Pass the salt and pepper please!

[fay66]

as I now intend eating my words regarding the new Chrysler Delta,
today I called in a 'Chrysler Stevenage' to see if they had a new Delta in stock, in fact they had 3, an SR, a SE 1.6 Diesel, and 1 other although I didn't see that one.
The SR in white was in the showroom and certainly was able to hold it's place against the other Chryslers and Mercedes in the showroom.
Every photo I've seen of the Chrysler gives the impression of about one of the most ugly grilles around, in fact this is not the case, it looks really good, and is nowhere near as big and ugly as the photos would have you believe, the most representative photo is the one I've posted here from the brochure.
It looks real quality and dare I say it the Chrysler badging is more discreet than the Lancia versions!
I had a long chat with a very knowledgable and interested Salesman, Laurence Kabba, who is going to try to get me a cost to convert to Lancia badging, but this will only be certain items as it would be too costly to do all of them.
The most difficult/costly to change would be the steering wheel airbag, all the glass, as it has the Chrysler logo on every piece, although the headrests have the Chrysler logo a set of loose covers could be made/purchased to hide these. You would probably have to have the Lancia Grille Complete, and that won't come cheap, but the logo on the rear glass, and the alloy wheel centres shouldn't cause too much of a problem, one other expensive item would be the screen on the sat nav, as when turned on lights up with the Chrysler logo.
All in all I was very impressed, and in a complete turnaround from my previous thoughts on the matter, they should be welcomed by us whether badged as a Lancia or Chrysler however controversial that might be (perhaps a seperate section at the AGM) as without a doubt it's as near a Lancia Delta as you'll ever get.
The Chrysler Ypsilon is due to arrive on the 22nd September, and Laurance has said he will let me know when it arrives.
One very welcome snippet of news was that in 18 months time we can expect to see a 280BHP 4WD version
It also seems that his boss a gentleman by the name of OWEN (not you Chris), is also a Lancia fan and he believed his bosses car was on the LMC stand at the NEC last year?

Brian
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[fay66]

More.
PS,
 The SR on show was listed at £22K+

Brian
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[Jolly_Club_6]

Been listening to adverts all week on the radio, thought I was hearing things, Chrysler Delta? Quoting that 16k price tag, will have to have nosey at one now. 

[fay66]

Been listening to adverts all week on the radio, thought I was hearing things, Chrysler Delta? Quoting that 16k price tag, will have to have nosey at one now.  

That will be the 'S' with the 1.4T-Jet 120 HP 6 speed manual with 0-62.5mph in 9.8 secs and a top speed of 121 mph, not bad going from 1368cc!
Pretty good spec too, with Manual A/C -power & heated mirrors-foglamps-remote keyless entry-power window x 4-trip computer with outside temp display-alarm-automatic locking-power deadlocks- privacy glass-height adjustable drivers seat-and lots more, so even the base model has a pretty extensive spec.
One not so good point is steel wheels with wheel covers and there doesn't appear to be an option of Alloys
Brian
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[Paul Greenway]

It looks real quality and dare I say it the Chrysler badging is more discreet than the Lancia versions!
I had a long chat with a very knowledgable and interested Salesman, Laurence Kabba, who is going to try to get me a cost to convert to Lancia badging, but this will only be certain items as it would be too costly to do all of them.

All in all I was very impressed, and in a complete turnaround from my previous thoughts on the matter, they should be welcomed by us whether badged as a Lancia or Chrysler however controversial that might be (perhaps a seperate section at the AGM) as without a doubt it's as near a Lancia Delta as you'll ever get.


Brian


Your'e right Brian that it is as close to a new UK registered Lancia as we can get (for the time being?), however I must disagree regarding the badging as I too have been to view the car in a showroom, at a foot long the badge is much more in your face than a discreet 3" Lancia one and does not suit the car (imo). Like wise the steering wheel, that badge is horrible and the car is seriously over badged, but it's good we all think differently and people should realistically consider this car regardless of whose badge is on it.

I personally would go for a fully optioned 2.0M-jet Limited in Bronze Savannah but only if deals are competitive- it's too early to say yet but all current deals/ Early warnings suggest (& I'm on top of this as I lease/contract hire vehicles all the time) they are not - much higher than Giulietta/ new 1-series/  A3/ Golf and similar to E-class.

As for Lancia badged cars, they all roll down the same production lines and glass costs the same whether badged Chrysler or Lancia, so does a steering wheel housing, software too, so why can enough people not go top their Chrysler dealerships and just order for example a Lancia Delta 2.0M-jet Limited in RHD form for the same price and the same deal as a Chrysler version and everyone can be happy or is that just too hard for Fiat to manage?

Overall it is still an impressive package, I just hope enough people do it justice.

