Chrysler May Drop Durango, Aspen

The bad news keeps coming over at Chrysler. Today, the automaker announced that its Newark, Del., assembly plant would shut down indefinitely at the end of 2008. Shutdown of the 244-acre complex will mean the loss of about 1,000 jobs producing two Chrysler products: the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen, two full-size SUVs.

According to USA Today, Chrysler officials aren’t yet saying if this means the end of those SUVs, or if they will be built at another plant. Bearing in mind that moving production of the SUVs would require costly retooling, it’s possible that the two will be discontinued. Chrysler has sold about 17,000 Durangos and 17,500 Aspens so far in 2008; Chrysler sold about 140,000 Durangos alone in 2004.

What does this mean to consumers? The likely elimination of two so-so SUVs in a segment that is already contracting. Meanwhile, the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid (which we recently tested) and Dodge Durango Hybrid were launched just this August as Chrysler’s first stab at hybrid vehicles. The pair are the cheapest full-size hybrid SUVs on the market, each priced at around $45,000, and each is available with a $2,200 tax credit. Chrysler’s press release gives no indication of what will happen to those models, but they are built at the same Newark facility.

Chrysler cutting 1,825 jobs; GM will cut 401(k) match (USA Today)

Cars.com Videos: Hybrids, Convertibles and Hatchbacks, Oh My!

2009 Infiniti FX35: From its menacing grille to its seven-speed transmission, the sporty FX35 is really fun to drive, David Thomas says.

2008 Saab 9-3 convertible: This redesigned convertible, with its distinctive front grille, looks good, David says, but it doesn’t match up to its competition.

2008 MazdaSpeed3: There’s no need to compromise utility for performance with this lively hatchback, Mike Hanley says.

2008 Mercury Sable: The Sable is a sleek-looking, well-proportioned car with lots of passenger and cargo space, Mike says.

2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid: Kelsey Mays takes a closer look at the Aspen Hybrid, which gets 19/20 mpg city/highway and can tow up to 6,000 pounds. Try doing that with a Prius.

2008 Kia Sportage: Even with its bargain-basement price, Kelsey says the Sportage no longer measures up to its competition.

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Cars.com Reviews 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid

Odds are, if you’re an automaker with a hybrid, it’s flying off the lots right now as people shy away from big SUVs. What happens, though, when your new hybrid is also a big SUV? Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays reviews the new Chrysler Aspen Hybrid to find out, and he finds plenty of positives about the green-ish SUV, and not surprisingly some big minuses too. Check out the full review and let us know if you think there’s a place for big hybrid SUVs in today’s market.

2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid Expert Review

Chrysler Hybrid SUVs Priced Below GM's

Chrysler announced the pricing of its two full-size hybrid SUVs today. The 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid will start at $44,540 and the 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid will start at $44,770. Neither price includes $800 in destination charges.  The two go on sale in August.

Chrysler is touting the sticker as “$8,000 below the competition.” The competition is the Chevy Tahoe hybrid, which starts at $49,590, and the more expensive GMC Yukon hybrid. Wait, that’s not $8,000. That’s because in all of the press materials Chrysler does not mention its hybrids only come in four-wheel drive. The 4x4 Tahoe hybrid starts at $52,395.

Chrysler expects tax credits for the hybrids to be around $1,800. We’ve driven early versions of both Chrysler hybrid SUVs and you can read about that experience here.

Chrysler expects mileage to be about 20/20 mpg city/highway, virtually the same as GM’s mileage gains. We’re not sure if the lower price will entice buyers to the Chrysler SUVs over GMs because at that price point it still might be hard to sell a big hybrid SUV. We also wonder if Chrysler is willing to lose money on the sales. GM and Chrysler use virtually the same two-mode hybrid system in these SUVs.

Chrysler Adds More Cash to Gas Plan Rebates

The Big Three automakers are faced with some pretty remarkable May sales numbers, and not in a good way. Adapting to the new demand for smaller, more-fuel-efficient cars is a long-term process. In the meantime, rebates on trucks, SUVs and vans are flooding automakers’ websites — and none more so than Chrysler’s.

For example, Chrysler is offering $4,500 cash back on the Aspen, or $1,000 plus the three-year Let’s Refuel America $2.99 gas deal. That lowers the price of the full-size SUV down to about $28,000. Check out a list of Chrysler’s incentives below.

