Chrysler planning to slash models, consolidate dealers

SAN FRANCISCO -- Chrysler is accelerating a plan to eliminate slow-selling models and consolidate dealers, Chrysler President Jim Press said Friday.

Chrysler is accelerating a plan to eliminate slow-selling models and consolidate dealers, Chrysler President Jim Press said Friday.

He also hinted at a conference here during a national dealers convention that Chrysler might take on Toyota's youthful Scion brand with a van aimed at young buyers.

Under an accelerated reorganization plan called Project Genesis, "We're going to build fewer products that serve the same (market)," Press said.

He didn't list models to be axed, but used the company's nearly identical Dodge and Chrysler minivans as an example of duplicative models that could be done as a single model to save marketing and development costs. He didn't say which brand might sell the resulting van.

The automaker, 80.1%-owned by private investment company Cerberus Capital Management, is trying to streamline operations to work its way back to consistent profits.

Chrysler previously has said it will eliminate slow sellers such as the Dodge Magnum sport wagon, Chrysler Pacifica crossover SUV and Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible.

Other Chrysler product overlaps that might invite the ax:

• Jeep Compass and Patriot and Dodge Caliber. They use similar hardware and are built together at the same Belvidere, Ill., plant.

Caliber outsells the two Jeeps combined. Patriot is the stronger of the two Jeeps. (And if the two Jeeps are merged, the name could be, too: Compatriot.)

• Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty. Similar drivetrain hardware and platforms, and both are built at Toldeo, Ohio, the long-time manufacturing home to Jeep. Nitro's a little bigger and not made for the serious off-roading that Liberty can handle. Dodge sells about 7,500 Nitros a month; Jeep, about 10,000 Liberties.

• Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen. Both are made at Newark, Del. Aspen's just a fancy version of Durango, and Durango outsold Aspen almost two-to-one last year.