Sterling Heights Blog

Lauren Woods asked:


DaimlerChrysler AG, the parent company of the Chrysler Group, is already talking with several interested firms to sell the troubled American car company. Auctioning the third largest U.S. car manufacturer has surfaced after several losses on the part of Chrysler. The company has already announced earlier this year that they will be cutting down jobs, close plants, reduce shifts.

Recently though, the company announced that they will be building two new plants in the United States. But in spite of the new plants, the company has also announced that they will be cutting down jobs. It has been announced that approximately 1,400 jobs would be shaved as a result of the upgrading of Chrysler’s two assembly plants.

The company announced that they will be investing $1.78 billion in the modernization of their assembly plants. One of the two new plants will be put up at Marysville which is near Port Huron where they will allocate $700 million. The second facility also to be built in Michigan will be located at Trenton. The upcoming Trenton plant will have a budget of $730 million and this would be the plant where Chrysler plans to manufacture the next generation of Chrysler V6 engines.

Aside from the two new plants, Chrysler also announced that they will be investing $300 million in a new paint shop at their existing Sterling Heights facility. The said facility is currently tasked with the assembly of the Chrysler Sebring and the Dodge Avenger. A $50 million investment will also be allocated for the upgrading of the company’s stamping plant located in Warren. The Warren facility is where the Chrysler Group builds the Dodge Ram and Dakota pickup trucks. These vehicles are of course designed to be compatible with their performance parts such as the Chrysler cold air intake systems.

The new Marysville plant will be tasked to produce Chrysler axles and will replace the current Detroit Axle plant. While the present axle plant employs about 1,600 persons, the new facility will only hire approximately 900 workers. The reduction of the workforce is the result of advanced assembly technology which eliminates some human involvement in the assembly process. And this would be the same with the new axle plant - the new engine plant will also hire fewer workers as compared to the existing engine plant. From the existing 1,600 employees of the engine plant, that number will be reduce to only 485 at the new engine plant.

Because of the modernization of the plants and the number of employees expected to accept the buyouts that are going to be offered, the total workforce reduction is estimated to be at 1,465 jobs. It can be remembered that Chrysler already announced that they will be cutting down 13,000 jobs as a part of its restructuring plans.

As far as labor unions are concerned, the UAW members at the Detroit axle plant voted for new work rules at the new plants. The Trenton UAW workers have already agreed on the new work rules for the upcoming new engine plant. Chrysler stated that the new work rules will be beneficial to both parties. Under the work rules, Chrysler employees will be allowed to work in teams and do multiple jobs.

The announcement came in the middle of talks about DaimlerChrysler auctioning off its U.S. operations. In response to issues concerning the auctioning of Chrysler, CEO Tom LaSorda has this to say: “The business has a responsibility to keep running.” He also added that they are “not going to let up”. The new plants will be producing fuel efficient cars as the demand for fuel misers increases. It is also a part of Chrysler’s plan to invest $5.8 billion to $6 billion annually in their operations.



BERTE

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


The Chrysler Group earlier announced the launch of the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible, which will be built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in Michigan. The new convertible will be manufactured alongside the Chrysler Sebring Sedan and the 2008 Dodge Avenger which were launched earlier this year.

The SHAP employs the Chrysler Group’s expanding Flexible Manufacturing Strategy (FMS). FMS allows the automaker to bring its new product lines to market more quickly and the SHAP to manufacture multiple vehicles on a sole assembly line.

“We are seeing a great deal of success at the Sterling Heights facility due to the commitment of our plant employees,” said Frank Ewasyshyn, the Executive Vice President for Manufacturing. “Their willingness to support and foster a small-team workplace model has delivered a successful third-vehicle launch.”

The SHAP and the Sterling Stamping Plant were broadly retooled in the previous year to manage the complexity of building multiple models on one production line. The Sebring Convertible program is part of the $500 million investment which covered multiple plant upgrades to enhance quality, productivity and worker ergonomics. To overhaul the body shop and improve the paint shop and assembly areas, including new tooling and about 620 new welding and material-handling robots, the automaker invested $278 million at SHAP.

“With our Flexible Manufacturing Strategy, the assembly operation now has the capability to build multiple upper bodies and multiple vehicle families, allowing the flexibility to add new models or “cross-load” models from other plants in order to better meet market dynamics,” said Robert Bowers, the Plant Manager at SHAP. “In addition, the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant can weld and assemble more than one product on the same line. These new capabilities will support the Company’s pursuit of product leadership by providing flexibility and increase distinction between the Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge brands,” said Bowers.

