Straightline
Chrysler
August 28, 2008
This actually could be good news, as originally there had been rumors that Chrysler would ax the Viper. So now we have this news that the Viper could survive--if some other company would be interested in buying it; and of course, if the price is right to both parties. Let's hope that's the case.
In a perfect world, the Viper would remain a Chrysler product. In a slightly less perfect world, it would be bought by an American company (perhaps Shelby?). If push-comes-to-shove, I think most gearheads would prefer to see the Viper continue--even if
it's owned by some huge Mid-East, Indian or other foreign
conglomerate--than to have it go down the tubes.
Full story here.
Here's Inside Line's take: Chrysler Confirms It May Sell off Dodge Viper and Viper Loyalists React with Optimism to Uncertain Future for Dodge Supercar
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 28, 2008, 5:55 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Dodge, Sports Cars, Trends
August 19, 2008
Trevor Creed is stepping down as Chrysler Vice President of Design as of September one. 38-year-old Ralph Gilles will become the new designer-in chief.
"Trevor has led a distinguished automotive design career," Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli said in a statement. "Creed played a key leadership role in the design of award-winning vehicles," such as the iconic Dodge Viper, the Plymouth Prowler and the retro-styled PT Cruiser.
Gilles joined Chrysler in 1992. He most recently served as vice president of Jeep, truck and advance interior design. Gilles was the lead designer of the new 2009 Dodge Ram pickup. In addition Gilles also led the design effort for the high-belt-designed 2004 Chrysler 300.
Full story here and here.
Here's Inside Line's take: Design Superstar Ralph Gilles Succeeds Trevor Creed at Chrysler
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 19, 2008, 6:05 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler
July 31, 2008
AutoObserver is reporting that Chrysler LLC is talking to both Tata and Fiat. Early indications suggest that "parnerships" are being discussed. Items being rumored are that Tata may help build and sell Jeeps; and that Fiat (and Alfa Romeo) are looking for a way to get back in the American market, and Chrysler may be of assistance here.
That does not, however, mean that other subjects are not also on the table, as in Cerberus looking for a way to get out of this Chrysler mess. As you might expect, nobody is talking, which of course helps feed the wild speculation.
Chrysler Shops Talks Partnerships with Fiat and Tata, Reports Say
Here's another story on this topic.
UPDATE: Might the next Sebring be a re-badged Altima, or perhaps a premium Fiat? Check out what Autoblog is posting here.
July 29, 2008
The one glimmering light at Chrysler LLC is Jeep. Despite the high gas prices and all the anti-SUV sentiment these days, the "brand" of Jeep remains strong--very strong. If Cerberus decides to unload Chrysler, Jeep is their ace in the hole.
"At this point, it's hard to say what positive value Chrysler has," said Gerald Meyers, chairman of the former American Motors Corp., which owned Jeep until Chrysler bought AMC in the late 1980s. "But Jeep is worth a lot -- it's the sole clear-cut jewel in their crown ... that can be isolated and sold as a unit, without being much concern if Chrysler survives or not."
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 29, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler, Jeep
July 14, 2008
Every now and then I stop by Hemming Auto Blogs to see what's going on with old cars. Today I saw an entry on vintage Canadian cars, more specifically on Canadian Fords and Mercurys.
For those too young to remember, beginning back in 1946 and running through the 1960s Fords and Mercurys sold in Canada were badged differently than those here in the USA. I believe Lincolns were the same on both sides of the border, however.
A Canadian Ford was called a Meteor. Canadian Mercurys were called Monarchs and Canadian Ford trucks were sold as Mercury trucks. Not only was the badging different but so too was the styling. Ford was not alone here as GM and Chrysler also had their own Canadian-specific models.
Full story here and here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 14, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Trucks
July 7, 2008
More evidence of the world-wide popularity of the Korean auto giant Hyundai-Kia, as they passed Honda in global sales in 2007. Hyundai-Kia is now ranked fifth in terms, which is previously the rank Honda held.
The Korean automaker was ranked 11th place in 1999, but moved up to 5th place in 2007 by out-selling rivals such as Honda, Nissan, PSA / Peugeot, Chrysler and Fiat.
Now Hyundai-Kia's global sales for 2007 were 3,961,629, whereas Honda sold 3,831,000 vehicles. Hyundai-Kia has shot up six places in just eight years, according to Automotive News' 2008 Global Data Book.
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 7, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Peugeot, Trends
July 4, 2008
How's a unibody replacement for the Dakota grab you? Or a BOF Jeep pickup? There's even a smaller pickup than the Dakota being studied. Yep, there's also a Ram hybrid in the works too, as well as a 1/2-ton diesel. Those are just some of the plans Chrysler LLC has in store down the road.
