A recent report reveals in Chrysler’s face how the market finds the Chrysler Sebring. The car doesn’t have the looks to boot and worsen the case with a coarse power plant under its hood. The report translates to the Sebring belonging to every possible “worst of” categories. That may sound too harsh but it is what the report says.

Chrysler came up with a solution. They are killing the Sebring name. The car will not go out of production just to be clear but the Sebring will under go a major makeover to revive its appeal until a new member of the range arrive by 2013.

The refreshed Chrysler Sebring is expected to roll out on the 4th quarter of 2010. Experts expect that it will also be rebadged to don the 200 name. The car will also be restyled following the design lines of the 200C Concept EV during the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The interior will also get a good upgrade.

It will be a totally different vehicle as it tears apart the old Sebring and releases a new animal. The official name of the new Chrysler vehicle is yet to be announced.

Buyers will have an option to add a dual clutch system or choose from a range of multiair engines that are fuel efficient.

The Dodge Avenge is also expected to get some update.

Chrysler is on a hunt for new sites in North America which can serve as factories to build Fiat-based vehicles. The car maker is said to be eager to deliver the first batch of cars as soon as this year.

The plan was unveiled by the VP for manufacturing of Chrysler, Scott Gaberding, who also revealed that they are considering several options on the drawing board. This also includes an option to build a brand new factory if necessary.

Chrysler is looking at the possibilities of using their plant in Windsor, Ontario, as well as their assembly lines in Mexico and the United States. The factory in Ontario serves for the production of Chrysler’s Town & Country, and the Dodge Caravan. If the plant will be re-organized and re-tooled for the production of the Fiat-based cars, it can help with the production of the MiTo under the Alfa Romeo brand. It can aid in the assembly of Chrysler vehicles using the C-Evo platform of Fiat.

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Fiat has been acting fast and playing it hard to help Chrysler boost its number and return to profitability. Amid the uncertain recovery of the U.S. and the seesaw exchange rates, the new Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is very optimistic that the company will be reversing its fortunes and be tallying profits as early as 2011.

The CEO is expected to let the stakeholders and the public know about the 5-year plan of Chrysler by early November. The plan is expected to include selling shares to the public by 2011 and make the quarterly financial report of the company public by next year.

The move seems to get the nod from business analysts and the auto industry community. Some experts foresee Chrysler to report about $841 million in operating profit by next year but declare a net loss of about $169 million as 2010 ends. When 2011 comes, these figures will jump up to $2.45 billion in operating profit and a $952 million net income. Analysts say that these figures might be too good for Chrysler before but is very doable today.

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Changes are set to come as Fiat takes the driver seat at Chrysler. Fiat and Alfa Romeo have new models in the pipeline and the decision makers are now talking about brand strategy. Chrysler is set to go strong in the next few years eyeing to over take Cadillac and Lincoln in the market race.

The game plan for Chrysler is to move up in the scale to face luxury car makers head on. The Dodge on the other hand will focus on producing a sportier line of vehicles. The goal is not just to be at par with the Lincoln and the Cadillac but to outpace them with class.

CEO of Chrysler Peter Fong puts it as making their brand a notch better than the competitors. It will be a difficult race as Cadillac tries to improve their line of products from their own garage. Cadillac is ahead of the race as of now with models like the CTS range, SRX, and the flagship XTS.

Chrysler has not revealed how they plan to beat the other brands. The product range that will help achieve their goal is set to be known by November.

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It seems that fans of the PT Cruiser from Chrysler have nothing to worry about. The production of the PT Cruiser will resume at its plant in Toluca, Mexico.

Chrysler decided to kill production of the PT Cruiser from January to mid this year due to the dropping sales figures and lack of future plans to update the car. The Cruiser became one among seven models axed by the management of Cerberus Capital Management.

The other units killed by the management were the Pacifica SUV, Aspen SUV, Crossfire, Durango SUV, and the Dodge Magnum.

The PT Cruiser graced the public starting in 2000 and was instantly loved for its retro looks. Aside from the styling, consumers opted for this Chrysler for its very affordable price. The PT Cruiser became an icon of the industry with dealers being able to inflate the price because of the high demand.

