Chrysler to improve quality

CHRYSLER claims it is ready to deliver much-improved interiors in response to stinging criticism over its level of quality.

Interior quality has long been a problem for Chrysler, as well as its Dodge and Jeep brands, and has attracted more attention as the company strives for more international sales.

Speaking to GoAuto in the US earlier this month, Chrysler LLC’s international sales, marketing and business development chief Mike Manley said that the American manufacturer had moved to lift interior quality.

“We listened very hard about 12 to 18 months ago to the feedback we were getting on our vehicles,” Mr Manley said. “We put in place an interior styling studio which Tom (LaSorda) ordered.” Mr Manley said the new design studio immediately started work on interior refreshes and model year changes, which mark a big improvement over the existing models.

“As we move from ’07 to ’08 model upgrades that we have been able to do, especially on Jeep... you will begin to see that work come through,” he said. “On next-generation vehicles you will see the next evolution of that – again that is in direct response to the feedback.” The man in charge of doubling Chrysler’s international sales in five years said that although he did not agree with all the criticism labelled at some of the company’s vehicles, he agreed the company had to take action. “Although I do think that some of the feedback on some of the Chrysler vehicles has been particularly harsh, and I wouldn’t necessarily agree with all of it, at the end of the day we have to listen to our customers and respond,” he said.

“As a company if we get feedback saying our interior isn’t where it needs to be, just for us to ignore that will not help us to achieve the growth we need as organisation.” Mr Manley said the importance of car interiors was increasing in the US, but international markets were still more demanding.

Left: Dodge Avenger interior and Mike Manley with the Chrysler Journey (below).

He said of the US: “It’s lagging behind what I see in international markets, Australia, Japan for example and some of the European markets, but interiors are becoming much, much more important in the purchase decision.” Mr Manley argued that high expectations of interiors in Dodge cars were not in line with their price points. “If you take Avenger and Sebring for example, the feedback that I get from markets outside NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement countries) is that clearly the Sebring interior is of a better standard than the Avenger,” he said. “Now, the Avenger was targeted very specifically as a value vehicle in that segment and if what you are looking for are those luxury appointments, then Dodge probably isn’t the brand for you, it is probably Chrysler,” he said.

When it came to Sebring, Mr Manley said quality would be improved. “I get less feedback on Sebring than I do on Avenger. But on Sebring as you see the refreshes that will do we will continue to see the evolution of the interior,” he said.

Several Chrysler group models with 2008 changes are about to go on sale in the US and will start to appear in Australia in the next few months. Interior upgrades include softer plastics, more regular panel gaps and more luxurious leather.

Mr Manley said Chrysler responded to the customer demands quickly, but said it took time to implement the changes. “As you know with product development, even with refreshes, these things takes a little bit of time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chrysler announced last week that was realigning its product development organisation into five teams – Jeep, Truck (Dodge), Street and Racing Technology (the SRT performance brand), Car and Minivan (full-size cars, current mid-size vehicles and minivans), and, most interestingly, a “future mid-size product team” responsible for development of future mid-size vehicles for global markets. The latter will develop new-generation medium-sized vehicles for international consumption, along the lines of the mid-size Dodge Journey crossover due for release to world markets later this year. Chrysler also said it would expand its engineering activities in key global centres, namely China, India, Eastern Europe and Mexico.

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