IS CHRYSLER SPINNING ITS WHEELS?

摘要

Anyone looking for a scapegoat for DaimlerChrysler's woes can easily point a finger at its U. S. Chrysler unit. The auto industry is booming. But Chrysler, stuck with a stable of aging models, seems to be running out of gas. Nowhere is this truer than in the pivotal minivan market, where Chrysler, the segment leader, lost more than five percentage points of market share in a year. Sales of its Dodge Caravan and its Chrysler Voyager and Town & Country minivans are down 3% so far this year—even as demand for newer models such as the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna continues to soar. With minivans responsible for about one-third of Chrysler's bottom line, the company's operating profits fell 7% to $1.3 billion on $18 billion in first-quarter revenues.