As told to Amyot Bachand
Detroit and Montreal - We always like to clear things up by interviewing auto executives. I recently had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Judy Wheeler, vice-president of Marketing at DaimlerChrysler Canada. We made a quick review of 2006 and talked about what's coming up in 2007.
2006: a good year
Unlike its American counterpart, DaimlerChrysler Canada enjoyed a good year in 2006. While our neighbors from the South had to deal with manufacturing overcapacity issues for full-size SUVs like the Jeep Commander, there was a lack of compact cars in Canada. The introduction of the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass was further proof that Canadians are madly in love with C-segment vehicles. However, the demand was far greater than the supply. In other segments, we know the market and we correctly planned our needs. The Canadian market does not respond favorably to over-equipped, premium vehicles and gas-guzzling SUVs, unlike the American market. That's why we recorded a slight increase in total sales.
New products
The Viper is Dodge's flagship car and it gets even more horsepower for 2007. The addition of the Chrysler Aspen will allow us to fill a void in the mid- to full-size category. With the Chrysler Sebring, we're looking to offer an affordable, yet strong and dynamic car. Its more masculine nose will still appeal to female consumers shopping for this type of car. We absolutely needed such a product. The Dodge Nitro is already well received. And you've got to see the Jeep Patriot.
Detroit and Montreal - We always like to clear things up by interviewing auto executives. I recently had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Judy Wheeler, vice-president of Marketing at DaimlerChrysler Canada. We made a quick review of 2006 and talked about what's coming up in 2007.
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2006: a good year
Unlike its American counterpart, DaimlerChrysler Canada enjoyed a good year in 2006. While our neighbors from the South had to deal with manufacturing overcapacity issues for full-size SUVs like the Jeep Commander, there was a lack of compact cars in Canada. The introduction of the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass was further proof that Canadians are madly in love with C-segment vehicles. However, the demand was far greater than the supply. In other segments, we know the market and we correctly planned our needs. The Canadian market does not respond favorably to over-equipped, premium vehicles and gas-guzzling SUVs, unlike the American market. That's why we recorded a slight increase in total sales.
New products
The Viper is Dodge's flagship car and it gets even more horsepower for 2007. The addition of the Chrysler Aspen will allow us to fill a void in the mid- to full-size category. With the Chrysler Sebring, we're looking to offer an affordable, yet strong and dynamic car. Its more masculine nose will still appeal to female consumers shopping for this type of car. We absolutely needed such a product. The Dodge Nitro is already well received. And you've got to see the Jeep Patriot.
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| Editor's note: Announced at $18,995 on January 18, the Patriot will likely hurt its rivals. After all, it's the cheapest compact 4x4 in Canada. |