Since the roll-out of Chrysler Group’s Flexible Manufacturing Strategy in 2000, it has been the template for Chrysler plant refinement. SHAP and Sterling Stamping along with Belvidere Assembly Plant are the pioneers of this strategy allowing the company to bring the right products to the market at the right time. At present, the SHAP is able to vary the production mix between three product models and pilot or test build a fourth.

The FMS allows the automaker to produce a higher quality product faster like how General Motors integrates the Saturn splash shield to its product lines. To balance production with demand, the FMS approach allows Chrysler to proficiently build lower-volume product lines that take advantage of market niche, and to swiftly shift production volumes between various models within a single or among multiple plants.

The FMS is being implemented product by product and plant by plant across the Chrysler Group. Their new investment is introducing state-of-the-art technology to the company’s plants to produce more than one vehicle on a production line and carry out rolling launches of new models. Also, the automaker’s workforce is becoming more flexible with the implementation of team concepts and an increased emphasis on supporting assembly line operators.

In regards with robotics, the core of the new manufacturing process is a body shop comprised of 620 new robots instead of the vehicle-specific heavy tooling that was previously used, for a total of 784 robots in the Body Shop. The Smart Manufacturing feature of the plant will increase the flexibility of the SHAP workforce, while fostering greater creativity and innovation from plant employees.

The 2008 Sebring Convertible builds on the successful formula of the award-winning Chrysler 300. The formula combines elegance, sophistication, safety, reliability, superb fuel-efficiency, and jaw-dropping performances all at an affordable price.



COCCIA

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


Amid pressure, automakers have chosen to back a less onerous compromise bill than the Senate proposal. Michigan Sen. Carl Levin earlier released the language of his 46-page bill to raise fuel economy mandates. Meanwhile, automakers are preparing to mount a grassroots effort to support Levin’s proposal.

Today, General Motors Corp.’s vice president of sales, Mark LaNeve, will be on Capitol Hill to meet with its dealers. The Ford Motor Co. is sending its president of the Americas Mark Fields. On the other hand, the Chrysler Group will gather 14 plant executives including managers from Warren and Sterling Heights.

The compromise fuel proposal drafted by Sens. Levin, Mark Pryor D-Ark. and Kit Bond, R-Mo. is to raise fuel efficiency standards to a minimum of 36 miles per gallon for passenger cars by 2025 and 30 mpg for light trucks by 2022. At present, automakers must achieve 27.5 mpg for passenger cars and 22 mpg for light trucks.

Levin’s proposal also would set temporary mandates that automakers must comply with soon after 2011. The bill would also vest the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the power to go beyond those criteria if it found that a higher requirement was ‘feasible.’ By contrast, the Senate energy bill would require automakers to meet a combined car and truck average of 35 mpg by 2020, followed by four percent increases each year.

Detroit automakers and the Toyota Motor Corp. have endorsed the less stringent compromise proposal after years of fighting higher standards. “It’s is better than the current ‘Burn the village to save it’ approach the Senate bill has,” said a Detroit auto executive.

On Thursday night, Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda sent a letter to employees urging them to get in touch with lawmakers and air their support for Levin’s proposal. “While it will be a stretch to meet the CAFE goals of the Levin-Bond Amendment, the impact of the proposed energy bill without the amendment would cripple our business. For the first five years alone, it’s estimated to add up to a staggering $6,700, almost a 40 percent increase, to the cost of every Chrysler vehicle,” LaSorda wrote.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group that represents Detroit’s Big Three and Toyota, will begin an ad campaign this weekend asking Americans to support the compromise bill. “Tell your U.S. Senator to support the Pryor-Bond-Levin Amendment. It requires real, attainable oil savings through clean renewable fuels and advanced technology,” the radio ad said.

On Friday, the alliance announced it had hired as a consultant former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent. Talent said that the bill would require automakers “to take these trucks off the market, people shouldn’t kid themselves.” Gloria Bergquist, an alliance spokeswoman, called the Senate energy bill a “wildy extreme CAFE requirement that simply can’t be met. Chrysler’s Colin McBean said that the company supports the Levin effort, even though it figures the company will have to spend $11.2 billion over five years to comply.

