Speculation refuses to die down about a potential merger of Nissan and Chrysler, and announcements such as plans to collaborate on small cars and full-size pickups only adds fuel to the flames.
Nissan already signed an agreement with Chrysler to build a version of its Versa subcompact for Chrysler to sell in South America starting next year. That arrangement has been expanded to include a new small car of Chrysler design for the Detroit carmaker to sell in North America, Europe, and other global markets beginning in 2010. The car would be built by Nissan at its Oppama plant in Japan.
Currently, Chrysler’s smallest car is the C-segment Dodge Caliber. But with high gasoline prices, the popularity of B-sized cars has grown, as has the number of entries. Besides the Versa, competitors include the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris. Even smaller is the Smart Fortwo.
In return, Chrysler will give Nissan a version of its Dodge Ram which will be the next-generation Nissan Titan. The Japanese automaker would design the truck, but its underpinnings would be all Ram for ease of assembly at a Chrysler plant. This helps Chrysler better utilize its manufacturing capacity. As high gasoline prices bite into full-size truck sales, Chrysler can add the Titan to the mix at its Saltillo, Mexico, plant and shift some Ram production from Mexico to its U.S. truck plants, including the St. Louis, Missouri, facility.
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| Ram car front side |
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| Ram car in dark |
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| Ram car seen |
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| Ram car jerk |
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| Ram car grip |
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