Area Development
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Company Ltd. will partner in a production deal on a new vehicle that will be sold on a limited basis in South America. The new car, based on the design of the Nissan Versa sedan, will be supplied on an original equipment manufacture (OEM) basis by Nissan to Chrysler. "This partnership will give Chrysler nearly immediate access to vehicle segments in which we do not currently compete," says Tom LaSorda, Chrysler's president and co-chair, specifically citing plant infrastructure, tooling, and R&D as part of the Nissan offering. This is the second product-sharing agreement between the two companies, which also agreed to explore future partnerships. Industry analysts point to the new agreement as a possible precursor to a larger and more permanent partnership between the two companies.