Chrysler and Mitsubishi will Pool Resources on Compact and Midsize Car Chassis
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| Mitsubishi's Lancer ES has just been named the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's Best New Economy Car for 2003. The Japanese company's high quality workmanship and excellent refinement will no doubt benefit the Chrysler Group's small and midsize lineup. |
DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group and Mitsubishi (37% shareholder) will be joining forces to develop and share a common chassis for compact and midsize cars, according to a report by the Bloomberg news service.
The two auto manufacturers had initially intended to develop separate platforms, but according to Richard Schaum, Chrysler's product development director, expect to achieve "significant" savings by combining their efforts.
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| while the Mitsubishi might be refined the Dodge SX 2.0 is one of the quickest of its competitors in standard trim. In optional 150-hp R/T mode it outshines the Lancer in driving dynamics and comes fairly close in interior quality. It seems both companies will be helping each other to improve their respective small car lines. |
That's not hard to surmise as both company's current small and midsize lineup use four separate platforms and mostly unique parts. By sharing basic architecture as much as 30% component commonality could be achieved.