill the entire design staff and overpay for good ones.

Chrysler's problem that it makes cars that sell good in the first 6 months like the pt cruiser, caliber, the 300, the charger. the hype dwindles very quickly. at one point the caliber was so hot that dealers were getting a couple of grand over sticker. they were even being exported to russia by the truck load.

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theoptimisticpessimisttheoptimisticpessimist - 2/12/2008 7:06:52 PM
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LET JEEP BE JEEP!

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BoredBored - 2/12/2008 7:08:03 PM
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Agent 009,

You dare ask this question when you know "joshlexus4ever" will respond!?

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Chaos29Chaos29 - 2/13/2008 1:06:42 AM
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Remove the toyota nameplate and replace it with theirs. Hire asian actors, japanese, to drive them.

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TRacerTRacer - 2/13/2008 2:16:16 AM
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I hope they don't "become another Toyota" when it comes to boring cars that are sold by the crap load. Rather, I hope Jim Press will bring quality and respect to a company that has a proud heritage for product and engineering innovation. I'd rather see Chrysler be more like a BMW that sells a unique, exciting, quality product, but offers it at a reasonable price.

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mplsmpls - 2/13/2008 7:48:44 AM
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TRacer ..
You must be joking, BMW sells more 3 series than the Ford Mondeo in UK, does that make it exclusive anymore..? yet somehow BMW controls the resale value so that apart from being common as muck, they rip you off in the process. Despite that British people still fall for it again and again..

BMW the ultimate driving machine yet most people get theirs in Automatic... how ironic..

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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 2/13/2008 7:24:55 PMView My AgentSpace
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"yet somehow BMW controls the resale value so that apart from being common as muck, they rip you off in the process. Despite that British people still fall for it again and again.."

That's because, in the words of the Brits, it's effing brilliant.


RupertRupert - 2/13/2008 7:30:47 PMView My AgentSpace
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BMW don't control resale value - the market does.


kpaxxkpaxx - 2/13/2008 9:33:10 AM
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Chrysler trucks were always better than anything toyota has to offer!

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dumpstydumpsty - 2/13/2008 10:30:42 AM
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The exterior designs must continue to be creative. The interiors need to follow some sort of benchmark from a European luxury automaker though. The engineers definitely have to "unlearn" what they're currently doing first, then start to re-design interiors in functionaly creative ways.

Chrysler's brands must decide if they want to be rugged, near-luxury, family oriented, sporty-youth oriented, etc. It's hard to hit all of the target markets with one brand, but it's equally as hard to convince everyone that you have "something for everyone" under one roof.

The Chrysler brand must have a flagship sedan and SUV (or CUV) with strong offerings on the midsized categories too. It may not be about have all these models but to have mutiple variations for each model offered (ie, wagon, coupe, AWD, sporty, luxury). GM seems to be effectively do that with the CTS. Why can't they do it with the STS and BLS? Don't know.

Is Jeep just a rugged vehicle brand or can they have a softer variations (options) of a rugged model. They started a bit with the different 4WD versions. The Grand Cherokee can cover multiple markets (soft-roader, off-roader, speed and sporty, luxury on-pavement only) if they only just make their options list more robust.

A new FWD/AWD PT Cruiser can sit on the same platform as a Neon sedan replacement. The Patriot can also use the same platform but have multiple variations that include the different 4WD systems (Freedom Drive?).

There's a lot Chrysler can do. They just have to really commit and market.

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g2okg2ok - 2/13/2008 6:26:45 PM
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I don't think that can be accomplished.

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MercedesMercedes - 2/14/2008 2:26:44 AM
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They used to have the designs, but now they need better designs AND quality. A very tough position to be in. It won't happen overnight either. I wouldn't want them to become the successful yawner Toyota is, lets shoot for something a little more exciting. Nobody can out snooze and make more boring cars than Toyota so forget going that route. All they need is Toyota quality and TPS and nothing more.

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silver1silver1 - 2/15/2008 12:58:40 PM
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MercedesMercedes - 2/18/2008 2:36:17 AM
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XYZZ - I'm convinced that you're just a Toyota loving idiot and will say anything to get a post here. No one said anything about Chrysler doing anything overnight. Get the big T out your ass and realize that other cars do exists and they're much more exciting that your dullard favorite brand.

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MercedesMercedes - 2/28/2008 2:21:29 AM
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Nobody care about your operating cost. Nobody cares about what Consumer Reports recommends. Toytotas are cars by and for loser-dullards who go around dreaming about what Consumer Reports editors look like nake.

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MercedesMercedes - 2/28/2008 2:22:31 AM
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People who buy high-end Mercedes are more prosperous to begin with so uh...try again with that lame BS.

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