On closer inspection…
After years of having to put a brave face on what everyone knew was just an updated Sebring, Chrysler’s 2015 200 was supposed to be the brand’s bold return to the midsized segment. Reviewers gave mixed-to-positive reviews, all concluding that the new 200 is a definite step up from the old model. Sales were up over 150% Year-Over-Year in November… so has Fiat’s CUSW platform made Chrysler competitive in the hotly-contested midsized sedan segment?
As the numbers above indicate, probably not. According to national sales data from TrueCar’s website, only the cheapest model of the new 200 (LX FWD) is selling close to MSRP ($68 above, actually). Every other trim of the new 200 is selling at deep discounts, despite having launched just this year. In fact, consumers spent less on average for the second level (Limited FWD) than the base trim, and average discounts for the top trim reach nearly $4,000. Though it’s impossible to know what the average of these averages is without knowing the sales mix, the fact that the typically loss-leading lowest trim is the only one maintaining any pricing discipline, its clear that this brand-new car is buying market share in hopes of appearing successful. Given that Edmunds says the Chrysler brand as a whole averaged a 20% discount in October, it’s clear that FCA’s attempt to transform Chrysler into a mass-market offering is not going to be a gimme.
