By: Jeffrey Ross
Autotropolis.com
After much criticism from the public for its abundance of big trucks and SUVs, DaimlerChrysler has been trying to find its way into the small car market.
Since the early 1990s, the Chrysler Group has primarily focused on bigger cars, trucks and SUVs. As a result, Chrysler has watched its sales decline in recent years due to customers shying away from trucks and SUVs in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
Pending approval, DaimlerChrysler is expected to sign into an agreement to import vehicles from China's Chery Automobile Co. into the Chrysler Group’s lineup. With the subcompact market blossoming in the wake of fuel economy concerns, a small car should help to increase sales numbers.
The Dodge Hornet concept car, which received positive feedback from the public, would be a likely source of design inspiration if the plan goes as expected.
Chery is currently owned by the Chinese government but plans to offer an initial public offering (IPO) in 2008. The company is China’s top automotive exporter and will be the first Chinese auto company to break into the U.S. market.
No specific terms or time frames are known, but in the wake of successful subcompacts like the Honda Fit, Chevrolet Aveo and Scion Xb, Chrysler would most likely benefit substantially from such a vehicle in their lineup.