The Fiat- Chrysler alliance is looking to leverage its Russian partner, Sollers, to assemble as many as 150,000 Jeep vehicles in Russia, the automaker confirmed earlier this week at the New York International Auto Show.
The CEO of Fiat-Chrysler’s Jeep unit, Michael Manley, told Automotive News, “We’ve had a number of detailed conversations on it [the plan to build Jeeps in Russia].”
Fiat has already announced plans to build up to 500,000 vehicles in Russia due to a recently-expanded agreement with Sollers. Jeep, considered the most valuable of Chrysler’s American brands, is a natural fit for the rapidly-growing, SUV-focused Russian market.
The News reports that the partnership would initially begin with complete knock down (CKD) assembly of the company’s Wrangler, Cherokee and Liberty (sold overseas as Cherokee) vehicles before eventually becoming a full-service assembly line. Currently, Jeeps sold to the European market are built in Michigan, Ohio and by Magna-Steyr in Graz, Austria.
Jeep is set to begin assembling the North American-specification 2011 Grand Cherokee (pictured) in about a month. That vehicle, which was conspicuously absent at the New York show, would certainly spearhead an aggressive Jeep move into the opulence-oriented Russian market.
References
1.’Fiat-Chrysler in talks…’ view