The heated debate between parties is expected to intensify - not even the efficient EBC pads could put it to a halt. Senators in favor of a higher fuel economy standard argue that automakers have the technology to meet the higher standards. Sen. Bond stressed that the bill gave automakers no way of avoiding raising fuel economy standards. “We’re setting a standard that we expect to be met. And we don’t want people playing around with, ‘Well, we can get out of it this way, we can get out of it that way,’” Bond said. “We’re saying, you know, you got to meet them. End of story. No off ramp; just get the job done.”



FAUX

Lauren Woods asked:


The Chrysler Group broke ground today at the future site of the Marysville Axle Plant in Michigan. The automaker’s executives were joined by United Auto Workers (UAW) officials as well as state and local dignitaries to celebrate the $700 million-worth investment in the territory. The new facility will promote the new common axle program of the automaker which is designed to boost overall fuel economy.

The new plant is a semaphore that the ailing automaker, previously owned by Germany’s DaimlerChrysler AG is taking its turnaround plan seriously to yield the cooling breeze of cold air intake to finally enjoy positive results. The turnaround plan of the American automaker seeks to return the company to profitability by next year. The axle plant is part of the Company’s “Powertrain Offensive,” the company’s $3 billion investment to produce more fuel- efficient engines, transmissions and axles which will be used by Chrysler Group’s product lines.

“The Marysville Axle Plant and other powertrain investments show Chrysler Group’s commitment to improving the fuel economy of all of our vehicles,” said Frank Ewasyshyn, the Chrysler Group Executive Vice President for Manufacturing. “We are proud to play a positive role in the economy of the State of Michigan, as well as in the City of Marysville.”

Chrysler spokesman David Elshoff said that the groundbreaking ceremonies show that Cerberus is committed to Chrysler’s restructuring plan, which involves cutting 13,000 jobs but also investments in its facilities. “We said last week that Cerberus was committed to the Chrysler Group’s recovery and transformation plan, that the recovery and transformation plan represents our map, or our pathway moving forward,” he said.

Elshoff would not say where the other plant investments would be made but said announcements would be made in the coming weeks.

“The investment in Marysville is a great start for the new Chrysler Corporation,” said General Holiefield, the UAW Vice President, who directs the union’s DaimlerChrysler Department. “It shows that when we work together, we can preserve good-paying manufacturing jobs in the United States.”

The Marysville Axle Plant construction will begin this summer. The new facility will employ 900 people when it reaches full volume in 2010. Each year, the facility is expected to produce 1.2 million axles.

“We came together as several separate entities to formulate the requirements necessary to attract Chrysler Group to a project site for their new axle plant,” said Gary Orr, the Mayor of Marysville, Mich. “For that we are so very grateful. As a City Council, we are excited and as Mayor of record I am extremely proud, as an administrative team, we stand ready to support the successful future of this great automotive giant.”

The Marysville Axle Plant investment will include engineering and development costs. Since 2003, Chrysler has invested $4.4 billion in its Southeast Michigan manufacturing operations. The Detroit Axle plant makes front- and rear-drive axles for many Chrysler truck products as well as trailing axles for Dodge and Chrysler minivans. It also manufactures powertrain components for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and the Dodge Charger cars, according to the company’s Web site.

The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker is eager to show that the company’s new owners are investing in the business as set. Aside from the Marysville Axle Plant, the automaker also plans the construction of a new engine plant in Trenton, which will produce the new generation Chrysler V-6 engine. The Trenton plant will employ 485 workers, the company said. The two plants are part of the $3 billion budget the company will spend this year on factories.

The new axle plant will replace the Detroit Axle plant, which was built in 1917 and now employs more than 1,600, and the engine plant will replace the current engine plant in Trenton which also employs about 1,600 people. The announcements were made by Daimler which last week said it would sell Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus in a $7.4 billion deal that is anticipated to close in the third quarter.

Chrysler said that in April that it would spend $1.78 billion on transmission and engine facilities, including the Marysville and Trenton plants as well as a new $300 million paint shop at its assembly plant in Sterling Heights and a $50 million in investment in its Warren stamping and assembly complex.



BRUTUS

Lisa Ziegler asked:


In Harrison Township, Ohio: Two vehicles, a Jeep Cherokee and a van crashed into each other, trapping the van driver inside. The accident happened late Monday night at about 10:35 pm.

