Marchionne bumps head with designers

Chrysler designers will probably think twice the next time they consider borrowing an idea from a rival carmaker.

At the Detroit auto show this month, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne launched into a long discussion of why the Chrysler 200 sedan hadn't secured the admiration -- or the recommendation -- of Consumer Reports.

"The 200 failed because somebody thought that the rear-seat entry point inside the 200 -- which is our fault, by the way -- is not up to snuff," Marchionne said.

The problem: The slope of the roof crimps the entry portal.

Then the boss explained what went wrong. "The Hyundai which we copied [presumably the Sonata] has the same problem," Marchionne admitted. "We didn't copy the car, we copied the entry point to the rear seat. Dummies. I acknowledge it. Some people from design left some of their private parts on the table after we came up with that determination. But I think we're learning from this process."