Jeep Grand Cherokee

Five Non-Luxe Car Brands Hoping To Graduate To Luxe Status

In the early and mid 1990s, the line dividing luxury cars from non-luxury was simple: $30,000. Today, most people would say it was $40,000, but they would get an argument.

After all, when a loaded Chrysler Town and Country or Honda Odyssey minivan crests $40K, can we really use that pricing standard? A luxury minivan?

Then, there is the discussion about brands. BMW is a luxury brand. Volkswagen and Hyundai aren't. Right? Not so fast. A Volkswagen Touareg SUV starts at $44,000 and climbs North with options to above $60K for the Hybrid version. Hyundai's new Equus sedan starts at $58,000.

Here are five brands seeking credibility with luxury car buyers and the products they are reaching with:

Chrysler: As Italian automaker Fiat restructures the Chrysler brands it has acquired after the U.S. automaker went through bankruptcy in 2009, it is hoping to position Chrysler as a kind of "value luxury brand." The Chrysler 300 sedan is the linchpin in the effort. While the base model starts below $28,000, the two other trim levels, Limited and 300C, easily reach between $44K and $48K when the technology, safety and luxury option packages are checked. "The 300 is for the successful person who doesn't forget whey they came from," is the way Chrysler brand CEO Olivier Francois puts it.

The new 300 is the second generation design of the car that captured the attention of the hip-hop community when it first came out in 2004. Snoop Dog and Jay Z were among those who praised the "gangsta" design of the car. That has been toned down in the new design in part to try and reach a broader audience--let's say, more the Black Eyed Peas and Linkin Park crowd than P Diddy and Cee Lo Green.

Tags: buick lacrosse, BuickEnclave, Chrysler 300, hyundai equus, Hyundai Genesis, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Overland, luxury cars, Volkswagen Touareg

Continue reading “Five Non-Luxe Car Brands Hoping To Graduate To Luxe Status”

Maserati Plans SUV Made In Detroit With Ferrari Engine

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

How is this for a mixed pedigree? Chrysler, which is managed by Fiat executives these days, plans to build a Maserati SUV in Detroit at an assembly plant that kicks out Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos, which are built on an engineering platform developed with Mercedes-Benz for its M Class SUV stemming from when Chrysler was owned by Daimler.

Now comes word that the forthcoming Maserati SUV will be fitted with a Ferrari engine. Fiat also owns Ferrari, which has supplied engines to Fiat's Lancia, Alfa-Romeo, Maserati cars, as well as Formula One teams.

"It will be a rock and roll engine," said Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. It may come in both a V-8 and a V-12 version, said the CEO in a roundtable interview at the North American International Auto Show that included Luxist.com

The SUV should be ready for Maserati showrooms worldwide in 2012.

Tags: Ferrari, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Maserati SUV, North American International Auto Show, Sergio Marchionne

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit: the Most Luxurious Jeep Yet

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Used to be if you were looking for a luxury SUV, your choices were limited largely to the Range Rover and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both have plenty of competition these days, but the latter is not giving up without a fight.

The new Jeep Grand Cherokee is hailed as the product that could turn Chrysler's fortunes around, and now they've unveiled their most upscale version yet. Called the Overland Summit, the top-spec Grand Cherokee will be unveiled at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. It features chrome everything on the outside and an interior upgraded with Nappa leather, Berber floor mats and Black Olive wood trim.

Jeep will also be unveiling a special version of one of its smaller offerings as well. Called the Liberty Jet, it packs a host of otherwise optional equipment bundled as standard with chrome trim and blacked-out headlamps to distinguish itself on the outside. Both models hit dealerships in December.

Gallery: Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit & Liberty Jet