That Newark plant, which was initially built in 1951, was updated to the tune of $180 million USD in 2003 in preparation for the current
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| The new Chrysler SUV will no doubt be HEMI-powered, and feature the engine's fuel saving MDS cylinder-deactivation system. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Durango, but now that it is underutilized - Durango sales are down somewhat due to a general slide in larger, truck-based entry-level SUVs - it is the ideal location for the Chrysler SUV. While no new jobs are expected, at least at first, new tooling for the upcoming model could spell out additional expenditures in the tens of millions.
While the new Chrysler SUV is currently unofficial, and is only being talked about because reliable sources within the company have "spilled the beans" - Chrysler never officially speaks about future vehicles - the move would be a smart one
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| Although large, truck-based entry-level sport 'utes such as the Durango are not performing on the sales charts quite as well as they used to, luxury SUVs are still selling well. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
for the domestic automaker. Although large, truck-based entry-level sport 'utes such as the Durango are not performing on the sales charts quite as well as they used to, luxury SUVs are still selling well. A bold, dynamic HEMI-powered entry, with upscale styling and features, and possibly a 425-hp SRT8 upgrade, could work very well, and for limited initial costs provide reasonable profits from a potentially smaller production run. Of course, it could also become a wild success, following in the 300C's path.
And with this in mind, and the five (or so) new SUVs on the way, less than half of the eleven new vehicles the automaker will introduce next year, a Durango-derived Chrysler is likely. When the eleven become available, Chrysler will have launched twenty-five new vehicles since 2004 began.
