Chrysler to Axe Jeep Compass and Replace Town & Country with Crossover
Fiat-Chrysler will discontinue the Jeep Compass and replace the Chrysler Town & Country minivan with a crossover, part of a broader plan to streamline its North American line-up.
Chrysler will discontinue the Jeep Compass and phase out the Chrysler Town & Country minivan in favour of a new crossover, CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed as part of a drive to reduce overlap and sharpen the identity of each Fiat-Chrysler brand. The move is intended to clarify the roles of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram in North America, with each focusing on distinct segments.
Jeep Compass and Patriot: Overlap Ends
The Jeep Compass, which shares a platform and market space with the Jeep Patriot, will be dropped from the line-up. Both models have been produced together at Belvidere, Illinois, but Marchionne indicated Compass production will cease by August 2014. The company has not named a direct successor, though he acknowledged several candidates were under consideration to fill the entry-level SUV slot. Production of the Patriot is set to continue alongside the Dodge Dart until at least the same timeframe.
Town & Country Minivan to Give Way to Crossover
Chrysler’s Town & Country minivan will be retired and replaced by a crossover carrying the same name. This decision leaves the Dodge Grand Caravan as the group’s only traditional minivan in North America. The Town & Country and Grand Caravan have long competed for similar buyers, contributing to internal competition that Marchionne wants to eliminate. The new crossover is expected to target family buyers who might otherwise consider a minivan, but with a more SUV-like stance and features.
The shift is part of a broader plan to streamline Chrysler’s line-up and focus on growth segments. Marchionne has previously outlined ambitions to double the Chrysler brand’s line-up by 2018, with crossovers and SUVs expected to play a central role. For more on this strategy, see FCA Targets Doubling Chrysler Line-up by 2018 in Ambitious Plan.
Implications for Factories and Model Strategy
The Belvidere plant in Illinois, which currently builds the Compass, Patriot and Dart, will see changes in its production schedule as the Compass exits. While the company has not detailed future production plans for Belvidere, the end of Compass and eventual Patriot production opens up capacity for new models or increased Dart output. The Grand Caravan will continue to be built in Windsor, Ontario, though Chrysler has confirmed plans to eventually discontinue that model as well (see Chrysler Confirms Dodge Grand Caravan Will Be Discontinued).
- Jeep Compass discontinued by August 2014.
- Chrysler Town & Country minivan replaced by crossover.
- Dodge Grand Caravan remains sole minivan, but also set for discontinuation.
Brand Differentiation at the Core
Marchionne’s strategy is to give each volume brand a distinct identity and avoid internal competition. Jeep will focus on SUVs, Dodge on performance and mainstream cars, Ram on pickups and commercial vehicles, and Chrysler on family-oriented cars and crossovers. The removal of overlapping models is a key step in this direction. The company is also developing new performance variants, such as an SRT version of the Dodge Dart, to further sharpen brand profiles.