According to investigation, the accident may have been caused by one of the vehicles while pulling out of a Speedway gas station near North Main and Needmore Road, Harrison Twp. The driver of the van is in critical condition and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital.

On the other hand, the driver and passenger of the Jeep Cherokee were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital were they are to be treated for the minor injuries they have suffered. The two northbound lanes in front of the Speedway were blocked for the time being as investigation continues.

Another accident involving a Jeep Cherokee happens in New Orleans where a body of a Metairie man who was said to be fleeing a hit and run wreck was found inside a submerged Jeep Cherokee in the Soniat Canal early Sunday. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Office divers were the ones who pulled the body out of the sunken vehicle. According to Col. John Furtunato, Sheriff’s Office spokesman, the man was 30 years of age. The official however, refrained from revealing the victim’s name since they have to notify the relatives first.

According to witnesses they have been following the Jeep Cherokee with a Chevrolet Monte Carlo heading eastbound on Airline Drive at North Elm Street and about half a mile away the Jeep crashed through a barricade before finally falling into the canal at North Lester. The man was pronounced dead at 4:42 am. No other injuries were reported in the accident.

More news on the Jeep Cherokee but this time it’s not a car accident but a carnapping incident involving a stolen Jeep Cherokee that happened in Warren, Michigan. According to police operatives the stolen Jeep headed to the BP Gas Station at Ten Mile and Mound Roads where the carnapper stole a windshield washer fluid.

Further reports said that while the Jeep was fleeing from the police, the car thief crashed into a police cruiser near Mound and Eight Mile Roads. Police said that the same guy was responsible for stealing solvent from a Mobile Gas Station on Schoennherr in Sterling Heights Monday morning. The car thief is still at large; operatives are asking the public to call them for any lead.

The week was loaded with accidents involving Jeep Cherokee. These accidents however, were not caused by faulty Jeep parts like damaged Jeep alternator not even an error in wiring, etc. — obviously, it’s nothing of that sort.



HUARD

Glady Reign asked:


Dieter Zetsche, the DaimlerChrysler chairman, was once called the merger champion. He shocked the auto industry last Wednesday when he declined to rule out selling Chrysler, the Auburn Hills-based unit. On that day, Zetsche announced 13,000 job cuts, including about 5,300 in Michigan. This situation poses a huge question about Chrysler’s future. Is Daimler about to let go of Chrysler?

“Our thinking does not exclude any options. This means all options are on the table,” Zetsche told reporters when asked about the possible selling of Chrysler. German media appeared delighted at the statement.

DaimlerChrysler shares increased by $5.33 or 8.3 percent to a total of $69.78. No further details could be given said Zetsche who spent five years running the Chrysler Group before becoming DaimlerChrysler’s chief last year. In July, during the launch of his “Dr. Z” ads Zetsche said that the two companies should not have merged in 1998. “The merger is not an issue going forward anymore,” he added.

In 2006, Chrysler reported profits and gaining a larger slice in the American market share. However, the company has to deal with growing inventories and a slump in vehicle demand. Along with the announcement of its restructure plan last Wednesday, the company also posted an operating loss amounting to $1.5 billion for 2006.

The turnaround plan, which was previously called Project X, is expected to alleviate Chrysler’s ailing standing in the industry. It is supposed to allow the company to profit by the year 2008. Daimler’s executives expect for a $4.5-billion improvement by 2009 to an operating profit of $3 billion. The said turnaround plan will cut the company’s workforce by 16 percent including 11,000 hourly jobs and 2,000 salaried jobs. The cut in workforce will significantly affect metro Detroit.

Canada operations of the automaker will be slashing 2,000 jobs. However, special retirement programs and termination or buyout packages will only be offered to selected areas of Chrysler. The across-the-board packages offered by General Motors Corp. and the Ford Motor Co. in their respective restructuring plans will not be offered by Chrysler. “Hourly workers should learn the details within three or four weeks and salaried workers in the next business quarter,” the company said.

The Warren Truck Plant, the Chrysler plant that produces Dodge Ram pickups, will lose a shift and about 1,000 workers. An assembly plant in Delaware will lose a shift and will be idled in 2009. A Cleveland parts distribution center will be closed this December. In addition, a shift will also be reduced at the St. Louis South Assembly plant. Chrysler said it hopes to reduce production capacity by 400,000.

