It seems that the hike in crude oil prices and the fact that the world is getting more and more eco-conscious has hit the automobile industry hard and if you happen to be a tad bit slow in adapting to the new ‘Green Line’ then it has hit you really hard. That is exactly the case with Chrysler this year around with nothing new and stunningly big hitting the company besides the unwanted losses. Sales are down 22% for the year due to a lineup that’s still heavy on trucks and SUVs, but there may be some help on the way as soon as 2009. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has hinted that a fuel efficient new vehicle(s) could debut next year, and platform sharing with other automakers would be behind the quick turn-around.
Nardelli says the Auburn Hills-based automaker has re-prioritized its capital in an effort to quickly get to market the fuel-efficient vehicles that the market demands. Debuting even a single vehicle that’s more fuel-efficient than anything else in the Chrysler lineup would likely have a big effect. In light of the fact that its brands offer some of the least fuel-efficient lineups in the industry, this would really help them catch up. With the world going the green way with an almost frantic urgency, Chrysler really are under pressure to change their ways before the firm bleeds further.
While Nardelli didn’t give any details as to which vehicle could arrive ahead of schedule, but speculation is that the Dodge Hornet is on the short list. The handsome Hornet will be based on the Nissan Versa small car platform, and was originally slated to arrive in Dodge guise in 2010. Chrysler is also rumored to be working on alliances with Tata, Fiat, and Chery, and each automaker has plenty of small, efficient vehicles at its disposal. This would be beneficial for Chrysler and hopefully we will see the Hornet around very soon.
Via: Autoblog
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