Town & Country poised to lead minivan sales for 2010
Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

The Chrysler Town & Country is on pace to regain the sales crown for 2010 in the minivan segment that Chrysler has largely dominated since the first magic wagon rolled off the line in 1983.

In the final month of the year, sales of Chrysler's luxury minivan at 102,495 are nicely ahead of the Honda Odyssey (98,035) which has topped the field for the past two years. The next strongest contenders are the Toyota Sienna (89,509 sales year-to-date) and the Dodge Grand Caravan at 89,057.

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Being atop the leader board has been a point of pride for Chrysler, which held supremacy for 25 years. Each of Chrysler's succession of owners made minivans a priority. Daimler AG dropped plans, well in the works, for a Mercedes minivan when it acquired Chrysler in 1998. One of the first moves by the latest CEO, Sergio Marchionne, was to restore a third shift of minivan production at the Windsor plant in anticipation of increased sales.

"Our goal is regaining leadership," said Olivier Francois, head of the Chrysler brand. "We consider we own it and we need to regain what once belonged to us."

Chrysler allowed the competition to heat up because of quality issues, said Aaron Bragman, an analyst with IHS Automotive in Northville.

Francois agrees. "We needed to fix perceived quality and handling."

Under Marchionne, major upgrades to both minivans are being introduced for 2011 models and they will begin arriving in showrooms in greater numbers in the new year.

The automaker explored running the Windsor plant over Christmas holidays to get more vehicles to market, but shelved the idea because not all suppliers were able to work during the normal shutdown period. The Canadian Auto Workers union has been told the plant could work overtime for two Saturdays of each month all next year.

The Chrysler redesigns go up against all-new minivans from the Japanese automakers in a segment that has reversed its slide from a year ago.

Through November of this year, U.S. sales of minivans were at 438,808, almost par with the 2009 full-year total of 424,007. December and cumulative 2010 sales reports are due Tuesday.
'Segment has legs'

The minivan segment is a fraction of what it was a decade ago when it exceeded a million units annually from 1993 to 2005. But the new entries, including a new Nissan Quest joining the field, have created buzz about minivans again.

"I think the segment has legs," said John Sousanis, director of information content for auto data specialists WardsAuto.com.

"The press was writing obituaries for Chrysler and minivans just two years ago. Now we see new life in the segment that corresponds with Chrysler's ongoing recovery."

The next generation of Chrysler minivan is not due until 2014, but the strength of its two current offerings raises the question of whether the automaker should maintain both nameplates.

"We are still studying whether we need two minivans in the future," said Ralph Gilles, head of design and of the Dodge brand.

"Both are strong nameplates. It would be hard to let either go, especially Dodge in Canada."

Gilles said his team worked hard to better differentiate the two minivans for 2011.

"We split the range by how they look, equipment and content," he said. "The two minivans have a very different mission."

The Chrysler is more elegant and the Dodge is more forceful.

Francois said the Town & Country attracts more female buyers who are sensitive to styling.

"One of the most criticized features was the liftgate," Francois said. "It used to look like the door of a refrigerator. Not stylish. It is one area where we invested some money. Now, it is curved and has LED tail lamps."

Early next year, Dodge will add its "man van," an R/T performance version with a macho black interior, including the headliner, and red stitching.

"It's an itch I've wanted to scratch for a long time," Gilles said.

The minivans also have been divided up by price: The Town & Country, with greater content, competes at $30,000 and up and the Dodge at $30,000 and below.

The effect on their respective sales will be closely monitored before a decision is made.

"This year is the moment of truth for both brands," Gilles said.

The latest minivans also took pointers from the Volkswagen Routan, which shares underpinnings and engines with the Chrysler models and is built in the same plant. Critics have said the Routan has a nicer interior and more dynamic handling.

"I asked my guys why (our suspension) was not tuned the same way," Gilles said, and then told them "make ours better."

For 2011, Chrysler's Stow 'n Go seating has been improved with softer seats and the Swivel 'n' Go feature has been discontinued. Buyers can also opt for luxury quad seating in the second row, similar to the Routan's layout.

"The Town & Country is a comeback story," said Francois.

And deserved, said Charlie Vogelheim, analyst with IntelliChoice in Irvine, Calif.

"Chrysler is not winning the sales race because it was first to market, but for continuing to improve the product," Vogelheim said.

"They haven't been resting on their laurels and are back on the shopping list of the public."

apriddle@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101230/...#ixzz19cvkdntE

Early next year, Dodge will add its "man van," an R/T performance version with a macho black interior, including the headliner, and red stitching.