Even before Wednesday, the tension is building up in Chrysler plants. “Something had to be done, obviously,” said Matt Davidson, 49, of Clinton Township. He works at the Warren Truck facility. “All in all, we knew it had to happen. It wasn’t a surprise.” Carmen Walker, 39, of Sterling Heights, a first-shift floater on the assembly line at Warren Truck, said people cried when they were told. “It’s sad ’cause it’s all they know.” Many automotive workers are on almost on the same plight. Those working on Volvo S60 parts could be on the same footing as those working on Dodge Ram auto parts.

The company also said it wants to reduce material costs by $1.5 billion over three years and explore the sale of support operations. The restructuring plan is expected to cost the company $1.3 billion. Reduced production, on the other hand, is expected to cost about $300 million.

But Ron Harbour of Harbour Consulting said Zetsche’s comments does not necessarily mean Chrysler is for sale. “He has a duty to not only the board but all of the shareholders to make sure that as they make strategic decisions, that they’ve exhausted all options,” he said. “Don’t jump to the conclusion that… Chrysler is going to be sold.”



BEHRENS

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


The Chrysler Group recently announced that the production of the new 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible has started at the company’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. The Sebring Convertible will be manufactured alongside the Sebring Sedan and the 2008 Dodge Avenger.

The said production facility is equipped with the Chrysler Group’s Flexible Manufacturing Strategy. This production technique allows Chrysler to manufacture different auto models in a single assembly line. This strategy is now being used by other Chrysler assembly plants to help the company streamline their production process.

“We are seeing a great deal of success at the Sterling Heights facility due to the commitment of our plant employees,” says Chrysler Group Executive Vice President for Manufacturing Frank Ewasyshyn. “Their willingness to support and foster a small-team workplace model has delivered a successful third-vehicle launch,” he added.

Last year, Chrysler retooled the Sterling Heights Stamping plant to make it possible for the assembly facility to manufacture different auto models. The process, of course, is complex since different car models have different components size. Even EBC Greenstuff brake pads are manufactured in a different assembly line apart from other brake system components. To make flexible manufacturing a reality, Chrysler earmarked $500 million for the retooling of the said assembly facility.

The American car manufacturer also increased the quality of their vehicles by allocating funds towards the upgrading of their machineries. Aside from those upgrades, Chrysler also allocated $278 million for overhauling the body shop at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. The paint shop and assembly areas of the manufacturing facility were also improved. Welding and material-handling robots are also added to the plant as part of the upgrades.

“With our Flexible Manufacturing Strategy, the assembly operation now has the capability to build multiple upper bodies and multiple vehicle families, allowing the flexibility to add new models or “cross-load” models from other plants in order to better meet market dynamics,” says Robert Bowers, the Plant Manager of the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant.

Apart from the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Chrysler also upgraded the Belvidere Assembly Plant to have the same capability as the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. These manufacturing facilities will be the templates of other Chrysler assembly facility as the car manufacture plans to use the Flexible Manufacturing Strategy in its assembly facilities.

“In addition, the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant can weld and assemble more than one product on the same line. These new capabilities will support the Company’s pursuit of product leadership by providing flexibility and increase distinction between the Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge brands,” says Bowers.

The FMS used by the Chrysler Group is a way for the company to produce more vehicles in less time and at a lower cost. This will enable the company to focus on speedily reacting to the demand of car buyers. The ability to produce different auto models in a single assembly line will also help the company save on energy consumption. The company is now taking steps to make their assembly plants capable of producing more than one auto model in an assembly line. This ability to make different car models in one assembly line is made possible by the 620 new robots that Chrysler has equipped the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant with.



BORAN

Lisa Ziegler asked:


If there’s one thing that Chrysler— maker of Jeep vehicles and Jeep auto parts such as Jeep fuel pump— can boast of is its ability to produce a hit vehicle in times when everybody thought that all hopes are gone for the automaker.

There could never be a much perfect timing for the creation of the Chrysler 300 sedan. The production of the 300 sedan was a timely stroke of brilliance in Auburn Hills. It should be noted that in more years than anyone can remember the PT Cruiser, classic Jeep Grand Cherokee together with the range of innovative new minivans have saved Chrysler from near bankruptcy.

