(CNNMoney.com) -- With bankruptcy threatening to further weigh down the carmaker's sales, Chrysler is expected to announce a new incentive program Tuesday.
Chrysler's "Employee Pricing Plus Plus," program ended just days after the carmaker declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That program combined cash rebates with price reductions and cut-rate financing for qualified customers.
The new sales program is expected to rely heavily on giving dealers cash incentives, which means that customers will see big price reductions at the dealership, said Jessica Caldwell, an industry analyst with the automotive Website Edmunds.com.
Dealer incentives give auto dealers extra cash that can, in turn, be used to offset price reductions negotiated with customers. Dealer cash incentives are more subtle than straight cash rebates, so they aren't as damaging to a car brand's image and they don't reduce resale value of cars the way more straightforward customer rebates do.
But incentive money for dealers will likely be paired with limited customer rebates as well, Caldwell said. The carmaker announced in a conference call on Friday that the incentive plan would include some "loyalty" incentives for returning Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep buyers.
Chrysler has been the biggest spender among all auto manufacturers on incentives in the U.S. market. Last month, Chrysler spent $4,288 per vehicle on incentives.
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Monday, May 4, 2009
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