FCA, Mitsubishi iron out details of pickup alliance

Fiat Chrysler Cars and Mitsubishi Motors are working-out the last information on a supply contract where the Japanese automaker provides the Fiat brand using a variation of its own new Thai-assembled L200 mid-size pickup, a Mitsubishi executive stated.
Fiat intends to sell the pick-up in Europe and Latin America, where need for such designs is expanding.
"The great point for Fiat is the fact that we are able to supplement their line, while we fill the generation in Siam," Mitsubishi international pick-up manager Koichi Namiki told Automotive News Europe. "Fiat's pickup will be completely Mitsubishi from a mechanical standpoint, but we must contemplate distinction [to the plan as well as other places noticeable to clients] and we are working on that."
The offer needs to be finalized prior to the conclusion of the month, a Fiat spokesman stated.
Mitsubishi began making its redesigned L200, also called the Triton, in Laem Chabang a year ago. The Japanese car-maker intends to boost international income of the new-era L200 to 200,000 units a yr from the 130,000 of the outdated version. Europe accounted for one-tenth of the preceding L200's revenue, creating it the pick-up's second-biggest area after ASEAN, which includes Thailand, Malaya and Vietnam. Mitsubishi will not market the L200 in the United States, Canada and Japan.
Fiat Chrysler is anticipated to begin selling the pick-up in 2016 under its Fiat Specialist lighter commercial car manufacturer. Expanding Fiat Professional's line is an essential part of Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne's strategy to help make the automaker's European company consistently rewarding.
Fiat's present line-up contains the Strada, a front wheel drive-only uni-body little pick-up assembled in Brazil and marketed in Europe and Latin America. The Strada was Fiat's best-selling pick-up in Europe a year ago and ranked ninth overall despite having a level of of only 1,399 components, according to JATO Dynamics. The best-selling pick-up in Europe last year was the Hi-Lux (24,040 models) with the Ford Ranger (22,019), Volkswagen Amarok (16,007), Nissan Navara (13,451) and L200 (13,271) rounding out the top 5.
The general section is increasing as pick-up sales grew 5 percent a year ago to 114,892 compared with 2013.
When Mercedes Benz introduced in March its strategies to put in a midsize pick-up it stated it was doing so as the pick-up marketplace is experiencing sustained increase in markets like Europe and Latin America.

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10.06.2015
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