Autoblog

Ending speculation about what new products Chrysler will be rolling out in 2010 is none other than Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli. Now confirmed are redesigned full-size sedans in the form of a new Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 as well as a new Jeep. While none of these vehicles is likely to be particularly fuel efficient, the man behind the scenes at Chrysler also stressed that new fuel-saving models are on their way by means of the automaker's recent partnership with Nissan. We believe that the new vehicle will be a version of the Dodge Hornet concept that we've seen everywhere these last few years.

The redesigned 300 from Chrysler and the Charger from Dodge will be extremely important launches. We expect the square-jawed styling to be radically different since Ralph Gilles, who has promised more "organic" styling, is now head of design. Lastly, we're still a bit skeptical that Chrysler will be able to launch an electric car by 2010, we'd love to be proven wrong. A hybrid drivetrain for the Charger and 300, though, seems like a real possibility.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge Hornet concept

The Dodge Hornet was one of the best-looking concepts that Chrysler has produced the past few years, and thanks to a partnership with Nissan, the impressive-looking compact is inching closer to production. Chrysler and Nissan have yet to officially announce details of the upcoming Nissan Versa-based vehicle they'll develop together, other than to say that it'd be available as a 2010 model, but everyone is banking on a production Hornet. Chrysler vice president of international sales Thomas Hausch recently said that the Pentastar is working hard on a Hornet Study, and that Chrysler would "announce something" in the near future. The linked Automotive News article is further evidence that our suspicions were correct and that Nissan, rather than Chinese automaker Chery, will build it.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Dodge Hornet Concept

It's been so long since we've heard anything new regarding the Dodge Hornet concept from way back in 2006 that you could be forgiven for assuming it was dead on arrival. Not so, according to Thomas Hausch, ChryCo's veep for international purchasing, who says that the automaker is hard at work developing its Hornet model. Not that it's particularly shocking that Chrysler would be doing everything in its power to bring more small cars to market, considering that sales in that segment are so strong in the face of $4 per gallon gasoline.

It has long been assumed that the tie-up with Chinese automaker Chery would yield the first Chrysler compact, but remember that Chrysler recently made a deal with Nissan. In that arrangement, Nissan would get a version of the Dodge Ram in exchange for a Nissan-built small designed and developed by Chrysler. So perhaps the Hornet will actually come from Nissan. Whatever the case, the American automaker is in desperate need of a good compact vehicle as quickly as possible.


[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Inside Line is reporting that Chery will not be building the Dodge Hornet or Demon after all. They deducted this from a report in the Wall Street Journal published on Monday that quotes Simon Elliott, president and CEO of Chrysler Group China Sales Ltd. as saying that his company really wants to fill product holes in its lineup in China, but that it won't be working with Chery to do it. Inside Line takes that information and combines it with a quote from Chrysler's Design Chief Trevor Creed at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September when Creed said Chery's B-segment platform isn't appropriate for the Hornet.

So Elliott says Chery won't be building Chryslers for sale in China, and Creed says Chery's platform isn't right for the Hornet. To us, that doesn't exactly add up to no more Chrysler/Chery deal.

So we sent an email to Chrysler and heard back from David Elshoff at Chrysler's Business Operations Communications. His e-mail simply said, "Absurd." To get a little more detail, we called him up. Elshoff tells Autoblog that Chrysler and Chery are definitely still working together on building cars for export, but not for cars to be sold in China. He tells us that the Chery A1 platform is still targeted for use as a Chrysler vehicle to go on sale in Latin America by the end of 2008. Elshoff says the two companies are also still working on a version of the Hornet, for sale possibly by the end of 2009.

So there, straight from the source, Chrysler and Chery still buddies.

[Source: Wall Street Journal via Inside Line]

The Dodge Hornet is about to be officially a go. Dodge's Euro B-segment entrant will be produced with Chinese automaker Chery, and won't have a Chrysler-branded counterpart. The show car, from the 2006 Geneva show, had a supercharged 4-cylinder with 170 hp, and got to 60 in 6.7 seconds. Autocar believes the production version may bow as early as this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, though we think that's a bit optimistic.

