Chrysler to leverage quality control over Chery

[Flybrian]

Keep Careful Watch of Chery
Chrysler will closely monitor quality of Chinese-built vehicles

By BRADFORD WERNLE | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/16/07, 10:51 am et

DETROIT -- To ensure that China-built vehicles with Chrysler brands meet global quality standards, Chrysler personnel will be on the scene early and often during manufacturing and development.

"We're very prepared to have a lot of people involved early in the process," Steven Landry, Chrysler's executive vice president for NAFTA sales, global marketing, service and parts, said Thursday, July 12, at a press event here.

"We'd like to play in all the volume segments," Landry said. "With Chery, we're going to be able to enter the B segment."

In designing its small car, Chrysler has not identified any competing target vehicle, Landry said. Competitors would include the Honda Fit and Chevrolet Aveo.

"Early production will go to Latin America, Mexico and possibly eastern Europe," he said. In those locations, safety requirements are less stringent, so Chrysler will have an opportunity to fix quality problems before China-built vehicles come to North America in 2009, Landry said. He emphasized that Chery vehicles will meet Chrysler's global quality standards.

In interviews, Chrysler group CEO Tom LaSorda has expressed satisfaction with the level of equipment and knowledge at Chery facilities. Chinese government regulators approved the Chrysler-Chery venture on July 3 in Beijing. Chery is based in the city of Wuhu in Anhui province.

Industry analysts have predicted the first vehicles to come from the venture will be branded as Dodges.

[Oracle of Delphi]

My question is, who's going to monitor Chrysler's quality? Hmmmmm?

[jessi_chan]

So they're going to use other countries as guinea-pigs...since they seem confident that there will be quality problems...

[LosAngeles]

So they're going to use other countries as guinea-pigs...since they seem confident that there will be quality problems...

Yeah, is in a way kinda foul.

"Pureed Mexicans and Croatians won't matter much."

That being said, this is a reason to wish for a lesser (or simply different) brand than Dodge to be back in the Mopar fold, like Plymouth or Hillman.

ETA: Unless this car will be the Hornet or something with similar Dodge butchness.

Edited July 18, 2007 by LosAngeles

[cire]

From what I assume from all the information I have seen so far, this subcompact vehicle will be a Chery A1 branded as a Dodge. Too bad. I realize Chrysler needs to find a partner to bring a subcompact car to market due to profit restraints. The fact that Chrysler is working with Chery doesn't particularly bother me as long as Chrysler is keeping an eye on quality and safety issues. What does bother me is the fact that this vehicle (Chery A1) will be branded as a Dodge. To me, Dodge is a sporty, yet affordable brand in the United States. The Chery A1 is affordable, but nothing about it says sporty. I feel this product will dilute Dodge's brand image. The Caliber, Avenger, etc. may have their shortcomings, but these cars do represent the Dodge design philosophy. The Chery A1 design just says "cheap Chinese import car". I think the distribution deal should have been that the Chery A1 (and any future products that Chery wishes to import to the U.S.) should be sold at Dodge dealers as a Chery. Dodge should work with Chery to develop its own subcompact car (preferably based on the Hornet Concept Car) with the proper sporty look that Dodge customers are accustomed to seeing at Dodge dealerships (and this does not mean slapping a Dodge grill on the front of a Chery A1). I understand the partnership arrangement (although I think Chrysler could have found a better partner than Chery); I just think the details of the arrangement could have been worked out better.

Edited July 19, 2007 by cire

[regfootball]

i guess the slaughter will arrive late in the US. the gypsy performance will occur in other countries. go grab some tin foil and crumple it in your hands and say to yourself "oh no, Mr. Bill.......!" for a sneak preview.

[CARBIZ]

It's hard to stop laughing long enough to type this. Chrysler has a great track record with its "partnerships." Let's see what venerable partnerships come to mind: Mitsubishi and the stellar line up of cars that they sold here in the '70s and '80s, all blockbuster sellers. Then there was the Renault alliance and their gorgeous, class leading designs. (In fact, I can't remember any as I write this.)

Even Mercedes coughed this hairball up. As much as I used to be such a huge fan of Chrysler, I think they need to put the paddles down and stop trying to revive the patient. Cerebrus, you guys goofed, man.

[regfootball]

what i dont get. chrysler + mitsu would be perfect to revive their match.

lancers sold as dodges and galants repackaged as dodges. co develop other cars except for the RWD platform.