Also expect to see an integrated trailer brake controller for the new Ram 1500 next spring. This will also go into the completely redesigned 2010 HD Rams.
If you're left scratching you head as to why the Dakota replacement is going unibody, consider that the Honda Ridgeline, with similar construction, is outselling the current Dakota so far this year.
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 4, 2008, 10:14 AM
- Categories: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
July 2, 2008
No surprise here: June vehicle sales went head-first into a brick wall. The only survivor of the 'Big 6' automakers is Honda. Some of the smaller brands that focus on smaller vehicles also showed some gains, Subaru, Mazda, VW and Suzuki being several. Check out the grizzly results on
AutoObserver's monthly tally.
June Car Sales: U.S. Buyers Almost Veer Off the Road
Here's
Inside Line's take:
Ford, General Motors and Toyota Show 20 Percent Sales Drop in June and
Honda Shines as Domestic Auto Industry Slumps
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 2, 2008, 5:58 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
June 30, 2008
Once again rumors of a Chrysler LLC sale have surfaced. An annual study of the U.S. automotive product pipeline says Chrysler's lack of future product plans is an indication of a near-future breakup or sale by the automaker's majority-owner, Cerberus Capital Management.
"Chrysler's product pipeline severely lags the industry on a number of key metrics, which is an ominous sign for its market share," Merrill Lynch's recently issued Car Wars report said. "We believe that this is an active decision by new owners to rationalize the product portfolio in advance of a breakup/sale."
The above image that was taken at a recent Chrysler press event at the Chelsea Proving Grounds displaying 2009 models...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 30, 2008, 5:35 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
June 26, 2008
Well, it was going to happen sooner or later. The question was who was going to be first to offer wireless Internet, and it looks like that will be Chrysler.
The first question that will come to many is how can this be safe? I mean surfing the Net while driving?..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 26, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Car Tech, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
June 24, 2008
AutoObserver lists its "Dead-on-Arrival" new models. Some are already on the market, while others are just a few months out.
So do you agree? I question their listing of the Honda Accord here, as that model is selling quite well—but that could change...
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June 10, 2008
"Let's Refuel America." We've all the promotions, and now two months into the sales incentive, it's proving to be an a utter failure. While it started strong, it ran out of breath quickly, leaving Chrysler and their dealers twiddling their thumbs and wondering what went wrong.
Lincoln Merrihew, senior vice president of TNS Automotive, a New York-based market-research concern, noted that Chrysler hasn't been able to shed the image of offering arguably the least fuel-efficient lineup, overall, of any major automaker. "Consumers fear being perceived as driving a fuel-inefficient vehicle right now more than ever before, and Chrysler couldn't overcome that potential social stigma with this particular offer," he said...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 10, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler
May 27, 2008
Well, at least some Chrysler executives "get it," as a memo on just how bad their Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Nitro somehow found their way outside the hallowed halls of Chrysler's executive offices.
Bob Lee, who heads Chrysler's Powertrain Engineering for Dodge and Chrysler noted that we “missed where the market was to end up versus our projections.” Lee went on to say that Chrysler underestimated what their competitors would be offering and missed the mark in terms of interior quality, ride, fuel efficiency and NVH. These are items many Chrysler enthusiasts have also criticized in both the Sebring and Nitro.
“As a result of these embarrassing ‘misses,’ there are extremely aggressive actions being taken on many of the existing products—and also the yet to be introduced products to get us at least to the middle of the competitive pack in very short order,” Lee wrote...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland May 27, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Dodge
May 7, 2008
In the latest incentive to move vehicles off dealer lots, Chrysler has introduced their "Let's Refuel America" plan, in which Chrysler will pay for part of your fuels for the next three years.
They will lock in a price of $2.99 for that time span. That's what you the customer will pay. Anything over that Chrysler picks up the tab...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland May 7, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Diesels, Dodge, Jeep, Trends
April 29, 2008
While Honda and others are reaping the benefits from selling loads of smaller cars, the makers of big trucks an SUVs are taking it it on the chin. In it's latest move GM will cutting one shift in all four of their factories that make full-size pickups and SUVs. The cuts will occur at Pontiac, Flint, MI; Janesville, Wis; and Oshawa, Ontario.
States GM North America President Troy Clarke: “With rising fuel prices, a softening economy and a downward trend on current and future market demand for full-sized trucks, a significant adjustment was needed to align our production with market realities.”
Full story here and here...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 29, 2008, 7:42 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, General Motors, Honda, SUVs, Toyota, Trends, Trucks
April 19, 2008
Now this is interesting... As we all know Detroit automakers are saddled with too many divisions and too many dealers. It's known that Chrysler will be drastically cutting dealers, and one of many concerns—when they put this into action, will they be able to adequately service all the vehicles they sell?