[fay66]

Paul, I agree with some of your comments and certainly wouldn't do for all of us to be the same, but I think the possibilities of getting Fiat to allow you to order one with Lancia badged parts through a Chrysler dealer is a non runner, they just won't go for having the Lancia brand here, and I suspect there might be something in the agreement with Chrysler that won't allow it, sensible though it might be.
Now that the Delta is a RHD, and being brought here as a Chrysler do we have a case to take it to the European trade minister? and say we are being denied a model that is freely available on the Continent as a Lancia but can't buy it here although it now conforms with UK construction & use regulations. which puts UK drivers at a disadvantage.

Brian
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[Neil]

Brian I like your thinking there! I am not sure it would succeed as you can by RHD version in what ever brand and that is therefore good enough they would wriggle out of our want which is basically a RHD Lancia in current EU spec for sale in the UK/Ireland.  Shame they did not do as mentioned on here before - GM sell Opels in Irelend in RHD and you do a see a few RHD Opels in the UK, give us a choice of brand may be put some extra items on the Lancia versions, make them more 'sporty' perhaps, HF models?

[Paul Greenway]

Paul, I agree with some of your comments and certainly wouldn't do for all of us to be the same, but I think the possibilities of getting Fiat to allow you to order one with Lancia badged parts through a Chrysler dealer is a non runner, they just won't go for having the Lancia brand here, and I suspect there might be something in the agreement with Chrysler that won't allow it, sensible though it might be.
Now that the Delta is a RHD, and being brought here as a Chrysler do we have a case to take it to the European trade minister? and say we are being denied a model that is freely available on the Continent as a Lancia but can't buy it here although it now conforms with UK construction & use regulations. which puts UK drivers at a disadvantage.

Brian
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Spot on Brian, where do we sign up?

[fay66]

This is the bit I had in mind, but I.m not sure how we could use it as it's a slightly different scenario, although we are being denied a RHD car by the Manufacturer (Fiat/Lancia) in the UK, while they are supplying a similar RHD (Chrysler) in the UK. at a lesser cost than it would be possible to buy the Lancia elsewhere in Europe.
I think I'll try and track down the address of the Commisioner and write to him with a copy to my MP and Fiat/Lancia to see what reaction I get, if any

Brian
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CAR SALES BETWEEN EU
MEMBER STATES
In 1998, following many
complaints from consumers,
the European Commission fined
Volkswagen AG EUR 90 million
for banning its Italian dealers
from meeting orders from
German and Austrian customers
attracted by lower prices in Italy.
It is illegal for car manufacturers
to discourage their dealers from
selling to customers resident in
other EU Member States. The
European Commission publishes
a six-monthly review of pretax
car prices in each of the EU
Member States to help consumers
to identify the country in which
the car they might want to buy is
cheapest.

[Paul Greenway]

This is the bit I had in mind, but I.m not sure how we could use it as it's a slightly different scenario, although we are being denied a RHD car by the Manufacturer (Fiat/Lancia) in the UK, while they are supplying a similar RHD (Chrysler) in the UK. at a lesser cost than it would be possible to buy the Lancia elsewhere in Europe.
I think I'll try and track down the address of the Commisioner and write to him with a copy to my MP and Fiat/Lancia to see what reaction I get, if any

Brian
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You're bang on the money Brian, Fiat are denying us the car we want, instead offering us something exactly the same that many of us don't want if that makes sense. (There will obviously be some Chrysler fanatics and neutrals out there)
I do not believe there would be much pricing difference if badged as a Lancia rather than Chrysler here, it's just the currency exchange at the moment with all comparable cars on the continent which are at least another 10% more expensive than here.
If there is a loophole we can exploit then fantastic. Keep up the good work!

[neil-yaj396]

Brian

I agree with your sentiment, but I've had some involvement with intra-EU car sales at work and as printed the VW fine was about pricing, not model/brand choice. The case law would prevent an EU dealer in, say Holland, refusing to sell you a Lancia because you lived in the UK. It doesn't oblige Fiat to go to the cost of interrupting their RHD production run to re-badge Deltas as Lancias, unless they want to.

Fiat's argument would be that there is no disadvantage in having a Chrysler rather than a Lancia, and that they are using the brand most appropriate to the market, just like GM with Vauxhall/Opel (who do make RHD Opels for the Irish market anyway). Whats more, Historic British attitudes to the Lancia brand would back them up.

 

[fay66]

OH Well

Brian
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[Keith Large]

Hello Brian, that would have been my first question at the Chrysler garage, how much to buy the parts to have car changed to lancia logos at least externally? (as you state, may be too difficult internally). I would be interested in the cost, as this might just tempt me, I have been awaiting to buy  a right hand drive Delta since before the recession, when Fiat / Lancia stated a right hand drive production line was about to be set up, seems such a long time ago).
Keith

[fay66]

Hello Brian, that would have been my first question at the Chrysler garage, how much to buy the parts to have car changed to lancia logos at least externally? (as you state, may be too difficult internally). I would be interested in the cost, as this might just tempt me, I have been awaiting to buy  a right hand drive Delta since before the recession, when Fiat / Lancia stated a right hand drive production line was about to be set up, seems such a long time ago).
Keith

Hi Keiyh, I'll give them a ring as the Ypsilon was due in today and if it is I'd like to have a look.

Brian
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