Report: Chrysler to Retain Sebring Name; Nassau Set Aside

Sources at Chrysler say the automaker will be keeping the Sebring name around, at least for the time being. This latest development arrives in contrast to a two-week-old report saying "Sebring" would be replaced with "Nassau. "

While Chrysler never confirmed or denied the name change, an inside source said the company's higher powers had second thoughts about using Nassau. Although the Auburn Hills. Michigan-based group is keen to restore credibility to the Sebring line, the costs associated with the name switch would have been more than nominal. Industry analysts peg the costs of marketing a new product with a new name to be $100 million higher than marketing a new product with a familiar badge.

Fans of the Nassau name need not fret. First revealed as a Chrysler concept car in 2007, Nassau has merely been set aside for the time being. The Sebring will be lightly restyled for 2011 before an all-new, Fiat-based replacement debuts later.

What do you think? Is keeping the Sebring name a good idea?

Source: The Detroit Bureau