What they've come up with is to offer stand-alone Chrysler service facilities. These facilities could well be dealers that have been closed...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 19, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Trends
April 15, 2008
With all the gut-wrenching turmoil going on at Chrysler it must take a very special kind of person to work in their executive suites these days. Nardelli just brought back a guy named Peter Arnell to act as the official Moses-on-the-Mountaintop.
Arnell is often referred to as a marketing genius by those he's worked with. That's the good news...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 15, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler
March 26, 2008
File this under "Duh..." So six months ago you planned your wedding, or perhaps your vacation to Florida, and it's scheduled for October; and now your boss (Chrysler) says all vacations this year will take place in a two-week span in July. So there. Tough luck...
To say this forced summer vacation plan isn't going over well with Chrysler employees, is well, an understatement...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland March 26, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler
March 25, 2008
Okay everyone, here's your chance to tell Chrysler LLC what you want. The company has just started recruiting folks for their Customer Advisory Board (here), which is an online forum where Chrysler staffers will solicit feedback from customers.
"We want to harness insights and customer dreams into things we can use concretely with our different groups, such as engineering, design, marketing," states Chrysler's Debra Meyer, a vice president and chief marketing chief officer, and pictured to the right.
Sounds like a great idea...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland March 25, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Automaker Feedback, Chrysler
March 20, 2008
Tucked in a far corner of the New York auto show is this rare Chrysler Thunderbolt. It's an early concept car from an era when life-size concept cars were not common. Alex Tremulis was one of the designers, notable because he was responsible for the Tucker -- there are clearly similarities. Tremulis also worked with American Bantam and Crosley earlier...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody March 20, 2008, 2:05 PM
- Categories: Chrysler, Classic Cars, New York Auto Show
March 14, 2008
And when I say everyone, I mean everyone who works at Chrysler—globally!
Why? To improve the automaker's efficiency and boost productivity, so says CEO Bob Nardelli, who issued this edict.
To the best of my knowledge, this is a first ever forced vacation by any automaker, not to mention the fact that it involves workers around the world...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland March 14, 2008, 5:22 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler
March 7, 2008
The fact that the announcement showed up at 6:00 on a Friday evening says it all. Chrysler is closing its Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center in Carlsbad, California and it wanted the fewest number of people possible to notice.
According to the release, Chrysler is “…leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance and manage fixed costs. As such, we are closing the Pacifica Advance Product Design Center, consolidating the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig March 7, 2008, 7:37 PM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Trends
February 28, 2008
GM had to shut their Pontiac, MI truck assembly plant due to the strike at American Axle. The plant builds full-size SUVs and pickup for Chevy and GMC.
Not only is the strike hurting GM, but it could soon affect Chrysler as well, as they also supply parts for Dodge trucks.
“It is unfortunate that a market-competitive labor agreement for American Axle’s original U.S...
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February 19, 2008
The three--headed dog's downfall?
A recent letter from Cerberus to stakeholders forecasts lowered expectations than what was originally hoped for. As a result doom-and-gloom worst-case scenarios are popping up, should... well, if the worst-case scenario occurs.
From a column in Tuesday's New York Times:
"If Chrysler, which has $18 billion in pension and health care liabilities for at least the next two years, winds up sinking into bankruptcy, it would be a watershed event,” writes Andrew Ross Sorkin in the paper’s Dealbook column...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 19, 2008, 9:32 AM
- Categories: Chrysler
February 13, 2008
Chrysler LLC and Mahindra & Mahindra are reportedly in discussions about some sort of Jeep tie-up. It could be about marketing Mahindra Jeeps here—or in possibly taking over the Jeep brand from Chrysler.
It's no secret that time is running out for the Cerberus-run Chrysler to start showing progress (as in making some money). If that's not going to happen, Plan B is to sell off the various divisions, and Jeep could well be the starting point...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 13, 2008, 7:31 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Jeep
February 11, 2008
If Chrysler can't right their ship within two to three years, their future looks pretty dim. This is the feeling among many industry experts. They expect Chrysler LLC to merge with some other foreign automaker, as they can't likely succeed on their own.
A real problem for Chrysler is that that their presence overseas is very small...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 11, 2008, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Trends
February 8, 2008
Some of the possible Chrysler product cuts are easy to understand. Who would miss the Jeep Compass, Dodge Nitro, or any number of others potentially on the chopping block?
But what about the Dodge Viper? According to Jalopnik (here), a decision has been made, and if that's true, its days may well be numbered. Now why on earth would they do that, you ask?..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 8, 2008, 1:01 PM
- Categories: Chrysler, Dodge
Chrysler's latest corrective action, called "Project Genesis" is in a nutshell, a plan to cut even more models and to consolidate even more dealers.