The only question now is: Does Chrysler has enough resources left to create another product-led comeback? The current cutting measures that the automaker is employing such as cutting jobs and stabilizing health care cost although it helps but is not enough to save the automaker from a possible buyout. It is also not a secret that DaimlerChrysler AG is looking for potential buyers for the Chrysler AG and if Chrysler will not exert effort to prove its worth to Daimler then it will have to find a new home.

Chrysler is not at all a bad company, as a fact, last year it was able to introduce a record of 10 vehicles of which there were no unqualified hits except for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited which is only a small part of the whole equation. And for this year, Chrysler will once again launch eight more new models. Not bad for a company that is on the brink of being torn to pieces.

Steve Bartoli, Chrysler’s Vice-President for global product planning said, “We just have to be competitive,” and further stated that the coming of new vehicles will help in paying dividends quickly. “It’s been a mixed mesh of new vehicles. And fortunately there haven’t been any disasters.”

Most analysts’ thinks that Chrysler needs to develop an emotional connection with its buyers. And at present Chrysler still designs and produces polarizing vehicles. As a fact, a great number of its newest models like the boxy and aggressive Dodge Nitro provide a distinctive look and one-of-a-kind features for its respective segment. According to Jim Sanfilippo, an automotive marketing expert with Team Detroit that handles advertising for several brands, “You don’t get 300s every year. They’re going to do OK. Chrysler has a lot of solid doubles and all of them four-cylinder engines, which is going to be important when gas prices start to climb again.”

Chrysler and its Minivans

And what about the Minivans will they be able to help Chrysler? One of the most important vehicle launches that Chrysler has for 2007 is in the segment it invented way back in the year 1983 which is the minivan. Starting from the time that Chrysler has introduced the minivans in the market it has been able to sell at least 11 million family haulers. “If Chrysler has a home run, it’s their new minivan,” said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN, an automotive consulting company in Grand Rapids.

The fifth generation 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan and top-selling Dodge Caravan which will hit dealerships this fall should be able to boost the lagging sales of Chrysler, according to Merkle. He also added, “The competition doesn’t have the ability to build more minivans. And Chrysler is introducing an excellent product.”

Despite the fact that Chrysler owns 28 percent of the segment, the sales for the Town and Country minivans still dropped by 12 percent last year while the Caravan sales decline by 6.9 percent that is according to Autodata. Fortunately for Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are now abandoning minivans which make Chrysler as the strongest producer in this segment and will be competing only against Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.—holding No.2 and No.3 spots respectively.

Chrysler and its Sedan

Although Chrysler may not be as lucky in the midsize sedan segment with its two introductions—the all new Dodge Avenger and the redesigned Sebring— but both of these vehicles possess distinctive designs and economical advantage since both were built on the same platform in Sterling Heights. The Avenger was given an aggressive and meaner look while the Sebring was given a face that is made for rental car fleet.

The Sebring sedan is scheduled to hit showrooms in December but sales remain sluggish which Bartoli blames to an end-of-year launch. The Sebring sedan with its short deck and snubbed nose makes it an ugly duckling in the range but wait till you see the convertible version of the sedan which is scheduled to come out later this year. The dropping of the top and the removal of the two doors makes the convertible Sebring sedan a standout.

The Avenger on the other hand is already available in dealerships and offers an attractive alternative to a segment that is filled with hot-selling bland vehicles. It resembles a small Charger and its unique features, strong styling, and good gas mileage is expected to attract new customers.

Dodge which is a brand that appeals to more men than women has a car on its hands that could pull more drivers who are looking for vehicles that have a sporty look and utility that is similar to that of the sedan.

The Dodge Caliber which has given Chrysler with a moderate success has continued the tradition of the automaker when it comes to offering a distinct alternative to the traditional competitors. Although the interior may seem simple but it comes with clever features such as a cooler in the glove box and a detachable cabin light. More than 90,000 units of Dodge Caliber were sold since its launching last year. Also a 300 horsepower high performance SRT version of the Caliber is scheduled for release later this year.



MCELVAIN

Gertrude asked:


Amidst the controversies not to mention the billion dollar losses that DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group is facing it still plans to build two new plants in Michigan and upgrade three others.

The said plan is to be formally announced late Wednesday morning includes a new $700 million axle plant in Marysville, Michigan, and a new $730 million plant in Trenton Michigan where the next generation Chrysler V6 engine are to be produced according to company spokesman Mike Aberlich.

