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Fiat Chrysler announced that it will be investing in the company’s Michigan and Ohio plants.
STATES CHRONICLE — Fiat Chrysler has announced that it will be investing in the company’s Michigan and Ohio-based facilities.
Many rumors have been flying as to the auto industry future production plans. On Sunday, some were put to rest as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revealed its investment and production targets.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles or FCA is an Italian-controlled corporation. The multinational was formed back in 2014. It saw the merging of Fiat S.p.A. into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Fiat currently has two main subsidiaries.
One of them is the FCA US, previously known as Chrysler LLC. It is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Chrysler brand as well as the Jeep, Ram Trucks, and Dodge are amongst its most famous products.
On Sunday afternoon, Fiat Chrysler revealed its 2017 – 2020 plans. The manufacturer announced that it will be investing in its United States-based facilities. The targeted facilities are in Michigan and Ohio.
The announcement came at the North American International Auto Show. This later took place in Detroit.
FCA is planning to invest an approximated $1 billion. The value will mostly target the Toledo and Warren plans. These will be transformed so as to allow the manufacturing of new models.
More exactly, they will serve as a production line for a new Jeep model. The investment will also bring back an older model. The Wagoneer nameplate will be reintroduced.
Fiat Chrysler estimates 2020 as an investment finish date. By that time, it will have created about 2,000 new workplaces. FCA will reportedly have to reach tax incentive agreements with the local authorities.
The automaker also announced a new, potential plan. It could come to change its Warren Trucks heavy-duty pickups assembly location. Currently, these are produced in the company’s Mexico facility. In the future, the heavy-duty vehicles could come to be assembled in the U.S.-based Warren plant.
Fiat Chrysler released a few details about its investment plans. The corporation named them the second phase of a bigger plan. This latter would set out to shift current assembly locations. Future shifts and changes will target all of the FCA plants. Changes will be made to the United States, Mexico, and Canada-based facilities.
Sergio Marchionne, the FCA CEO, went to explain. According to him, the moves would expand company key segments. They have reportedly been long in the making.
The changes should help the manufacturer meets its United States growing demands. It should also help increase international market exports. These latter will target both mid-size and larger vehicles.
FCA announced its future product assembly line distribution. As such, the Warren plant will build Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer SUVs. The Toledo Assembly Complex south plant will build Jeep pickups.
Reports show that the Wagoneer was the first in a full-size Jeep series. The Wagoneer nameplate was used in between 1963 and 1983. It adorned all full-size wagons.
The new Wagoneer will be the Jeep premium nameplate, according to the said Marchionne. Last year, he stated that the Wagoneer has historically been a premium model.
A Wrangler pickup model has long since been expected. Such a model’s design has yet to be established. Over the years, Fiat Chrysler has released various concepts. The Jeep Gladiator and the Wrangler Red Rock Responder are amongst such concepts.
The Sunday announcement is on top of a previous investment. Last year, FCA announced that it will be moving and expanding various products. As such, its Toledo-produced Jeep Wrangler will be expanded.
The Jeep Cherokee will be moved to the Belvidere, III. plant. It will come to replace the Jeep Patriot and the Jeep Compass. This latter’s latest model will be produced in Toluca, Mexico.
More details regarding the Sunday announced investments are expected to emerge. On Monday, Sergio Marchionne was previously scheduled to hold a news conference during the aforementioned auto show.
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