Chrysler Unveils Five Year Plan
On Wednesday November 4th, Chrysler Group LLC held a 7 hour press conference in Auburn Hills detailing the direction of Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Jeep products for the next 5 years. Needless to say they covered a lot of material about Chrysler Group in 7 hours. But I'm guessing most of us are interested in current and future vehicles. The following is a brief recap of each of the vehicle lines thru 2014. I've included the slides that Chrysler Group used at the press conference to give you a better idea of future vehicle sourcing. You'll notice that the future (2012-2014) B, C, and D segment vehicles will utilize Fiat platforms.

Dodge


2010 MY Caliber: New interior, new colors, wheels, repackaging and repositioning.
2011 MY Avenger: New interior, new engine, refreshed exterior, improved NVH, comfort, convenience performance and fuel economy.
2011 MY Journey: New interior, new engine, refreshed exterior, better NVH, comfort and convenience, performance and fuel economy.
2011 MY Grand Caravan: New interior and exterior face lift, new engine, complete suspension retune, best in class ride and handling, NHV, comfort, features, performance and fuel economy.
2011 MY Charger: Completely new vehicle. Available fall of 2010.
New Vehicles: New B segment hatchback in 2013, new C segment sedan in 2012 and new D segment sedan to replace Avenger in 2013.

Ram Truck

2011 MY Ram 2500/3500 Pickup: all-new models. Available now
2011 MY Ram 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab: all-new-models. Available now.
New Vehicles: possible mid-size unibody pickup in 2011, large commercial (Sprinter replacement) van and a small commercial van in 2012.

Chrysler

2011 MY Sebring: New interior, new engine, refreshed exterior, improved NVH, comfort, convenience performance and fuel economy.
2011 MY Town & Country: New interior and exterior face lift, new engine, complete suspension retune, best in class ride and handling, NHV, comfort, features, performance and fuel economy.
2011 MY 300/300C: All new vehicle. Available fall of 2010.
New Vehicles: New B segment hatchback in 2013, new C segment sedan from Fiat for North America in 2012, new D segment sedan to replace Sebring in 2013 and new D segment crossover in 2013.

Jeep


2011 MY Patriot: Major refresh. New interior.
2011 MY Compass: Major refresh. New interior.
2011 MY Wrangler: Major refresh. New engine, new interior.
2011 MY Liberty: Mild refresh.
2011 MY Grand Cherokee: All-new vehicle. Available late spring 2010.
New Vehicles: B segment small SUV debuts in 2013, C segment Patriot/Compass replacement in 2013, D segment Liberty replacement in 2013.

You can listen to the entire webcast (all 7 hours) at the Chrysler Group LLC website - http://www.chryslergroupllc.com/



Fleeting Tidbits
For the ninth consecutive year, the silver category, which includes charcoal and gray shades, has ranked as the most popular vehicle color in the world according to data from PPG Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation coatings.

In North America, silver and charcoal saw a strong increase in popularity from 20 percent in 2008 to 25 percent this year. White was second (18 percent), black was third (16 percent) and red was fourth (12 percent). These four color categories comprise well over two-thirds of all vehicles sold in North America. Just 15 years ago, the most popular color on vehicles in North America was green with 21 percent, while silver had only 8 percent in 1994.

“What helps drive silver’s popularity are all of the innovative effects that really make silver shine … much more than just a simple gray,” said Jane E. Harrington, PPG manager, color styling, automotive coatings. “Silver tones work well with today’s tinted metallic textural looks. The diversity of silver, from subtle hue shifts to dimensional metallic flake appearances, works with a variety of vehicle styles.”

In Europe, silver and charcoal (35 percent) were followed by black (22 percent), blue and white (13 percent each), red (9 percent), naturals (5 percent), green (2 percent) and other/niche colors (1 percent).

In the Asia/Pacific region, silver and charcoal (34 percent) were followed by black (21 percent), white (17 percent), blue (9 percent), red (7 percent), naturals (6 percent), other/niche colors (4 percent) and green (2 percent).
Source: PPG Industries 10/1/09
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NHTSA has published the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain Front & Side New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) results. The Front NCAP test was conducted on 9/22/2009, while the side NCAP test was conducted on 9/24/2009. Both tests were conducted at CALSPAN, Buffalo, NY.

In summary, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and 2010 GMC Terrain achieved the following consumer metrics performance:
1. IIHS Top Safety Pick: Overall GOOD ratings for Frontal Impact, Side Impact, and Low Speed Rear Impact.
2. NHTSA Frontal NCAP: 5 Star driver, 5 Star Front Passenger
3. NHTSA Side NCAP : 5 Star driver, 5 Star Rear Passenger
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Voting after their annual Truck Rodeo in San Antonio, members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) named the 2010 Jeep Patriot "Compact SUV of Texas," giving Jeep Patriot top honors over competitors in the compact SUV category.
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And so it begins...we have updated the listing of Final Fleet Order Dates for many 2010 models at our website. I know, it's only November and already there are final order dates available. You can see the current list at our 2010 MY Final Fleet Order Dates page.

We have updated the Order to Delivery page at our website. We'll maintain this page to give you the most current order to delivery times based upon manufacturer information and our experience.

Taillights
The following story from Autoblog.com got my attention immediately...

Chevrolet Camaro attracts all types, including 101 year-old Virgil Coffman
Close your eyes and try to envision the typical 2010 Chevrolet Camaro owner. I'm guessing there weren't many of you who imagined a cane-touting Centenarian, but that didn't stop 101 year-old Virgil Coffman from picking up a 400 horsepower Transformers Edition Camaro SS as his new joy ride. Coffman purchased his bright yellow pony car from Miles Chevrolet in Decatur, Illinois, but only after talking to dealer management. The dealership wanted to make sure Coffman was sharp enough to operate the modern muscle car and management went away feeling that their elder was still "bright eyed and bushy tailed."

Don't miss the You Tube video interview of Virgil and his new Camaro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGBB1y2vTAE

11/9/09