200C for Australia?

Chrysler is yet to confirm its 200C concept for production, but the car unveiled in Detroit earlier this year could turn around the company's local sales of mid-sized cars.

"If it was packaged right and right for our market, we'd love it. Anything we can do to expand our sedan lineup would be good," says Chrysler Australia's General Manager for Sales and Distribution, Brad Fitzsimmons.

Fitzsimmons sees the 200C as a different sort of car from the Chrysler Sebring; one that could either move further upmarket in the segment or at least change the buying public's perception of the company's offerings in the segment. There's often a fine distinction between perception and reality. The 200C could address both, but for the present there's no word on whether it will go into production.

"It seemed to be more of a 'compact 300C' than a Sebring-type vehicle, but there's been no further developments on 200C at this stage," Fitzsimmons says of the concept car shown at the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show).

If the 200C goes into production and is allocated for sale in right-hand drive form -- a fairly likely prospect, given both its reception in Detroit and Fiat's reported commitment to RHD markets -- it would presumably replace the current Sebring model, with a Dodge Avenger counterpart to follow.

In the short term, at least, the 200C would sell alongside the current Avenger -- and that could be a good thing too. Interest in the 200C could also lift sales of the Dodge, since they'd be sold out of the same showrooms.

To date, the Chrysler Sebring has sold 257 units this year -- down from 290 last year. Some of that shortfall will be due to supply problems from the US, some will be due to the local market sliding backwards during the economic downturn. All the same, the Sebring's sales have been trumped by the more expensive Alfa Romeo 159, let alone some of the larger-selling models in the VFACTS medium-car segment.

The Dodge Avenger, a platform-sharing sibling, has barely outsold the Sebring (316 units, year to date), but at least sales of that vehicle are growing, compared with last year's. It's also a cheaper car that appeals to a different buyer type.

But one shouldn't draw too many conclusions about Chrysler's slower selling cars in the market this year. The company has had to make do with a smaller inventory, following the parent's Chapter 11 financial problems, leading to factories being idled in the US.

"We're still clearly one of the most successful markets for the Chrysler Group globally," says Fitzsimmons.

"We have amongst the highest market share -- certainly in the top five market share for the Chrysler Group. Our only issue this year is we obviously ran perilously short of cars during the early part of the year. We're back on track with production and supply now, so the Australian public still seems to have a certain fondness for us."

For those who reckon the 200C looks the part, the announcement it will go into production can't come soon enough. That may happen as part of the product-related announcement Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will make next month.

"All we know at this stage is that Marchionne is going to make a big product announcement -- a big future product direction announcement. He may discuss that sort of thing, but we're not aware of what he's going to say at this stage," Fitzsimmons advises.

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