Directory
Print
Email
ReprintsChrysler sees Fiat aiding gains in Canada, Mexico
Jason Stein
and Chrissie Thompson
Automotive News
November 4, 2009 - 5:24 pm ET
DETROIT -- Chrysler Group expects steady growth in Canada and Mexico over the next five years as the influence of Fiat S.p.A. helps produce cars that are better suited to consumers in those nations. Chrysler Canada President Reid Bigland forecasts annual sales to increase 32 percent from this year to 220,000 in 2014. He said that would mark a return to pre-recession levels. Bigland said the tendency for Canadian buyers to favor four-cylinder cars fits “perfectly with the Fiat and Chrysler product pipeline.” Separately, Joseph ChamaSrour, CEO of Chrysler de Mexico, predicted his unit's sales will rise 43 percent from this year to 118,000 units by 2014. “Our problem is cars,” ChamaSrour said. “We have a product lineup that is uncompetitive today, and what we really need is products that are more in line with the tastes and preferences of the Mexican market.” Leveraging the passenger-car expertise of Fiat, which now controls Chrysler, will help in Mexico, where passenger cars make up the largest segment, ChamaSrour said. |
You can reach Jason Stein at jstein@crain.com.
RSS Feed
|