The good thing is that the Hornet's impending production is part of Chrysler's 3-year, $3-billion product renewal program, which has been "confirmed" since Cerberus bought the company. Though it will likely debut at a European auto show, we have high hopes that Chrysler will bring its Chinese-built B-car to the U.S., as well.

[Source: Autocar]

Chery officials say the pause in their discussion with Chrysler was so the Chinese company could get a better idea of the American's future. Now that Cerberus has taken over, Chery sees the coming years filled with puppy dogs and lollipops.

And in their giddiness, someone at Chery leaked a few details of the project to Automotive News. Chery will build two cars for Chrysler, to be sold under the Chrysler brand. Chery is already building one of the two in China (possibly the A1?), but for Chrysler it will be shipped in kit form to South America where it will be assembled for that market.

The other Chery-built car will, in fact, be the Hornet, according to AN's anonymous sources. The car will be based on Dodge's show car, but engineering will be handled by Chery in China. Hornet production could begin as soon as 2010.

It's good to see these two playing nice again, even better to hear the Hornet may actually reach production.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

China Car Times says that Chinese Web site Autohome is reporting Dodge will re-badge Chery's A1 mini car for sale around the world. According to China Car Times, the A1 is a QQ3 renamed for export. The new name is supposedly intended to avoid any further confrontation with General Motors' lawyers over the whole QQ vs. Spark fight.

We can't find the original article on Autohome, and China Car Times cites no official sources. So this may well be nothing more than rumor at this time. But the A1 does appear to fit Dodge's minicar needs and is styled to compete with the Fit/Jazz, Versa, Matrix, Vibe, Soul and all those other B-cars and CUVs on the road and in development. It sure ain't the Hornet we were hoping for, though.

[Source: China Car Times, Autohome]

Update:TO SEE MORE PICS FROM AUTOBLOG CHINA.

Yes, we know, it wasn't that long ago we reported Chrysler Group President Tom LaSorda saying Chery would not build the Hornet show car, but rather supply one of its own models for sales as a Dodge-branded small car in the Chrysler Group's product portfolio. Now Autoweek is reporting that Chrysler is none too happy with Chery's weak efforts to improve the production quality of its own cars. So instead of having Chery supply one of its own models, Chrysler may go ahead on its own with development of the Hornet Concept. The Hornet would still be built by Chery in China, but Chrysler would help the Chinese automaker select suppliers for the production Hornet that meet a satisfactory quality standard.

A Chery spokesman would not confirm the Hornet's production, and a Chrysler spokesman said the deal is still in the early stages and final product has not yet been decided. Jason Vines, vice president for Chrysler Group Communications had this to say via email, "No comment. The Supervisory Board still has to approve the whole Chery deal."

For a quick timeline on this saga, follow the jump.

[Source: Autoweek via China Car Times]

So if you order everything necessary to produce transmissions, do you get free shipping? China's Chery may find out if negotiations to buy one of Chrysler's Indiana facilities lines are successful. Autoweek is reporting that Chrysler may sell Chery one of its Kokomo, Ind. automatic transmission-producing lines and send it all to China.

Autoweek's sources say Chery would use the 4-speed in Chrysler's China-built car. Chery, in its pursuit of international exports, would gain transmission-building technology, while Chrysler would use the extra cash to develop a dual-clutch assembly line.

According to Chrysler's Web site, their Kokomo plant produces several transmissions, but only four 4-speed automatics: the 40TE (used in PT Cruisers, Chrysler minivans, and last gen Sebring), the 41TE (PT Turbo, Pacifica, and last gen Sebring), the 40TES (2008 Avenger, 2007 Sebring), and the 41TES (2008 Avenger, 2007 Sebring). Which line from the plant is up for sale isn't known exactly.

[Source: Autoweek]

Despite early assumptions, it looks like the Dodge Hornet has been swatted down for now. The news comes out of a talk Chrysler's media-only Firehouse blog recently had with Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda.