2012 Jeep Wrangler - Dragon Design Concept

Published on Apr 29, 2012 by SupercarHall

Jeep® Wrangler "Dragon" Design Concept Debuts at 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition

Jeep® Wrangler "Dragon" design concept blends two powerful icons and showcases opportunity for special editions in China

Concept features tone-on-tone dragon motif, inspired by Year of the Dragon

Jeep brand portfolio on display reflects presence in three core SUV segments for China market

April 23, 2012 , Beijing - Today, the Jeep® brand introduced the Jeep Wrangler "Dragon" design concept at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The concept integrates two icons together in one: the Wrangler, as the off-road icon of the Jeep brand, and the honored Chinese dragon. Belief holds that both possess incredible capabilities, making them a perfect combination.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Dragon, which is held with high regard in Chinese culture. The dragon symbolizes strength and power and is an aspirational character normally associated with royalty and good fortune. It was these characteristics that inspired the upscale design of the Jeep Wrangler Dragon concept.

"The Jeep brand is committed to China and therefore we must design and tailor our vehicles to the specific tastes and preferences of Chinese consumers," said Mike Manley, Chief Operating Officer for Asia and President and CEO -- Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "The Wrangler Dragon design concept is the first Jeep vehicle designed specifically with Chinese elements in mind and showcases the opportunity for special editions that might be available for China in the near future."

Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept

The Jeep Wrangler Dragon design concept is based on a China-market Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon painted black with a black body-color three-piece hard top. From there, the designers incorporated numerous bronze-gold details -- a color associated with the dragon. These bronze-gold details can be found inside the front grille slats, headlamp surrounds and Jeep badging front and rear.

The unique 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels are matte black with a bronze-gold high-gloss outer edge and feature 35-inch off-road tires. Other bronze-gold touches include a pad-printed engine cover, bolts for the fuel-filler door and the taillamp assembly, a Chinese dragon character side badge and wheel center caps.

The exterior also has black highlights such as painted fenders, a gloss-black applique on the front bumper, and a tone-on-tone dragon decal that starts on the hood and runs down the driver's side of the vehicle. There is also a dragon motif on a unique carbon-fiber insulator mounted under the hood and on the gloss-black spare tire cover. Final exterior touches include a Mopar® fuel-filler door and a black-finish LED exterior lighting package that features aftermarket projector headlamps, fog lamps, turn lamps and taillamps.

Moving to the interior, the black and bronze-gold theme continues with black leather seating surfaces with bronze-gold accent piping and stitching. Magic Wand metallic leather is on the side bolsters and the sides of the head restraints, while a laser-etched dragon pattern is on the face of the head restraints. Dragon-scale patterned bronze-gold leather covers the outside edges of the seats and front center arm rest.

Other interior touches include high-gloss piano black instrument panel bezels, bronze-gold accent trim on the steering wheel spokes, instrument cluster, passenger-side dashboard grab handle and door handles, and gold accent stitching on the leather-wrapped door bolsters. Finishing the interior modifications are dragon tags on the front and rear floor mats.

Chinese dragons symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rain and winds and their more severe weather phenomena. Dragons are symbols of the natural world, adaptability and transformation -- divine creatures capable of doing anything.

While debuting as a design concept at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, the Jeep Wrangler Dragon could become a production model if demand is great enough.

Jeep Wrangler for 2012
Jeep Wrangler -- the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world -- becomes even more capable both on- and off-road for 2012, courtesy of an all-new, more fuel-efficient and more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine, as well as a new automatic transmission -- both of which it shares with the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler Group's 3.6-liter Pentastar® V-6 engine -- winner of the prestigious Ward's 10 Best Engines award in the U.S. -- delivers 284 horsepower DIN (209 kW) and 347 N•m (256 lb.-ft.) of torque. The improvement, when compared to the previous 3.8-liter V-6 engine, is over 40 percent in horsepower and 10 percent in torque.




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Dodge Dart 2013 First Test Drive Review with Elizabeth Kreft by RoadflyTV

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by roadflytv

The new 2013 Dodge Dart is entering a very competitive segment -- the compact car segment. RoadflyTV host Elizabeth Kreft spent a few days in Austin, TX getting to know the new Dart.

Our test car came with the Limited package. So we had all the creature comforts like the large center screen with navigation and other information. It also meant our car had the fantastically huge 8.5" center navigation and multimedia information screen.

This segment of RoadflyTV offers a first test drive review of the all new Dodge Dart. We'll have a full car review available in about a month.

Interviews include: Richard Cox, Director Dodge Brand and Joe Dehner, Director Exterior Design at Dodge.


Host: Elizabeth Kreft

Vehicle: 2013 Dodge Dart
Trim package: Limited
Engine: 1.4 liter, turbocharged i4 multi air engine
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel efficiency: 27 MPG City / 39 MPG Highway
Architecture: Based on Fiat Alfa Romeo Giulietta

We also spent a few minutes with Matt Liddane of Dodge's Chrysler group earlier in the year and asked him a few questions about the Dodge Dart.


