Lucas Bell 
With demand seemingly at a standstill as dealerships remain shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, Detroit’s automakers have been using some crafty finance deals to try and increase buyer interest. While General Motors’ 84 month lease deal seemed unbeatable, Fiat Chrysler has announced a deal very similar to their across town rivals. Unlike General Motors however, FCA has enlisted the help of 2013’s favorite pop band to debut the “Drive Forward” initiative, complete with a full suite of online shopping tools. The “Chrysler Pacifica Family Pricing” and “Dodge Power Dollars” events are both folding into this new program as a result.
Starting April 1, qualified FCA customers can take advantage of 0% financing for 84 months on select 2019 and 2020 vehicles across all of FCA’s brands, as well as no payments for 90 days. Due to the whole coronavirus situation, FCA has launched the new Online Retail Experience to allow customers to save time and be safe by shopping from home.
To recap, the Dodge Power Dollars program shaves $10 off the sticker price for every horsepower a customer wanted to drive home with. So if you wanted a 797 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, you’d see $7,970 off MSRP. For Dodge muscle cars, this program is great, and even better now with the inclusion of the mighty Durango SUV. For the 2019 program, the Durango was left out.
By going to either an FCA brand website or that of a participating dealer, customers can begin the purchase of a car off a lot, conduct a vehicle trade-in, apply for credit, receive price and payment estimates and review service protection plan options. FCA will connect you with the dealership to finalize the sale, where you can then discuss having the car delivered to your home.
The initiative launches with its own 30-second and 15-second ad spots that feature OneRepublic’s all-new song “Better Days”, which addresses the situation we are all finding ourselves in. There are also 15-second ads specific to each brand that will run on their respective social media platforms.
The “Drive Forward” initiative is more than just a financing offer however, as FCA steps up their efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic here in the United States. Last month the company announced that it is in the process of converting their first plant to produce 1 million face masks per month for healthcare workers and first responders, free of charge. Additionally, they have now pledged to provide 1 million meals to school children across North America, as well as their support for a range of technical, logistical, and manufacturing programs needed to fight the virus.
If you’ve been thinking about getting yourself a new car from FCA, the “Drive Forward” initiative might be too good to pass up. Here’s to hoping there are better days ahead.
