Chery deal still on track, no sale of Chrysler brands

Chrysler dropped its ties with its foreign parent this week but the future will see it seek out other global partners in a quest to build its international presence. The split from Daimler won’t have any effect on previous plans to co-develop a small car with China’s Chery Auto and Chrysler may even expand this partnership and is considering other partners as well. That’s the word from Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda who spoke at the carmaker’s first news conference since the split, according to Automotive News. Pictured above is the Dodge Hornet concept, a vehicle rumored to resemble the upcoming Chinese-built small car.

"It is in our interest to find partners," LaSorda said. "We're not big in Southeast Asia, we have no presence in India, and our presence in Russia is low." But he revealed that Chrysler won’t be developing any of its own small cars and powertrains for emerging markets and will instead rely on its foreign partners.

As for Chrysler’s US operations, LaSorda also mentioned that none of its brands will be broken up and that it was “important they be kept together”. Germany’s Daimler AG will still have an important role in Chrysler’s future as well, especially surrounding hybrid technology, low-emission diesels and purchasing.