The 2011 Dodge Avenger is restyled and has new engines and a recalibrated suspension.
For the last four years, there didn’t seem to be much happening on Planet Chrysler. There was a dearth of new product and the ones that it did introduce were largely panned as poorly designed, engineered and styled.
In that time, three masters ruled the company – Daimler, Cerberus and now Fiat – all with their own thoughts on how to run the company.
And in the middle of the whole charade, the automaker came very close to shutting down altogether before the government stepped in, pumped it full of cash and arranged the shotgun marriage with Fiat.
Even though there hasn’t seem to be much outward appearance to show for it, the folks in Auburn Hills were busy. Busy as elves in Santa’s workshop getting ready for Christmas, as it turns out.
Even better than feverishly working to bring these new products to market, it would appear that the stuff might actually be good. So far, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been getting rave reviews. Some of the other vehicles show that the automaker has finally come out of its styling funk.
And now it would appear the smallest of the Detroit Three automakers is ready to reap the benefits of all that work. Chrysler has so much product that has recently hit the street or will go on sale in the coming months that it would be hard to keep track of it all without a scorecard.
And that’s just the first wave. Next will come the new cars that are based on Fiat DNA, plus engines using Fiat technology.
Here’s a quick look at some of the products that have recently been introduced or will be available in Chrysler showrooms in the coming months.
The 2011 Dodge Challenger gets sleek new styling and a new standard V-6 engine.
Pentastar V-6 – Chrysler is the last major automaker in the world to have a modern multi-cam V-6. The new 3.6-liter engine produces up to 305 horsepower, depending on application. It will eventually replace seven antiquated V-6s in everything from the Chrysler Town & Country minivan to the Dodge Challenger sports car.
Jeep Grand Cherokee – Production began in summer on this new SUV. Since then, reviewers have slathered praise all over it. Some have criticized the Grand Cherokee because it is designed for off-road use, although few owners will ever take them there, so it is overbuilt for what it will really do.
Dodge Durango – The automaker revealed the shapely new crossover several weeks, first showing snippets and finally the whole vehicle. While the old Durango was a full-size body-on-frame sport ute, the new one is a smaller unibody crossover.
The 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan sports freshed exterior styling, a new V-6 engine and an overhauled interior.
Jeep Wrangler interior – The Wrangler is getting a new interior that some have said might actually be too nice for the ultimate off-road capable truck. Just for fun, Jeep is also introducing a couple of off-road worthy campers with Wrangler styling cues to compliment it’s signature vehicle.
Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger – Midsize sedans are a critical market for any automaker, so what did Chrysler do? It introduced two vehicles which were critically under-engineered, with poor fit and finish and outdated engines. On top of that, they looked like they were styled by first-year community college art students. The cars were so bad, that Chrysler decided to jettison the Sebring name, renaming it the 200. The new cars are a big improvement in style. We’ll wait to see if the makeover fixes the other issues.
Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 – While the Charger and 300 have been popular, they’ve been on the market for a long time now and needed to a refreshing. Both new cars have sleek, more up-to-date designs.
Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country – The unfortunate redesign of Chrysler minivans, arguably the most important products the company sells, was boring and boxy. On top of that, the interior was poorly finished, even if it did have the excellent Stow n’ Go seats. Now they get mildly refreshed exterior styling, a hugely improved interior and, at last, a competitive engine with the new V-6.
In recent years it’s become fairly obvious that Ford is on the right track, with a cohesive strategy revolving around high technology under the hood and in infotainment systems. While General Motors is still struggling to get out from under government ownership, it has introduced a string of stylish high-tech cars that, for the first time in decades, are truly competitive.
But Chrysler was still a cause for worry. Now it would appear that the fresh products are in the pipeline. If they can deliver on quality, Chrysler could be on its way to its own recovery.