Chrysler to pick sub-compact partner by year end

Dodge Hornet Concept

DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler unit says it will name it’s sub-compact car partner by the end of the 2006. Chrysler is in talks with a few partners right now, but nothing is concrete yet. Chrysler CEO Eric Ridenour says to think of them as “semi-finalists”, but refused to reveal who it is talking to.

Chrysler wants to make a new sub-compact car to market globally, including in the United States. It needs a partner because it has not much expertise in making small cars, and there is a huge investment involved in designing, manufacturing and marketing a new car. Chrysler’s new sub-compact car could take on the styling cues of the 2006 Dodge Hornet Concept (picture above), shown at the 2006 Geneva Auto Show.

Previously, there were rumours that this partner would be Chery Automobile, a Chinese automotive manufacturer. Subcompacts account for 1% of the overall US market currently, but it is expected to double in amount in the year 2007, as gas prices continue to rise. Sub-compacts are known to have frugal fuel consumption.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • raptorclans (Member) on Jun 10, 2006 at 8:59 am

    i'm surprised that they want to choose chery over a japanese make… prcing concerns? ;p

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  • Joe Ooi (Member) on Jun 10, 2006 at 9:10 am

    Good choose Chery, Datok Camn Soh from Alado can import this model and let P1 assemble it as CKD, flooded our Bolehland with another low end budget car from Dragonland. "Cheap car, cheap life" for rakyat! Just like Sutera.

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  • motorhead (Member) on Jun 10, 2006 at 5:07 pm

    Choose Poton la.. Hornet mcm best je… suicide doors r cool….

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  • Tourist (Member) on Jun 10, 2006 at 8:00 pm

    This look like a Myvi on steroid.

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  • szw (Member) on Jun 10, 2006 at 9:44 pm

    by da looks of it , it won't land in dis soil !

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  • jtshin (Member) on Jun 11, 2006 at 1:07 am

    nice cool design there… but not for Malaysian marktet I think… it'll took 10 yrs for Malaysian to accept that kinda design… but it looks nice for me.. masculine…

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  • RCM (Member) on Jun 11, 2006 at 5:49 am

    Malaysian alwayz has high taste…Of course most of them like that design..The only problem is the high price…So they will settle with a "downgrade" model from P1,P2 or NAZA..

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