Chrysler 300 January Sales up 26%! Leads Segment

[Northern Rider]

Chrysler Group Reports U.S. Sales for January 2006 Rise 5 Percent

• Chrysler Brand Sales Increase 16 Percent
• Chrysler 300 Sales Continue Segment-Leading Sales Dominance; 20th Month In Excess of 10,000 Units Sold
• Chrysler PT Cruiser Zips to 45 Percent Sales Increase
• Jeep® Brand Sales Rise 8 Percent
• Jeep Wrangler Shows Sales Increase of 2 Percent
• Minivan Sales Leader Dodge Caravan Posts 18 Percent Sales Gain; Continues Its 22-Year Position as Minivan Sales Leader

Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, February 01, 2006

Positioned to launch a company record of 10 all-new products this year, Chrysler Group reported January 2006 U.S. sales increased
5 percent to 155,465 units. January 2005 sales were 148,111 units. All figures reported have the same number of selling days this month versus January one year ago.

"We strengthened our leadership position in key segments such as minivans and large cars with our sales in January," said Gary Dilts, Chrysler Group Senior Vice President - Sales. "Our car business is up 20 percent, and our LX products are up 62 percent. The Dodge Caliber begins production today and gives us a strong entry into the small car segment with an attractive price starting at $13,985. We are now a full-time car player."

Sales of the Chrysler 300 totaled 12,746 units, an increase of 26 percent over January 2005 sales of 10,112 units and continuing its leading position in the Luxury Large Car segment, eclipsing its closest competitor by a 2-to-1 margin. January marks the 20th month the Chrysler 300 has surpassed the 10,000 units sold mark since its world introduction in 2004.

The still-popular Chrysler PT Cruiser posted sales of 11,406 units, an increase of 45 percent compared to previous year sales of 7,887 units. The Chrysler PT Cruiser continues to attract new customers because of its versatility, value and fuel economy along with original, cutting-edge styling. Since its introduction in 2000, the highly popular Chrysler PT Cruiser has sold nearly 975,000 units worldwide.

Jeep® brand sales rose 8 percent to 29,773 units in part on the strength of the legendary Jeep Wrangler which posted sales of 3,830 units.
Chrysler Group minivan sales continue to be driven by the segment leader Dodge Caravan, which posted sales of 16,273 units, an increase of 18 percent over January 2005 sales of 13,797 units.

Dodge Charger sales continue to grow and rose 26 percent month over month to 8,023 units, compared to sales of 7,137 units in December 2005.
Dodge Neon sales declined 70 percent to 3,347 units as the unit sells down briskly in preparation for the highly anticipated launch of the Dodge Caliber, which officially began production at the Belvidere Assembly Plant today.

"Consumer confidence has increased two consecutive months, interest rates have stabilized and inflation remains in check while other economic indicators are showing positive trends," said Dilts. "The 10 new products we are launching will be a catalyst for sales growth in a strong and competitive market this year."

Chrysler Group finished the month with 550,816 units of inventory, or an 85-day supply.

[Rambit]

I saw that a few days ago & was amazed the PT Cruiser is still doing so well. Saw some info today on the new 300 HP Caliber SRT4 that was impressive, especially the options/standard equipment available. It will be another winner I'm sure.

Rambit

[Northern Rider]

Originally Posted by Rambit

I saw that a few days ago & was amazed the PT Cruiser is still doing so well. Saw some info today on the new 300 HP Caliber SRT4 that was impressive, especially the options/standard equipment available. It will be another winner I'm sure.

Rambit

My dealer just got a Caliber in. I saw it yesterday when I was shopping for another van. Looks good and has tons of neat features - like the built in cooler. Given the standard equipment - it seems to be priced right.

[Rambit]

Speaking of which...This car has tons of features only available in the 300C & SRT8 too.

High-caliber Performance: With 300 Horsepower, All-new 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4 to Dominate Sport-compact Market

Tire-smoking 300 horsepower — 85 more than the original Dodge SRT4 — and 260 lb.-ft. of torque
0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds
All-around performance of a true "tuner car" right from the manufacturer
Benchmark performance at the best price

George Murphy, Senior Vice President – Global Marketing, Chrysler Group. "With 300 horsepower under the hood, the Dodge Caliber SRT4 will dominate the sport-compact market."

