Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Chrysler-Kia alliance that never was]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/07/the-chrysler-kia-alliance-that-never-was/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/07/the-chrysler-kia-alliance-that-never-was/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/07/the-chrysler-kia-alliance-that-never-was/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Chrysler has been trying to shack up with another automaker for quite a while now, and the trail of relationships that never got off the ground reads like a middle school diary. While Chrysler's deal with Fiat has all but gotten 500s rolling out of plants on this continent, a deal with Kia had been worked pretty hard as a way to source a car, resulting in a term sheet for the relationship. Kia ultimately put the kibosh on the deal, citing manufacturing issues, a move that sent Tom LaSorda around the globe trying to play matchmaker for his employer.

A deal with Nissan to swap trucks for small cars was all but official, but fell apart after the financial climate worsened further, so it seems there will be no Ram-based Titan after all. Another joint deal was investigated, this time with GAZ and Magna, to build a car in Russia using excess GAZ capacity. Serious talks with General Motors even went on under the "Project America" moniker back in October. For all the efforts to get the Auburn Hills automaker betrothed, it finally seems like things are moving along with an assist from Fiat, and we should start to see the nuts and bolts of the deal come together now.

[Source: WSJ]

The Chrysler-Kia alliance that never was originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 May 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chryslerchrysler fiatchrysler kiachrysler llcchrysler nissan alli...chrysler nissan coll...chrysler nissan dealchrysler small carChryslerFiatChryslerKiaChryslerLlcChryslerNissanAlli...ChryslerNissanColl...ChryslerNissanDealChryslerSmallCarkia chryslerKiaChryslerThu, 07 May 2009 10:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Chrysler and Nissan consider sharing mid-size car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/07/chrysler-and-nissan-consider-sharing-mid-size-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/07/chrysler-and-nissan-consider-sharing-mid-size-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/07/chrysler-and-nissan-consider-sharing-mid-size-car/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Lending further credence to earlier rumors of platform sharing between Chrysler and Nissan, The Wall Street Journal reports that Chrysler is in talks to base its next mid-size sedan on the next-gen Altima platform. Chrysler's "Project D" focuses on finding or designing a suitable replacement for the current Sebring and Dodge Avenger, models which have fallen on their faces with consumers. Other rumors point to Fiat being the chosen platform-supplier. After all is said and done, Chrysler could have a line-up which consists of a small car from Chinese automaker Chery, another small car from Nissan, a mid-size sedan from Nissan and a line of full-size sedans, pickups and SUVs of its own design. While Chrysler's main goal is to become profitable once again, there is certainly some danger in becoming a re-brander of cars from other companies, especially in the hotly-contested mid-size sedan market.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Chrysler and Nissan consider sharing mid-size car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite the fact that the beleaguered automaker has not yet turned a profit since its unceremonious departure from Daimler to Cerberus, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli says that the company is still on track. "Through the first quarter we are still on plan relative to the pro forma and the targets we established for 2008, in spite of some of the economic winds that are hitting us," he says. In order to turn last year's $1.6 billion loss into positive cash flow, Chrysler will be relying heavily on joint-partnerships like the one it just announced with Nissan (but probably not Fiat) as well as with new and advanced engineering. Nardelli highlights interiors, upcoming technology integration and alternative powertrains as potential new incoming-generating features for their line of vehicles.

[Sources: Automotive News / The Detroit News]

Chrysler won't turn a profit in 2008, but still on track to achieve goals originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just got off the phone with Frédérique Le Grèves, Nissan's VP of Corporate Communications, and had a chance to ask her some more questions about the Japanese automaker's recently announced partnership with Chrysler LLC. The partnership involves Chrysler building a full-size truck for Nissan at its Saltillo, Mexico plant and Nissan building a small car for Chrysler at its Oppama plant in Japan. While Le Grèves wasn't able to offer many specific details because the car won't arrive until 2010 and the truck a year later in 2011, she did shed some light on a few things.

For one, when asked about what engines the next-gen Titan (we're not sure if Nissan will rename the truck) would use, Le Grèves remarked that partnering with Chrysler would allow Nissan to offer more options to its customers. Thus, the Titan may be powered by not only the company's venerable VK56 V8, but also a selection of engines from Chrysler. She indicated that the partnership would at least give Nissan the opportunity to expand the features, options and configurations it currently offers in the Titan. We also asked how unique the next-gen Titan's design would be compared to the Ram, and were assured it would be 100% recognizable as a Nissan. Based on that, we're expecting more differentiation that we got with Volkswagen's version of Chrysler's minivans, the Routan.

As for the small car, since most of the decisions involving its development will be made by Chrysler, there wasn't too much news from Nissan on it. Since all official commentary on the small car has not specified whether it will be front-wheel-drive or not, we asked if there were at least the possibility that it could be rear-wheel-drive. Being that the Oppama plant currently builds a number of front-wheel-drive vehicles like the Cube, March, Tiida/Versa and Note, one would expect Chrysler's small car to fall in line and be front-wheel-drive as well, but no one's been able to confirm this small point yet.

It appears that we all have to wait for each automaker to get further along on their development of these vehicles before we get any more solid details than this.

Thanks to Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com for setting up the interview!

Nissan talks more about next-gen Titan and small car for Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The potential partnership between Chrysler and Nissan on which we reported yesterday is officially a done deal, with Nissan agreeing to supply a version of the Versa for Chrysler to sell in South America. This is not, as we were all supposing, a deal that will have the automakers cooperating on any product for the North American market. The two companies, however, are still talking about other ways to buddy up, saying in their press release that they've "agreed to maintain an open dialogue to explore further product-sharing opportunities." It's been reported that Nissan is still interested in Chrysler's truck expertise and it's no secret that the smallest of Detroit's Big Three needs a small car to sell below the Caliber.

This deal, however, is strictly for the South American market. Chrysler is not unfamiliar with this practice of cross-company rebadging, as it sells Dodge-branded Hyundais in Mexico, for instance. So in the end, this partnership appears to be much ado about little. Dodge still has a gaping hole where a small car should be sold in the U.S. and Nissan, despite the advances of Carlos Ghosn towards every domestic U.S. automaker, remains stag.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler will sell version of Nissan Versa in South America

Chrysler will sell version of Nissan Versa in South America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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