The details have yet to emerge, but it's safe to say that badge-engineered vehicles, slow sellers, and vehicles that don't fit the brand image are at risk of being dropped. The word is they want to cut the products offered in half, from 30 models to 15 models, and each with a clearly defined market slot and with no model overlaps.
Also, they want more (if not all) dealers to be selling all three Chrysler LLC brands, that being Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 8, 2008, 8:33 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Trends
February 6, 2008
The sudden Plastech bankruptcy last week exposed a Chrysler vulnerability in that they could be in real trouble when a major supplier stops supplying for whatever reason. In this case Plastech, a major suppler of trim, and by going bankrupt, shut four of Chrysler's plants, and put the remaining 14 plants in jeopardy.
A temporary agreement has got Plastech up and running once again, but for how long? And then what?
Full story here...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 6, 2008, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler
February 5, 2008
Well, here you have it folks: VW's Town and Country, er, Grand Caravan, er, Routan...
Power comes from a 197 hp 3.8L V6 or a 251 hp 4.0 V6. The tranny is a 6-speed automatic. Biggest selling point?..
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January 26, 2008
Chrysler's Jim Press is absolutely right. In fact I'll go one step further: I think there's an emerging market for "real" trucks that are "very small." To date, or at least within the last couple of decades, most of the small trucks we've seen here have been basically "play things," with very little emphasis on the "work" aspect.
What I'm talking about, for lack of a better term, are Euro-style small trucks. These are vehicles that are small in size, yet big in work capability...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland January 26, 2008, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Trucks
January 22, 2008
Not long after the government announced the upcoming and much tougher corporate fuel standards, GM announced that their Northstar V8 was terminal. Now the latest casualty is the Chrysler Hemi engine, as it too will have its life cut short thanks to these new government-mandated fuel regulations.
Full story here.
Having said that, and in a couple of related stories, both AutoObserver and Inside Line have stories up stating that V8 engines are not dead at GM...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland January 22, 2008, 7:14 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Trends
January 14, 2008
Chrysler apparently used up its full allotment of fun yesterday when it herded a bunch of longhorns in front of Cobo Hall. And so we were greeted today by possibly the most lifeless press conference we've seen from Chrysler in a good long time. Even Chrysler didn't seem excited about the three concept cars it showed today. None of them have even the remotest shot at production...
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- Posted by: Daniel Pund January 14, 2008, 1:12 PM
- Categories: Chrysler, Detroit Auto Show, Dodge, Jeep
January 8, 2008
The competition for OnStar type services is really heating up. Ford's Sync system has already added features like accident notificaiton and remote diagnostics. Now, Hughes Telematics is confirming details of their system which will be included on many 2009 Mercedes Benz vehicles.
The Hughes system is by far the most comprehensive and includes these features: emergency crash notification, hands free calling, maintenance reminders, recall notification, red light camera alerts, roadside assistance, real time traffic, remote emissions reporting, stolen vehicle locator, turn by turn directions, vehicle tracking, plus news, weather, gas and streaming media...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody January 8, 2008, 6:01 PM
- Categories: Car Tech, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz
January 4, 2008
There are more than 140,000 slot machines in and around Las Vegas. That's about the same number of people who will attend this year's International Consumer Electronics Show which is also in Las Vegas.
And we're not talking just fancy toasters, Wii and big screen TVs. We fully expect a strong automotive showing at this year's show as both Ford and General Motors will be there in force...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody January 4, 2008, 11:43 AM
- Categories: BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Car Tech, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz
December 28, 2007
Okay, how about this rumor to end the old year (or to begin the new year): Ford and Chrysler merging?
According to to Fortune's Alex Taylor, that's the latest and hottest rumor that's beginning to circulate. Why even think about such a merger? Apparently there are those who think that Cerberus, the owner of Chrysler, may be in over their head, and are looking for a way to bail. Well, okay, that may be Chrysler's/Cerberus' motivation, but what in it for Ford?
Frankly the thought of this just makes my head spin...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 28, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Chrysler, Ford
December 10, 2007
Effective immediately, Chrysler LLC's vice president of communications, Jason Vines resigns.
No word as to why, but all signs seem to indicate that it's a friendly parting of the ways. Vines has agreed to stay on through the end of the month so that his successor, human resources vice president, Susan Rae, gets comfortably situated. Also, no word as to where Vines is headed...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 10, 2007, 11:28 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler
November 22, 2007
Here's a couple of items to keep you thinking motor vehicles in between the feasting and football games:
It seems a Flex-fuel Ford F-150 delivered a couple of very lucky turkeys to the White House, to be pardoned by the Prez.
And...
Five Chrysler products topped Forbes 2007 Automotive Turkeys list (here). They are: The Chrysler Sebring, the Dodge Nitro, the Jeep Liberty, the Dodge Caliber and Dodge Magnum...
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