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It turns out the old girl just needed some new paint. Chrysler Group marketing boss Olivier Francoise takes us through the high points of the Chrysler lineup… in under two minutes. Yup, that about covers it.
35 Comments on ““I’m Totally Convinced… We Are Going To Have Success With PT Cruiser”...”
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And he only talk about sebring as a convertible…nothing positive about the sedan, that says a lot! I still like the PT, wish they would modernize the mechanic. The concept is good, just keep it modern!
Correction:
This vehicle is a hatch or a wagon… but not a sedan = 4drs, no tailgate, then again the vehicle is classified by the gubment as a light truck…
And what did he say was the (only) selling point? Room. In a convertible. He’s selling air.
I believe he was talking about the Sebring sedan, not the PT Cruiser.
AccAzda, the sedan i was talking about is the sebring. I’m quite aware of the PT being a Hatch.
The PT isn’t that bad, but it really does need a modern drivetrain. 19/24 in a modern car (truck?) that size is awful. It also sorely needs a redesign. When someone can get a lightly used one that looks exactly the same for a little over $7k, nobody is going to buy a new one.
MrDot,
You are right on about the gas mileage. 24 highway mpg is terrible for a vehicle that size. On Chrysler’s own website they list the Town and Country as having 25 mpg highway. The PT Cruiser has worse highway mileage than any other Chrysler (based on the standard drive train).
By enriching its look, the Italian way, they just might have something here. With quality control issues addressed as well,this may just re inspire the public to take a second look.
You ever heard the phrase lipstick on a pig?
Ya gotta give Sergio a little credit…Chrysler had the most beautiful models (human) at the show.
Imported from Italy??
I don’t know, That Pity Cruiser has one ugly Pokemon face. And all that style and everything? Vachement schuette, I suppose, Olivier, but that and 50 cents will get me about enough gas to go five miles down the interstate in my Accord, which is still going strong with 168k on the odo.
As has been stated elsewhere, the new Chrysler brand logo is atrocious. I really hope they stick with the current one.
Please, God, just take it out and shoot it!
I see a ton of them every time I’m in France. Must remind them of the 2 Chevaux.
It is clear that besides quite possibly having a made-up name (Hercules Rockefeller was taken?) this fellow only seems to have a cursory knowledge of Chrysler’s product, as if he had just read a primer. I’m glad he can come up with a superlative talking point for each model (except the Sebring Sedan,) but with respect, nobody gives a crap that they own the “roomiest convertible in America” if their finger is bleeding from grazing a razor-sharp plastic seam in the interior. Both the Sebring and PT need facelifts, new interiors, and stronger engines. The 300 and T&C need better interiors. All four could use a diet as well. This needs to be done, like, yesterday. Quit playing with the paint.
I sat in both the 300 and T&C at NAIAS and their interiors are much improved over last year’s models. They have much nicer materials and build quality is a lot better as well.
It’s actually rather humorous, since they have no new product and haven’t refreshed anything what else could he talk about?
On the PT.
Is is possible that something can be left out on the vine to dry so long that it becomes popular again? Is this what they are trying with this car?
Make me wonder if other cars like the Wrangler, or Old Beetle went threw a low sales point 10-15 years from conception only to later become popular again to survive the test of time. I mean Wranglers can only cost 5 bucks to make seeing as they have been hardly changed much since their birth and they are sold for one hell of a premium for something that has no kick panels or even a hard top (in some cases). I think with some creativity and some updates, this car can once again boom.
like the Ranger? ;-)
I knew there was one other I was missing! The Ranger… But I’d say the Rangers recent re-gain in popularity is mostly due to the fact that it is the most efficient truck in the U.S. market. I almost got one for that vary reason but ended up just getting an old truck along side my v-dub. But with that said I’m wondering if the cool new (to us) transit connect will change that!
The PT begs for a more modern 4 cylinder than the bored out 2.4 Neon engine from 1995 vintage. What is wrong with using the 2.4 World engine from the Sebring sedan and it’s 6 speed automatic option. Add in an updated, improved interior and a few exterior changes and poof a PT that could be popular again.
I’m sure the backgammon table will sell a lot of vans too. Nothing screams “I got nothing” like a two tone paint job.
I don’t often laugh out loud at my computer but I did just now. When I opened this article to read it, the ad for JustCrossfires.com popped up. Another “great success”. Sometimes I have a hard time believing the ads are random.
