Chrysler taps Nissan to build small car; Nissan to get Chrysler-built pickup
Chrysler and Nissan have announced a joint deal in which Nissan will produce a small car for Chrysler, while Chrysler will produce full-size pickups for Nissan.
According to Automotive News (registration required), Nissan will build a Chrysler-designed car on a new Nissan-designed platform. Production will start in 2010. The following year, Chrysler will being producing a new Nissan-designed and Nissan-badged pickup that will replace Nissan's Titan.
So who is getting the better end of this deal? The obvious answer would seem to be Chrysler. As things stand now, Nissan makes two of my favorite small cars -- the Versa and the Sentra -- while Chrysler makes one of my least favorites, the Dodge Caliber. The new Chrysler car will reportedly be a Chrysler design, but will be based on a Nissan platform. Clearly, Chrysler can use the help.
That said, if having Chrysler build their new pickup allows Nissan to price it more aggressively, that could give Nissan the chance it needs to elbow its way ahead of the Toyota Tundra. Wouldn't it be something if Nissan's new Chrysler-built pickup turns out to be even better than the upcoming 2009 Dodge Ram?-- Aaron Gold
Comments
Oh great! I traded in my Ram for a Titan because I had my Ram in the shop 18 times in 2 years(and no I could not lemon law it as each case was some different issue).
My Titan has been flawless. 65,000 miles of which 40 to 50k were miles where I was towing, hauling or both.
I can honestly say the V8 in my Titan would run rings around my old Ram Hemi and gets better gas mileage.
And to add insult to injury we are loosing more American jobs from the Nissan plant in Mississippi to Mexico.
Maybe Dodge should design both trucks and Nissan can build both…
Seems to me like Nissan should be building nearly everything from Chrysler. They can’t seem to get much right.