Mitsubishi Motors, Chrysler Group Leverage Global Alliance to Bring All-New, Mid-Sized Pickup Trucks to North America
New Trucks to Share Technology and Assembly Line

Contact:
Michael Aberlich, Chrysler Group, 248-512-2704
Janis Little, Mitsubishi, 714-372-6429

Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 16, 2003 -The Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG and Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) announced today their plans to produce mid-sized pickup trucks at the Chrysler Group's Warren (Mich.) Truck Assembly Plant. While the two vehicles will share technology, they will be distinctly different in design to appeal to each brand's customers.

Production will begin later next year on the Dodge Dakota. Mitsubishi Motors, extending its growing product line in the United States and Canada, will re-enter the competitive pickup segment in the 2005 calendar year.

"This project marks another milestone in DaimlerChrysler's alliance strategy," said Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President - Product Development of the Chrysler Group. "Ultimately, this will allow us both to reduce development, production times and costs while adding to our respective portfolios with distinctly different, high-quality products."

"We are excited to expand our product offering with this new pickup, and at the same time, leverage our alliance with DaimlerChrysler to provide even greater value for our customers," said Finbarr O'Neill, Co-chairman and CEO of MMNA.

Each truck model will showcase a design signature reflective of the individual brand character. Mitsubishi Motors Design Studio in Cypress, Calif., and the Chrysler Design Studio in Auburn Hills, Mich., are each responsible for their unique models. Additional product, production and sales details will be announced later.

The project is one of many alliance projects between DaimlerChrysler AG and Mitsubishi Motors in the areas of research, development, procurement, production, marketing and sales.

Mitsubishi Motors has a rich heritage in the pickup segment. In 2002, the company sold worldwide more than 90,000 units of its L200 Strada pickup, which finished this year's Dakar Rally in fourth position (behind three other Mitsubishi vehicles).

The Chrysler Group, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., is a unit of DaimlerChrysler, the world's fifth largest automaker. Its brands include Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge. In 2002, the Chrysler Group sold 2.81 million vehicles worldwide. Now in its 50th year, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, the Company's philanthropic arm, gave $25 million to charitable organizations last year.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research, and development operations of the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Mitsubishi Motors so far sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of nearly 700 dealers throughout North America. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

 

Unfortunately all the coupes, the few that are still around, are all Mitsubishi with the exception of the Viper and the new Crossfire(not that there was ever an old one). If the Stratus R/T coupes were Chrysler under the hood I would have bought one. <img border="0" src=smileys/smiley6.gif border="0">

 

From another site:</P>


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from a report in the Car Connection:

"Expect the Mitsubishi/DaimlerChrysler partnership to result in more rebadged Dodge vehicles going to Mitsubishi's American sales unit in the future. An industry insider not associated with DaimlerChrysler told TheCarConnection Tuesday that Mitsubishi's forthcoming Dodge-based pickup, based on the Sport Truck Concept shown in Detroit, is the first of at least two vehicles Mitsubishi can expect to get in the next few years from its partner in Auburn Hills. In all likelihood, Mitsubishi will get a version of the Dodge Durango, which was redesigned for 2004. That vehicle and others developed by Chrysler could help Mitsubishi pull out of its recent sales dive and resulting financial doldrums thanks to low development and production start-up costs that can come from profit sharing--especially when the platform carries a light truck. Mitsubishi begins selling its first pickup since the '90s in late 2005. It will be built at Chrysler Group's Warren, Mich., plant. DaimlerChrysler holds a 43-percent stake in the Japanese automaker."

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so a 2006 model, is what it sounds like. I also read that the Lancer and neon are going to share also, come the new body change, who knows when that'll take place though.

 

The new Neon, due out in '06, will be on a Lancer frame and Hyundai powered.

 

what about the SRT-4? dropped, due to limited production, or same engine new sheet metal? what do you suppose, I think that the SRT-4s are selling well so it'd be dumb for them to drop it after a 2.5 year run.