Anyway, I do think they could really get more mileage out of the PT Cruiser. Most people I know who had one found them practical and reliable. But my God…freshen up the drivetrain and do something with the exterior to distinguish it from it’s predecessors.
BTW I’ve seen other pictures of those two special edition 300s. Yo, bro, me and ma boyz is headin’ to the shore, yo.
The PT isn’t so terrible! I’ve replaced a neon sport coupé with one. The newer car(facelift PT) isn’t as scrappy as the neon, but it also isn’t as scrappy as the neon. It is like buying a new pre-Daimler automobile, and while some will nitpick that it isn’t the most modern– in the case of DCX cars, that is this car’s selling feature.
Much missed are/will be the 5MT models. I found a lightly used 2008 LX 5MT for a song, and think it’s the bee’s knees. The upholstery fabric needs work, but with another tweaking, the car can soldier on for a while, if they can get it’s crash scores in-line with the competition. It’s also only good for 29mpg, and those 2016 numbers aren’t going to come magically. What’s the car like with the Euro engine?
If they take the ‘bar of Ivory™’ theme a step further, it’ll look like they’re chasing the competition, but that’s how it should go if organic is replacing tech again in styling. Masculine v. Feminine is the argument of the day with new Chrysler.
First of all the PT needs far better MPG, 24 on the hwy if your lucky, the HHR gets least 28..and tweak it a little bit bigger and Dump the idea about CVT transmissions…what a joke that idea was..just go drive a Compass…what a POS that thing is…not impressed!
My mom is on her 3rd PTC and loves it, but Fiat better not count on her continued patronage. Afterall, she’s 75 y/o for lord’s sake!
BTW, mom wondered why they put the “Towel Bar” grab handle on the passenger side during the latest refresh … we had these guesses: a) tried to bring an SUV-like look to the interior, b) really were hoping to break some kneecaps in front-end collisions, c) it is a device that helps the airbag to unfold and inflate, d) it can act as a little shelf for putting a (or several) drink cans on, and e) sometime a cigar is just a cigar, and you can hang your underwear and socks on it to dry…
Anybody know what the towel bar is really there for? It has to be the unsafest for knee caps feature of any modern car.
Anybody know if the towel bar survived into the current model year?
Oh, one complaint from mom … the fabric on the seats is terrible … an awful dirt magnet … try to wipe them with any moist thing, or if rain water drips onto when the door or window is opened, then the trapped dust, dirt, and wierdness of the fabric turns to big icky stained spots … (first two had leather seats, this one fabric.)
Let’s not forget that this is supposedly the last year for PT, so success could be defined as simply equaling last year’s sales…
PT is one of the worst piece of crap I’ve ever owned. We can’t wait to replace it with something else, but even 3.5 years into the loan, we’re still upside down…
I have a soft spot for this car… not really sure why. There’s one in the family an 03 GT thats an absolute riot to drive. But besides that it could certainly use a more efficient powetrain, its a brutally honest car thats very practical, espeically with its versatile seating. Ours have been reliable and they can be found dirt cheap used. I don’t think you can say that the PT was a sucesses that honestly was squandered.
My mother bought one (against my advice) and she never gets above 17mpg, mostly city. 2 years later, she wants to trade it for something that gets better gas mileage, but I don’t think the dealers will giver her anything for it. Also, water stains the seats.
If Chrysler would update the engine/tranny (30+ hwy a must) and redesign the instrument panel, they could get a few more years outta the old PT. The exterior is classic retro, and that’s hard to update. Frankly, the two-tone black/siver combo with the red leather seats on the “Couture Edition” was the best looking special edition model they’ve ever done. Hopefully that bodes well for future products.
I knew the PT Cruiser was done for a few years back when 1) a fashion-conscious girlfriend of mine called her PT rental a “dorkmobile” and 2) a standup comedian said in his routine that his PT Cruiser was “vagina repellent,” and the audience laughed. Chrysler screwed itself by designing cars that appealed to fat old white males who liked to dress up their cars with JC Whitney add ons, baby moons and fenderskirts (PT Cruiser) and the cartoonish hiphop crowd (300).
As much as I would like to see the good ol’ USA build a modern-day legacy vehicle in the vein of the Model T or VW Type 1, I’m not “totally convinced” (to quote Olivier Francoise) that the PT is the answer.
And I actually like the basic shape, size and design of the PT.