Uploaded by roadflytv on Feb 4, 2012

The Dodge Dart is back! RoadflyTV host Emme Hall had a chance to talk with Dodge executive Matt Liddane about the all new 2013 Dodge Dart. There are a number of engine and transmission options available in the new Dart. While the drivetrain options are impressive what's most impressive is the array of custom options available. Our favorite is the oversized navigation screen.

If you're wondering if there will be a Dodge Dart SRT you'll have to watch the interview and find out.

Where: 2012 Washington, DC Auto Show
Who: Matt Liddane, Vehicle Line Executive, Chrysler Group
Vehicle: 2013 Dodge Dart R/T

Engine choices include a 2.0-liter normally aspirated "Tigershark" four cylinder (160 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque), and a version of Fiat's 1.4-liter turbocharged and intercooled Multi-Air four-cylinder, (160 hp and 184 lb-ft torque). Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and a 6-speed dry Dual-Clutch automatic.

Host: Emme Hall




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Making Vehicles Right is Mantra For Chrysler Under Marchionne's Reign - Detroit Free Press

If the 2013 Dodge Dart succeeds -- and based on its price, fuel economy and features, it should -- some credit should go to a meeting that took place before the new compact sedan was even in development.

Early in 2010, Matt Liddane, who is now Dart vehicle line director, was scheduled to give new Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne a presentation on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first new vehicle the company would introduce under Marchionne's leadership and Fiat control. It wasn't on the agenda, but Liddane figured he was also scheduled to get his butt kicked. Liddane was in charge of developing the Grand Cherokee, and he'd gone over budget during the days when Chrysler's previous owners -- Daimler and Cerberus -- had sucked the blood out of every stone to cut costs.

Liddane had told his team to keep their heads down and keep working. Just get the vehicle right. He'd deal with the consequences when the bosses eventually found out. It was risky, a decision that could get a guy fired.

But Liddane knew building another so-what vehicle was the greater risk. He'd suffered through the ceaseless corner-cutting that had ruined Chrysler.

He made his presentation, told the new boss where and why he'd over-spent -- mostly to make the Grand Cherokee's interior look and feel ritzy and inviting -- and waited for the ax to fall. Another executive at the table began rattling off what features they could drop, where they could scrimp to get back on track.

"I know the numbers. We'll take care of the numbers," Marchionne said, raising a hand to cut off the recitation. "This vehicle needs to be 100% right. That comes first." He went on to approve materials and features that were better than previous management would have considered. The Jeep Grand Cherokee went on to become the new Chrysler's first hit.

We already knew Marchionne, who has degrees in law and accounting, knew how to drive a hard bargain.

The Dart, with plush materials and features you don't usually see on compact sedans -- a large touch screen and configurable gauge display, to name two -- is the latest evidence that Marchionne knows not just what things cost, but also what they're worth.

Executive involvement
Another series of meetings brings some of Chrysler's top executives to plants preparing to build new vehicles.

Chrysler's chiefs of engineering, quality, purchasing and manufacturing have been holding meetings at the Dart plant in Belvidere, Ill., every six weeks to check progress and clear roadblocks.

Even when a whole company is geared up for a project, it makes a big difference when a handful of senior vice presidents step in.

Extra staffing and resources provide fast solutions to engineering issues, and suppliers get very focused on component problems when their CEO gets a call from one of Chrysler's heavy hitters.

More targets
The Dodge Dart is the first in a range of models that will go a long way toward determining whether Fiat and Chrysler succeed in the world's most important auto markets: China and North America.

The Fiat Viaggio sedan is next in line. The roomy sedan shares most of its engineering with the Dart and is the key to Fiat's Chinese expansion plan. Chinese buyers, like Americans, prefer sedans to the hatchbacks that are Fiat's forte.

Chrysler design and engineering should make the Viaggio a better fit for China buyers than Fiat's previous attempts. The Viaggio goes into production in China next month.

Closer to home, expect the Dart's platform to underpin a new midsize sedan and Ford Escape-sized crossover SUV. Expect more vehicles to follow.

By Mark Phelan Detroit Free Press Auto




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I'll Take The One In The Showroom Please

My good friend Eileen Blodgett taking delivery of a 2012 Dodge Durango Crew AWD trading in her 2009 Chrysler Town and Country. No more minivans for this classy lady. She's got a sporty SUV now.

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New Dodge Dart Dares To Be Different - The Detroit News

As Chrysler Group LLC readies its new entry into the hotly contested compact car segment, the company is hoping to stand out from the crowd by allowing its customers to make their 2013 Dodge Dart different from all the rest.

The Auburn Hills automaker is eschewing the menu of option packages most car companies offer in favor of an à la carte approach that allows customers to configure their car their way. Want a manual transmission with an orange leather interior and a navigation system? No problem.

"We've got over 100,000 different ways to configure and personalize the Dodge Dart," said Richard Cox, Dodge brand director. "We've unbundled a lot of options to make it easier for customers to get exactly what they want."

Chrysler is responding to a broader societal trend. Consumers — particularly the younger ones car companies covet — want to put their personal stamp on the products they own. Think cellphone cases and laptop covers.