Fast forward to today, the PT Cruiser’s styling is basically untouched. Some minor tweaking was done back in 2006.

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Last February, Chrysler presented a viability plan at the U.S. Treasury. Little did the company know, the document revealed details about the new Chrysler 300 and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler has recently survived bankruptcy and is now under Fiat’s control. The viability plan also divulged insider information about future Fiat models to be produced once the Chrysler-Fiat alliance has been formalized. Therefore, it follows that Chrysler models will be undergoing major changes in the years to come.

For instance, the upcoming Alfa Romeo models are to be called the Milano, the 147 hatch replacement, and the Giulia, 159 successor. The 2010 Milano model is set for Europe this year, while the Giulia will enter the market in 2011.

According to Automotive News, Chrysler is deciding whether to come up with a brand new RWD sedan as a replacement for the Sebring and Dodge Avenger models that aren’t raking in enough sales. The candidates for the new model include a revamped Fiat D-Evo that is in the existing Alfa Romeo 159 model.

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A United States bankruptcy judge approved on 31 July the acquisition of the assets of the Chrysler Group. The distribution goes to a health care trust associated with the United Auto Workers which takes 68%, Fiat has 20%, Canadian government gobbling 12%.

The judge who ruled on the case cited no alternative to the bankruptcy but a fast liquidation of the assets to save the value of Chrysler. The move was opposed by certain consumer groups, an Indiana based pension funds firm, and about 789 Chrysler dealerships. These groups see the move as done in haste and that Chrysler is getting rid of dealerships unnecessarily.

In the wake of the take over, Chrysler was forced to abandon thousands of units in the assembly with engines and components also unfinished. Several plants were also closed down. The halt of the production leads auto experts to assume that there will be delays in the launch of important projects like the new Grand Cherokee of Jeep and the next gen Chrysler 300.

On the other side of the story, Italian car maker Fiat is set to market the 500 minicar in the United States dealerships of Chrysler. The launch is estimated to be 18 months from now.

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It is considered as one of the original stylish retro cars. Forgive us for the pun but it will be in reality a retro after summer since Chrysler will discontinue the production of the PT Cruiser.

Executives from Chrysler confirmed the decision during an interview earlier this January.

The great style of the PT Cruiser has earned its respects from enthusiasts. It was even compared to the 1930’s gangster cars when it was launched last 2000. It was an instant hit and the car manufacturer has produced around 14 versions for the brand.

The PT Cruiser had variations like the Woodie, Turbo, and Woodward Dream Cruise variations.

The unchanged style of the car for almost a decade led to decline of sales. In 2008, PT Cruiser had a dismal performance in the market having a sales drop of 51%. The percentile translates to only 50910 units of PT Cruiser sold last year. The assembly line for this classic is in Toluca, Mexico.

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After the collapse of the Getrag – Chrysler LLC deal, the state of Indiana puts the car manufacturer under the microscope for possible securities fraud. According to an insider, the investigation has started but there are no allegations or complaints made.

If the joint venture between the two companies pushed through, a $530-milliion transmission assembly plant would have risen in the Tipton County and jobs for 1200 people would have been created. All of these plans were dissolved after Getrag declared a bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11.

Getrag was pushed to against the wall when Chrysler LLC filed a complaint against Getrag claiming that the latter failed to get the appropriate financing.

The spotlight is on the revenue bonds sold by the Tipton County to Getrag and Chrysler. A local paper revealed that the bonds sold to the two companies amount to around $11 million.

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The 2010 heavy-duty Chrysler Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 models were unveiled during the Chicago Auto Show. The adjusted suspension greatly improves the driving quality of these overhauled models.

These Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 models carry the engine of the previous model. The initial power comes from a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine that has 383 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. In addition to this, a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine with 350 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque is an option for those who want to have additional power for their heavy-duty automobile.

While there are similar designs borrowed from the light-duty Dodge Ram models, the heavy-duty versions carry a front bumper that is exclusive only for the 2500 model and especially the 3500 model that features brand new wheel fenders with advanced aerodynamic qualities.

As for the interior modifications of the heavy-duty models, an optional two-compartment console, big enough to support a laptop and several piles of paperwork is also an option you might want to consider. It also carries the top of the line interior volume system.

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