It's obvious that Jeep is the most valuable nameplate Cerberus managed to snag when it took the ailing Chrysler Group off of Daimler's hands last year. No matter what happens to the Chrysler and Dodge brands, it is extremely unlikely that the Jeep brand would die, considering just how well-known and recognized the iconic name is around world. CNW Marketing Research studies indicate that the public-at-large would prefer to see all of the Pentastar's products wearing the revered Jeep badge.

It's not getting any easier to be a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer. Last month, when Chrysler Financial asked banks and investors to renew their $30 billion line of credit, they came up about $6 billion short. To make matters worse, the investors forced the automaker to follow much tighter financial guidelines (including a requirement to get out of leasing). Now, the cash shortfall is forcing the financial division to significantly turn up the heat on their retailers. Over the next few months, the financial arm will jack up dealer floorplan interest rates, and levy hefty fees for vehicles that sit unsold on dealer lots.

Chrysler has unveiled a few plans for the future and, rather than using past successes to carve the path, will adapt its course according to the changing market. While speaking at the recent Western Automotive Journalists' dinner, Chrysler President Jim Press touched on the need to generate brand identity amongst Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler. While each brand currently has a core theme, Jeep - off-road, Dodge - volume and performance, Chrysler - affordable luxury, there have been many recent deviations, such as the conglomeration that is the Jeep Compass. Press hopes to put an end to that trend and focus the company's aim at the automotive enthusiast. Toyota can keep the automotive appliance title, Press wants Chrysler to appeal to drivers rather than consumers.

click above to view more high-res pics of the 2008 Jeep Liberty

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Jeep Compass

We weren't really sure what direction Jeep was heading when it introduced the Compass in 2007. Built on a shared platform with the Dodge Caliber, the Compass goes against what we normally think a Jeep should be - rugged, tough, capable, and... well... square. The departure from classic Jeep styling hasn't received rave reviews, and the interior has been a source of complaints, as well. Does the Compass deserve the criticism it's been receiving? We aimed to find out and secured a 2008 4x2 Sport model for the Autoblog Garage.

A quick look at July sales figures shows that Chrysler saw a massive 34% drop in its Daily Sales Rate vs. July 2007, but the bottom line could have looked worse. Chrysler's recent announcement that its financing arm would exit the leasing business by July 31 had lead to a rush of customers visiting local Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships. Some dealers sold four times as many vehicles as usual for the last couple days of the month, giving the stores some relief from an otherwise bleak July. Now dealers are worried that the increased sales volume could lead to a still more bleak August, since many customers pulled forward their purchase decision.

Click above to enlarge the 2009 Jeep Compass and Patriot interior

Chrysler has taken a beating from both consumers and the media regarding the poor quality and materials inside the majority of its products, particularly the Jeep Patriot and Compass. Recognizing the problem, Chrysler made the announcement earlier this year that it would be seriously revamping both model's interiors in short order, and judging by these leaked images from the 2009 Mopar Accessory brochure, they weren't lying.

Chrysler is losing money by the truck-load, and its vehicles aren't selling, so common sense dictates that team Pentastar was going to start making cuts soon. That time is now, when Chrysler notified workers that it would be cutting 1,000 white collar workers. Chrysler spokesman David Elshoff told employees that the company would achieve its cut target through retirements, attrition, and buyouts, which means people won't be handed boxes and receive security escorts just yet. Chrysler management is making the cuts with the belief that the current economic situation here in the States isn't going to improve any time soon. A quick look at the Pentastar's car lineup shows the privately owned company would be in trouble even if the economy had a rosy outlook. No timetable was given for the white collar cutback.