"The all-new 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4 delivers a strong dose of all-around performance while delivering more than 28 miles per gallon on the highway. Our new SRT pocket rocket is going to be a hoot to drive."

The all-new 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4's formula begins with powertrain, essentially explained by four numbers: 85, 125, 300 and 260. The 85 is how much more horsepower than the original Dodge SRT4 is available, which results in 125 horsepower per liter for a total of 300 horsepower. The final number is 260, as in 260 lb.-ft. of tire-smoking, push-back-in-your-seat torque.

"The all-new 2.4-liter turbocharged World Engine delivers a level of power you'd expect from a V-8," said Pete Gladysz, Senior Manager – Powertrain, SRT. "With the engine in the all-new 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4, we were able to take advantage of tried-and-true performance improvements, such as increased cylinder-head flow and higher compression ratio, as well as newer technologies such as Variable Valve Timing (VVT)."

To achieve its high-performance Dodge Caliber SRT4 configuration, the aluminum 2.4-liter World Engine block is specially machined for increased water and oil flow. Unique cast pistons travel within iron cylinder liners, and are cooled by oil squirters and affixed to forged connecting rods for high-revving reliability.

Power is transferred through a dual-mass flywheel to the six-speed manual transmission. The dual-mass flywheel consists of two flywheels sandwiching internal springs that are specially tuned to reduce noise and vibration. The GF DMT-6 six-speed transmission, equipped with a limited-slip differential for uniform side-to-side power transfer, is capable of handling up to 300 lb.-ft. of torque.

Torque is sent to the Dodge Caliber SRT4's wheels through equal-length halfshafts sourced from Chrysler Group mid-size cars for their larger size and power-handling capability.

For the enjoyment of audiophiles, the 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4 is equipped with a standard AM-FM radio with a multi-disc CD changer control. An available SRT/Kicker high-performance audio system includes 13 speakers in seven locations, powered by a 322-watt amplifier and 100-watt subwoofer.

Two communication options are available on the 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4: UConnect TM Hands-free Communication System and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

Although it's a compact car, the 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4 benefits from braking-system components designed for much larger, heavier cars. For example, front brake calipers were sourced from a premium brake system developed for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger, while rear calipers were sourced from Chrysler Group mid-size cars. However, all are painted in signature Dodge SRT red. Vented brake rotors for the 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4 are 340 x 28 mm in front and 302 x 10 mm in the rear.

The list of safety & security features is incredible, including the new SmartBeam® Headlamps.



Rambit

[Redman]

The old joke about the DCX merger was how do you pronounce Daimler-Chrysler. "Daimler, the Chrysler is silent". Well now the shoe is clearly on the other foot as Chrysler continues to carry it wounded brother down the assembly line.
This just in from from Auto Insider: (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...602160380/1148)
"For the first nine months of the year, Chrysler contributed $1.3 billion in operating profit, while the commercial vehicles division -- the world's largest manufacturer of trucks -- weighed in with $2.1 billion.
For the first three quarters, Mercedes reported a loss of $610 million, reflecting big charges, in part to restructure its persistently unprofitable (notsosmart) Smart minicar business."
Oh well, we still do appreciate the IRS and other goodies they made available for the 300C. Now if they just hand over last year's S600 platform for the new Imperial - hey! A V-12 would fit in that, right?

[sunshine]

How did you find out the production numbers on the SRT8? I knew they were rare, but not that rare. How can I find out what number mine is?

[DUBSTER]

I Keep Seeing Trailer Loads Going To The States On The Q.e.w. Going West!!

[Rambit]

Originally Posted by sunshine

How did you find out the production numbers on the SRT8? I knew they were rare, but not that rare. How can I find out what number mine is?

According to your profile, you have a 2005 300C SRT8. It's one of a total of 263 total that were built. That's 252 production cars and 11 pilot models. They were only built for a little over a month. PM me your VIN and I can tell you what number build you are.

Rambit

[bizygolfn]

Is there anyplace to find a document to help me connect my blackberry 7520 to my uconnect? The paring seemed to go fine, but I still have several questions.

Does the phone automatically connect when I get into the car or do I have to manually connect it each time?

How do I get my contacts into uconnect so I can say "Dial Home"? Shouldn't the phone book auto transfer? How do i set this up?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[DUBSTER]

I've been seeing waaaaaaaaay more trailers lately going to the states.