Lancia's near future to be built on Chrysler platforms

�� · #1 27-12-2009, 12:20 AM

Another morsel to come out of Fiat's 2-year plan is the short term product plan for Lancia, a brand that the parent company has been accused of neglecting for quite a while. In addition to the usual refreshes and facelifts, the truly juicy bit is that Fiat plans 17 new vehicles over the next two years, and Chrysler platforms will provide the basis for four Lancias.

Next month's Detroit Auto Show is expected to host the first "new" Chrysler product: a rebadged Lancia Delta. An SUV is expected to follow sometime next year, then a midsize sedan and convertible, a luxury sedan, and a minivan in 2011. The real meat that we're still missing is how these vehicles will really be created. How much of the initiative will be badge engineering, and how much will be genuine, clean-sheet engineering.

Fiat wants Chrysler's global sales to more than double by 2014, to 2.8 million. If that number is accurate, that would mean Sergio Marchionne expects Chrysler to account for more than half of his targeted five million global sales for the entire Fiat Group by 2014 -- and that group just grew thanks to Fiat's swallowing up Zastava. Marchionne is said to be thinking about a successor because he "can't work 24/7 forever." With plans like these, we can't imagine he'll be sleeping or stepping aside any time soon.

[Source: Carscoop via GM Inside News]

Lancia's near future to be built on Chrysler platforms originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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