Chrysler culls total of 7 models from UK lineup; rest spared out of pity
THANK THE LORD.
Caliber, Sebring, Sebring Cabrio, Commander, Compass, Nitro, PT Cruiser, Avenger.
All gone. Not sure when each went, but it can't have been that long ago.
Well as far as I'm aware the Dodges only disappeared within the last week or so - as they suddenly vanished off the UK website. They stopped selling the Avenger a fair while back in the UK though.
I've not seen a brand new PT for ages though, so either people stopped buying one or they culled that one long ago too. In fact, I'm fairly sure they culled it a few years back, and it's only in the States they got a facelifted one on sale again recently.
As far as the UK is concerned, they never really did before... The only Chrysler models we ever really subscribed to were the PT Crusier (because it was trendy once upon a time), the Grand Voyager (because a few families were big enough to warrant it) and to a certain extent the 300C (because some insurance salesmen like to pretend they're Tony Soprano from time to time). Everything else was largely ignored. If you quizzed the British public I'd bet 90% of them had no idea a thing called a Sebring had even been on sale here for the last 3 years.
Around here all the 300Cs are diesels, and they're all taxis.
I dunno. I'm in two minds. I know I have pretty odd taste in cars but I quite
like Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge products. They're by no means the best things out there but we take what we can get in the UK and I prefer Dodge and Chrysler's lineup a significant amount more than Chevrolet's. With Chevy, apart from the Cruze I think pretty much the whole lineup is bloody awful Korean-based crud. At least the Chrysler products had a bit of character.
The Avenger is a nice looking car, like a mini-Charger. Not a very good one, true, but pleasant in an inoffensive way. Same goes for the Caliber, which I reckon will eventually be one of those bargains that people who shop around for dirt cheap cars will buy. Nobody else wants them, so the second-hand buyer benefits.
The Nitro was pretty woeful but it looks like a toy car and if you don't expect it to be sporty in any way (and I don't see why you would) then I'm sure it's passable.
The Voyager and Sebring are pretty awful. The Voyager in particular has consistantly been outclassed in virtually every department by virtually every European competitor ever since they started selling the damn thing in the UK. The Sebring is the answer to a question nobody asked.
The PT I still have a soft spot for, because it was the car I drove for a few thousand miles of the best holiday I've ever had. But it was getting pretty long in the tooth, so it's best that it died.
The 300C I genuinely like. It's distinctive, handsome, and although it's a bit chintzy it seems like a good, honest bruiser of a saloon, which I like. It's probably the best thing Chrysler has made in years.
So yeah, the disappearance of all those cars is probably a good thing, but I'll be sad to see some of them go. I just wish that they'd actually been
good, because then people might have actually bought them.