Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Chrysler and Nissan Confirm Pick-Up & Compact Car Agreements

To put it simple, the two carmakers announced that the next generation Nissan Titan that’s expected in 2011 will based on the Dodge Ram (hopefully it will look nothing like our "chop") while in turn; Chrysler’s future sub-compact models will be made by Nissan.

This agreement comes a few months after Nissan agreed to supply Chrysler with a new car based on the Versa sedan for limited distribution in South America on an Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) basis in 2009.

The new deal between the two companies will see Nissan manufacturing an all-new, fuel-efficient compact car based on a unique Chrysler concept and design. This new segment entry for Chrysler will be sold in North America, Europe and other global markets in 2010, and manufactured at Nissan’s Oppama Plant in Japan.-Continued

On its behalf, Chrysler will build a full-size pickup for Nissan. According to the Japanese company, the truck will be based on a Nissan unique design and it will be manufactured at Chrysler’s Saltillo (Mexico) Assembly Plant. In order to accommodate this product, Chrysler will shift volume from Mexico to its U.S.-based assembly plants that produce pickup trucks. Sales of the pickup in North America are expected to start in 2011.

“Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler,” said Tom LaSorda, Chrysler LLC President and Vice Chairman. “It also builds on the Company’s inherent strengths, including the ability to respond rapidly and creatively to emerging opportunities.”

“In January, we said we would continue to look for additional OEM opportunities with Chrysler,” said Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Company. “This latest agreement builds on Nissan’s proven track record to deliver win-win product exchanges with multiple manufacturers around the world,” continued Tavares.

Picture: Carscoop