Fiat CEO: Chrysler and Lancia Could Merge This Year

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"The Chrysler of Italy" may become a reality. According to an Autocar interview with Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler and Lancia could merge lineups by year's end.

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"In Europe, Lancia is an undersized, underdeveloped brand, with nothing bigger than the Delta. Chrysler, which has a true global reach, has nothing smaller. Put them together and you have a full lineup," Marchionne said. "We could see the two converge as early as the end of the year."

Marchionne's statements nearly confirm our report of such platform sharing from October. The first example of such a merger could be the Chrysler-branded Delta that was on hand at the Detroit auto show. While details were nonexistent -- the concept didn't even have a name -- the hatchback provided a pleasant example of how the Fiat's products could appear stateside. We've also heard that Lancia could receive a luxury vehicle underpinned by the next-generation Chrysler 300C.

Source: Autocar

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