Chrysler Tells Dealers To Eat Their Durangos — How Can They Have Any Calibers If They Don't Eat Their Trucks And SUV's?
As we heard yesterday in the Tom LaSorda press scrum-n'-tumble out in Auburn Hills, the German-American hybrid's running into some troubles with inventories of trucks and the Dodge Durango. But, as was told to us yesterday — at the same time, they're working to boost the small car / mid-size SUV side of the sales ratio, pushing those new Dodge Calibers out to dealers to sell as quickly as their Mexican Illinois-based plant can birth them. Or at least that was what we've been told. Instead, Katie Merx over at the Freep's reporting that the boys n' girls in Auburn Hills, during a super-double-secret sat-call to dealers, explained they won't be getting those quick-selling-like-a-bunny Calibers unless they're also buying the slow-selling-as-molasses Dodge Ram trucks and Dodge Durangos. And not just a few more, but 50% more than what dealers originally requested — an additional 90 days' worth of supply. But hey, they're going to try to make it easier...
...on both the dealer and the consumers by offering more...wait for it...incentives!
That's right, for just one week only, Chrysler will be offering $750 to $1,500 to customers who buy vehicles that haven't sold for at least 146 days. And that's on top of the employee pricing and 0% financing. But that just helps the consumer out — what about the dealers who now have to pay for the finacing costs? Well, Chrysler told dealers last week they'd help them foot the bill on financing costs for anything thats been sitting on the lot longer than 80 days.
Isn't that kind of Chrysler? Ask dealers to book those slow-sellers as sales, and then...when 3rd quarter numbers and August sales come out — look at all those sales they made. There's hardly any drop in light trucks. You know what Chrysler should have done, instead of dresisng up PR man Jason Vines at the United Way event yesterday? How about Tom LaSorda dressed up as a magician?
DCX puts dealers in a bind [Freep]
Related:
Chrysler Group CEO LaSorda Carries The Water Weight Of Unsold Trucks And SUVs Very Well [internal]