Cox said the company's market research shows these consumers want to be able to do that with their cars, too. And by allowing them to tailor their Dart their way, Chrysler hopes to give consumers another reason to buy it.

"Today, everyone is competing on fuel economy, price and reliability. We've got all those things, too. But we need to add to that," Cox said. "We haven't really been competitive in the compact car segment for a while. We need to give consumers a reason to give us another chance."



Chrysler's approach is a marked contrast to the streamlining strategy pursued by rival automakers such as Ford Motor Co.

When CEO Alan Mulally came to Ford from Boeing Co. in 2006, he was dismayed to discover how many variants were possible with each of the automaker's products. The 2007 Ford Mustang, for example, was available with more than 16,000 color, upholstery and feature combinations — and that was just the V-6 Deluxe model.

Instead of an opportunity to play to each customer's unique tastes, Ford's CEO saw this as costly complexity that contributed to the company's quality woes. So he ordered a radical simplification of Ford's offerings. The next version of the Mustang offered 200 of the most popular combinations.

But Ford recently was criticized for offering a manual transmission only on its base Focus, forcing customers to choose between a stick and a leather interior. It later reversed that decision.

Japanese automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. practiced this sort of discipline for years. Critics sometimes complained that it made their cars boring, but there was no arguing with their quality. On the other hand, European carmakers have made an art of customization, said Jay Baron, president of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor.

"It's an issue of complexity. This will clearly affect costs and complicate the supply chain and logistics," he said. "Ford has been trying to simplify and reduce their investment costs. That greatly simplifies logistics, too. But it's always a trade-off between lower costs and customer satisfaction. There are different schools of thought, and don't think one is right."

Chrysler understands the challenges, Cox says, adding that the World Class Manufacturing system Chrysler inherited from its Italian parent, Fiat SpA, is up to the task. So is the Alfa Romeo platform the Dart is based on.

"Fiat was already doing this in Europe. They designed the car from the beginning to accept all these different features," Cox said, adding that automated parts sequencing — a system that delivers the required components to assembly workers just as they are needed — is another key to making it work.



But Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says managing customers' desires will be critical. The company might offer 100,000 buildable combinations, but that does not mean it will sell them.

"The market is going to get guided into a selection of those," he said during a conference call with analysts and reporters Thursday, adding that it would be "a bloody nightmare" to actually build 100,000 different Darts. "We will guide the dealer network toward an established set of alternatives."

Customers will be able to choose from one of those 100,000 different combinations, but they will have to wait 30 to 45 days. Marchionne suggested most instead would opt for the choices in their dealer's showroom.

Marchionne said the Dart is a critical product for his company — as important as the Jeep Grand Cherokee that has become the symbol of a resurgent Chrysler since its launch in 2010. And as with the Jeep, getting the quality right will be critical to repairing Dodge's damaged reputation with consumers. Marchionne said he is confident the Dart will do just that.

"If I told you that the launch had been a walk in the park, I would be lying," Marchionne said, adding that his designers, engineers and workers have created what he believes is a great automobile. "(But) until I see customers driving these things, I'm going to reserve judgment."

BY BRYCE G. HOFFMAN THE DETROIT NEWS




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Chrysler Group Under the Pentastar 4-27-12

The top stories from Chrysler Group LLC for the week of April 27, 2012: Stories include: First quarter results, 2012 Peace Summit, Lech Walesa visits Jefferson North Assembly, Jeep Wrangler official vehicle of USA Basketball and Board of Directors get together.




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Chrysler Posts $473 Million Profit in First Quarter - The Detroit News

Chrysler Group LLC posted a net profit of $473 million for the first three months of 2012 Thursday— more than four times as much as the company made during the same period a year ago.

Net revenue for January, February and March was up 25 percent to $16.4 billion as Chrysler's global sales increased 33 percent to 523,000 units and it gained two whole points of share in the critical U.S. market.

"Another positive quarter — built on sales gains that have surpassed the industry average — is affirmation that the Chrysler team is maintaining its focus," said Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. "We continue to deliver on the targets in our five‐year plan and are now focused on successfully launching the Dodge Dart, a car that is a true melding of Chrysler's and Fiat's engineering and styling strengths."

Fiat took over bankrupt Chrysler in 2009 as part of a bailout deal put together by the U.S. government. Since then, Chrysler has paid its loans from the U.S. taxpayers and bought out Uncle Sam. It fulfilled the last piece of that agreement in January when it announced plans to produce the economical compact in Illinois.

On Thursday, Chrysler reported free cash flow of $1.7 billion for the first quarter and said it reduced its net industrial debt to $1.3 billion from $3.4 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2011. As of March 31, the automaker had $11.3 billion in cash, up from $9.6 billion at the end of December 2011.

Chrysler said it plans to ship between 2.3 million and 2.4 million cars and trucks in 2012 and now estimates full-year net revenue of approximately $65 billion. The automaker said Thursday that it is on track to earn about $1.5 billion this year.

The company is scheduled to provide more details of its first quarter earnings during a conference call later this morning.

BY BRYCE G. HOFFMAN THE DETROIT NEWS




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