Chrysler AG also plans to build a new $300 million paint shop at Sterling Heights Michigan plant where it manufactures the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger. The company likewise plans to invest $50 million in its Warren, Michigan, stamping and assembly complex which now builds the Dodge Ram and Dakota pickup trucks. The company also added that a new version of the Ram is coming out in 2008.

The new axle plant will replace the Detroit axle plant which was built way back in 1917 and now employs more than 1,600 workers. The official announcement of the plants was to be made Wednesday by Chrysler, United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.

The members of the United Auto Workers Local 961 at the Detroit Axle plant have been voting on new work rules which the company says are very important in building the plant, enabling employees to work in teams and to accomplish multiple jobs. The said rules are similar to those approved by the union before Chrysler built its new four-cylinder engine plant.

The Detroit Axle plant specializes in making front-and-rear-drive axles for many of Chrysler Group truck products including some of its diesel performance parts. The plant also makes the trailing axles for Dodge and Chrysler minivans and creates their respective diesel performance part components as well. It is in the Detroit Axle plant that powertrain components for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger cars are built.

The announcement of the new plants come as Chrysler’s German parent talks with potential buyers for its US operations. According to Chrysler officials they have to modernize their facilities in order to become more competitive. The new axle plant will come complete with robotics technology and will enable the company to do the same work with fewer employees.

The new investments will help Chrysler to roll out products with much improved fuel efficiency and performance said LaSorda. The improvements of the plants are also part of the company’s commitment to invest $5.8 billion to $6 billion per year in its operations, LaSorda further added.



KINDLE

Evander Klum asked:


The Chrysler Group has started construction of its new $700 million axle plant in the north of Detroit, as its officials spearheaded the ground breaking ceremony that was held last Monday.

The company also said that it will inform the press on the more plant investments in the coming weeks. This, according to Chrysler officials, is part of the $3 billion that will be used this year to spend for factories that make engines, axles, transmissions and other power train parts.

The announcement of the building of a new plant in St. Clair Township, which is about 50 miles northeast of Detroit, and a new engine plant in the Detroit edge of Trenton was done last April.

DaimlerChrysler AG, the German company from where Chrysler’s came, made the announcements. The company said last week that for a $7.4 billion deal, it would sell Chrysler to private-equity firm Cerberus and the deal is expected to close sometime from July to September.

David Elshoff, the Chrysler spokesman, said that last Monday’s ground breaking ceremonies proved that Cerberus is committed to the restructuring plan of

Chrysler. The plan involves cutting 13,000 jobs but more investments in its facilities.

He further said that their company’s recovery and transformation plan reflects their map of moving forward. In the coming week, the public will be informed of the company’s other plant investments.

Last month, Chrysler, which is also maker of quality Dodge Daytona parts, told the press that it will be spending $1.78 billion on transmission and engine facilities. This would include the St. Clair Township and Trenton plants, a $50 million investment in its Warren stamping and assembly complex, and a new $300 million paint shop at its assembly plant in Sterling Heights.

The Detroit axle plant that was built in 1917 and now employs more than 1,600 workers will be replaced with a new one. And the current engine plant in Trenton, that also employs as estimated 1,600 people will be replaced by the new one in the Detroit edge of Trenton.

The company stated that the new St. Clair Township plant will get about 900 workers, while the new engine plant would get about 485 workers. The company has a net job loss of about 1,465. This is because over 350 workers at the current Trenton and Detroit axle plants are expected to take buyouts or early retirement offers under the recovery and transformation plan.

Front- and rear-drive axles for many Chrysler truck products, trailing axles for Dodge and Chrysler mini-vans, and power train parts for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger cars are being manufactured in the Detroit axle plant.

The new -generation Chrysler V-6 engine will be manufactured in the Treton plant.

About Chrysler Group

Soon to be Chrysler Corporation LLC, the Chrysler Group is an independent an American automobile manufacturer that has been manufacturing vehicles since 1925.

DaimlerChrysler AG, the parent company of Chrysler, announced on May 14, 2007 the sale of 80.1 percent of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. an American equity firm. When the transaction is completed, Chrysler Corporation LLC will be the new name of Chrysler.

In 1998, after a deal known as “Merger of Equals”, Chrysler and its subsidiaries were part of the DaimlerChrysler AG that is based in Germany. The operations in the US are now referred to as the “Chrysler Group”.

“Mopar”, the name for its parts operation, is another popular term for the entire line up of Chrysler cars.



FORQUER