Off and On: Chrysler and Chery resumes discussion, Hornet confirmed

Chrysler and Chery have resumed discussions for a possible co-operation for building subcompact cars in China for the US. Chery stated that their hiatus in this deal was to get a better look on the Americans' future. Cerberus has taken over Chrysler and they're back in the talks.

According to Automotive News, an official at Chery leaked the word that Chery will build two cars for Chrysler. One model would be destined for low-end markets such as South America and sources say it could be the Chery A1. The other car is stated to be the Hornet, which will be based on the Hornet Concept. The Hornet will be both engineered and built in China as soon as 2010.

[Source: Autoblog]

Chery Shooting Sport Concept revealed ahead of Shanghai

Chery has released the first photos of the Shooting Sport Concept it will be unveiling later this week in Shanghai, and it's quite faithful to the sketches the automaker released earlier in the month. An attractive three-door with a particularly Prius-esque look up front, the Shooting Sport appears to be production-ready save for some of the more concept-like elements inside the passenger cabin. For example, the fancy gauges, abundant white leather, green trim, and yellow mood lighting would likely go in favor of more conventional-looking, less costly materials. That said, the basic shapes of the console and IP are not unorthodox and could likely carry over.

[Source: Autoblog]

Continued- Article, more images

Power 8-way seats, a normal-looking DVD navigation system, and a 60/40 split back seat are among the other features on the concept that would probably transfer to a future production car. Save for the "inspired by" Toyota face, the rest of the car looks like something that wouldn't be out of place with a European marque's badge on the hood, and that's no bad thing, aesthetically. We'll have more on the Shooting Sport, including, we assume, powertrain info, when the Shanghai Motor Show gets rolling.



http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/16/chery-shooting-sport-concept-revealed/

Chrysler and China's Chery agrees to collaborate on small cars

DaimlerChrysler's Supervisory Board today approved plans for a partnership with China's Chery Motor Company to develop affordable, small vehicles. The news follows the announcement of a preliminary agreement between the two companies in December.

Under the partnership, Chery-built vehicles will be distributed under Chrysler brands, primarily in North America and Western Europe.

Although the long-rumored Chery deal was expected to lead to a production version of the Dodge Hornet concept, Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda said in January the projects were not related.

"The Hornet is a great statement of our design," LaSorda said. "It is also a statement that it’s something that we’re going to continue to take a look at, and depending on the business case going, we’ll look at that independently from this particular project."

The new small vehicles will allow Chrysler Group brands to "compete in segments in which the brands do not currently compete, and which are especially important in price- and fuel-economy sensitive markets," the company said in a statement. "Some 67 percent of all vehicles sold outside of North America are in these segments. Chrysler Group's major competitors in the U.S. and Western Europe have similar arrangements with Asian manufacturers for vehicles in these segments."

[Source: LeftLaneNews]

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