Chrysler Adds Hybrid Division

Amid rumors that Chrysler may close its famous go-fast Mopar division comes official news that the born-again domestic is adding an entire hybrid division, called Envi. Short for “environment,” Envi will develop hybrid models from scratch, forgoing the common practice of just adding hybrid technology to existing vehicles.

Chrysler’s first two hybrid vehicles, however, will be versions of existing models: the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs, due next year. Envi is looking to quickly develop and produce a vehicle for market, but we’re not sure if quickly means 2009 or sometime in the next decade.

Chrysler Puts Rush on Hybrid Vehicles (The Detroit News)

Related
First Drive: 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid (KickingTires)
Hybrid Hemi Chrysler Aspen On The Way in 08 (KickingTires)

First Drive: 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid

It wasn’t long ago that the idea of a hybrid SUV was as inconceivable as basing an entire movie franchise on a certain swashbuckling theme-park ride. But times have changed, and now there’s a number of earth-friendly people-haulers. The latest automaker to hatch a hybrid SUV is Chrysler, whose Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen were in sore need of an mpg boost. Both hybrids will hit showrooms for 2009. We had a chance to drive an Aspen prototype at Chrysler’s test track in Michigan today.

Hybrid Hemi Chrysler Aspen On The Way in 08

The headline says it all. Chrysler is planning to release a Hemi-powered hybrid engine in 2008 under the hood of the Aspen SUV, along with its Dodge Durango twin. The company claims the hybrid system – jointly developed with BMW and GM (minus the Hemi of course) — will deliver 25% better fuel economy and 40% better efficiency in the city.

There are no exact mileage estimates, but using the current gas-powered Hemi Aspen’s EPA figures — 14/19 mpg city/highway — this would bring city mileage up to 19.6 mpg, with the highway seeing much less of an increase, up to just more than 23 mpg. All figures are using the 2007 EPA guidelines.

The company doesn’t say if horsepower or torque will be increased, but they should be higher than the current 335 hp and 375 pounds-feet of torque. There’s also no mention of an exact release date but it will definitely be in calendar year 2008. The thinking behind such a move probably has to do with the fact that poor mileage has hurt large SUV sales along with the fact that the cost of such systems will likely be more easily absorbed in a higher priced vehicle.

Related
The Suburban Dad Takes on the 2007 Chrysler Aspen (KickingTires)
2007 Chrysler Aspen Expert Review (Cars.com)
EPA Releases Official 2008 Mileage Calculator (KickingTires)
New MPG Figures Coming (KickingTires)

That Was Fast: Cash Back on All-New Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Compass

This morning we heard about a strange promotion to sway buyers to the new Chrysler Sebring. Chrysler isn’t trying anything unique with rebates on the all-new 2007 Chrysler Aspen SUV and 2007 Jeep Compass compact SUV. No, those two models get straightforward cash back.

We simply couldn’t believe Chrysler gave a green light to the Aspen amid the huge downward spiral in full-size SUV sales. A corporate twin to the Dodge Durango, the Aspen isn’t revolutionizing the segment and barely competes with the new SUV lineup from GM. Dealers have barely had a month to learn about the Aspen, and Chrysler has already slapped a $1,000 cash back incentive on its sticker price. That’s the same rebate as the refreshed 2007 Dodge Durango.

The Jeep Compass hasn’t found the following — or positive praise — of its corporate twin, the Dodge Caliber. We’re not sure why, but the styling might have something to do with it. Either way, Jeep is offering $750 cash back on the Compass, while another all-new small Jeep SUV, the better-looking Patriot, waits in the wings, slated to go on sale in early 2007.

For a full list of current incentives, go here.

Related:
The Suburban Dad Takes on the 2007 Chrysler Aspen
Some 2007 Chryslers Already Seeing Incentives
Test-Drive Tips: 2007 Jeep Compass

The Suburban Dad Takes on the 2007 Chrysler Aspen

The Chrysler Aspen, a new cousin to the familiar Dodge Durango, should be perfect for the Suburban Family. It seats eight, has a big engine and really big tires, and comes with a ton of features. Despite its size, it was incredibly easy to steer and offered a smooth ride with strong acceleration (without a ton of engine noise), plus it came complete with an MP3 jack, so I could play my iPod. The interior plastic pieces didn’t all fit together perfectly, but the Cars.com guys told me this was a pre-production model — an early version the automaker rushes out for journalists to test. Reaction from the rest of the Suburban Family was mixed: