Although the UK's overall new car market is down by over 5 per cent for the first four months of this year, Chrysler Group are bucking the trend in the same period with Jeep sales up by 47 per cent and Chrysler sales up by 34 per cent, said Lawrence Good, sales director for Chrysler Group UK last Friday.Good was speaking at the media launch of another four new models soon to be in dealer showrooms. He said, 'This year our sales increase has been driven by the revision and reduction of prices for the Jeep Grand Cherokee range and the introduction of the Chrysler 300C executive saloon. This, together with the launch of our volume Dodge brand, will give good business stability for our dealers and we will have a record year for UK sales this year, better than our highest total of 18,670 sales achieved in 2001.' 'We expect our sales to go on rising as we currently have nine Chrysler and Jeep model ranges available in the UK and this will increase to a 20 model ranges by 2008.'The new Chrysler 300C Touring Good said, 'Demand for the 300C saloon launched in October last year has exceeded our expectations with the diesel saloon model virtually sold out for this year and only a few 3.5-litre V6 and 5.7 V8 Hemi petrol models available. We expect the story to be the same for the 300C Touring. Diesel models, saloon and Touring, with the 3.0-litre CRD V6 Mercedes sourced engine are expected to account for 75 per cent of all 300C sales and 80 per cent of customers so far have been private or business user-chooser customers. The 300C has really established the Chrysler brand name in the UK market.'Good added, 'Demand has been so strong that the total 2,500 units we ordered from the factory of saloon and Touring versions for this year will not meet the demand we are experiencing so I have asked the factory for an additional 500 units which they have yet to agree to build for us. I have also received considerable interest from the chauffeur market to supply long wheelbase versions of the 300C saloon in white so we are considering this as well.'The 300C Touring, like the saloon, is available with V6 diesel and petrol and V8 petrol engine options. Prices range from £27,275 for the main selling diesel model to £34,290 for the V8 Hemi petrol version.Good said the 300C Touring will sell against estates from the BMW 5-Series, Saab 9-5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 Avant and Volvo V70 ranges and sales of these vehicles have grown by 38 per cent to 25,000 units in the last five years and by 7 per cent in 2005. He added, 'When you compare specification like for like, the new 300C Touring is 15 per cent better value than the Volvo, 26 per cent better than the Mercedes, 30 per cent better than the BMW, 19 per cent better than the Audi and 10 per cent better than the Saab.'Verdict: Imposing load carrier with up to 56.6 cu ft of load space. Diesel engine from Mercedes is superb with 28.9mpg during the Scottish test route. In its class it offers really the best value for money. A luxurious and distinctive executive estate. No negative points.The new Jeep Commander The second of the four new models revealed by Chrysler Group last week to the media was the Jeep Commander. Although it uses the same platform, powertrains and much of the running gear from the Grand Cherokee models, the Commander marks a return by Jeep to their roots with classic, rugged American design. It is the first of the Jeep family to offer as standard three-row seating accommodating up to seven passengers. Chrysler Group says it is the only SUV in its class to offer V8 petrol and V6 diesel engine options and it initiates the expansion of the Jeep vehicle line-up that will take place during the second half of this decade.The Commander range starts at £27,490 for the 3.0-litre V6 diesel Predator model with the same Mercedes engine used in the main selling £31,035 Limited variant. Top of the range is the 5.7 V8 Hemi version priced at £34,530. Ninety per cent of UK sales will be for diesel models.Lawrence Good said. The large SUV segment is really made up of three types of vehicles, elegant, sport and retro. Whilst the Range Rover depicts the elegant models, which includes the Grand Cherokee, the Commander will sell in the emerging retro section. Competitor models, said Jeep, include the Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Shogun, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Landcruiser and Volvo XC90. These models have increased the sector sales by 62 per cent in the last four years to 31,035 units and the 4x4 market still goes on growing. Chrysler group said the Commander, when compared like for like for specification, offers 10 per cent better value than the Discovery, 7 per cent better than the Landcruiser, 15 per cent better than the XC90 and about the same as the Shogun and Pathfinder. Good would not be drawn on UK sales forecasts for the Pathfinder.Verdict: You will either like the retro American looks or not. A big upright off-roader. Very roomy inside. Better quality ride than the Grand Cherokee overall especially off road. Very capable off-roader over very severe conditions. Choose the diesel engine. Against: Yes it carries seven but headroom and access to the rear is really for children. Load area too smart with fabric linings for a workhorse. Bright chrome bodywork trim gives a garish down-market look. Good motorway ride but too soft for undulating side roads.The 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee range The five-door, five-seater range has been revised for 2006 and after a downward price move now starts at £26,490 for the 3.0-litre CRD diesel Predator variant. A Limited variant using the same 215bhp, 376lb ft Mercedes diesel engine is priced at £30,035. The new additional Overland models are available with both the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine and the 5.7 HEMI units. The Mercedes diesel engine has 33 per cent more power and 28 per cent more torque than the previous Grand Cherokee diesel unit.Lawrence Good said, 'The price and specification revisions of the Grand Cherokee range have been well accepted by UK buyers and it is one of the main reasons for the growth in sales this year. The introduction of the Overland versions with their luxury specification will give the range even broader appeal. It will sell against such competitor models as the VW Touareg, Range Rover Sport and BMW X5.' Jeep say the Overland offers between 18 and 32 per cent better value once like for like specification is taken into account.Jeep expects the Grand Cherokee to reach 4,500 UK sales this year and 85 per cent of customers will opt for diesel models. A petrol 6.1-litre SRT-8 model will go on sale in the UK in July this year.Verdict: Made to look small by the Jeep Commander but it lacks for nothing in terms of specification. Again choose the diesel engine. Against: Choppy ride on higher speed roads.Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio The new right hand drive Cabrio models went on sale in the UK in April and they share the new look introduced for the PT Cruiser Hatchback at the end of 2005. Chrysler said that 97 per cent of customers choose the PT Cruiser because of its unique retro looks and design and 80 per cent of Cabrio drivers are female. They also say it is a genuine four-seater convertible.The Cabrio is only available with a 2.4-litre, 141bhp petrol engine in Touring specification with the option of manual or automatic transmissions. Prices are £16,650 and £17,470.Lawrence Good said, 'We call the PT Cruiser 'the Marmite' car, you either love or hate its styling but we have sold 20,000 of them in the UK since it was launched six years ago and the new right hand drive Cabrio model should achieve 1,000 sales in a full year. The compact cabriolet market sector in the UK has grown 12 fold in the last five years due to the introduction of more models such as the VW Beetle, Mini, Peugeot 307 and Renault Megane. It will grow further with the forthcoming addition of the Astra Twin Top and the Focus cabriolet. The new right hand drive PT Cruiser Cabrio with its electrically operated soft top roof offers 12 to 15 per cent better value for money when price adjusted for specification than all of its main competitors.'Verdict: Another love or hate car but it is roomy for a cabriolet and with versatile rear seats for load carrying. No problem with too much wind intrusion with the top down and nice and quiet with the hood up. Well priced, good value for money and high residual value potential. Against. Lack-lustre petrol engine and not very economical. Only 23mpg with the automatic transmission on our Scottish test drive. No diesel engine option. Like the look of the new Chrysler & Jeep range? Tell us your thoughts at Blogtorque - Chrysler Range
