May be a repost, but the Neon = Dead
Chrysler will end production of its low-priced Dodge Neon this week, The Associated Press reported.
The last Neon is scheduled to roll off the assembly line at Chrysler's plant in Belvidere, Ill., after an 11-year run.
However, Chrysler is spending $419 million to upgrade the plant to build multiple models, including the Dodge Caliber, which will replace the Neon. The Caliber is expected to go on sale early next year, the story said.
The Neon was introduced in January 1994 as a 1995 model, in both Dodge and Plymouth versions. Neon sales had reached 1.5 million by the time the car was redesigned in 2000, but fell by a third between 2000 and 2004, to 113,476.
It will be replaced by:
The 2007 Dodge Caliber, set to debut next year, will use a transmission built by Nissan, a diesel engine supplied by Volkswagen, and an all-wheel drive system developed with Mitsubishi, Bloomberg News reported.
Chrysler is using partnerships with Japanese and European companies and parts borrowed from other DaimlerChrysler units to streamline vehicle development, the story said, citing Chrysler engineering chief Eric Ridenour.
The car's 2-liter Volkswagen direct-injection turbo diesel, used in VW's Touareg sport-utility vehicle and slated for its new Golf cars, will be installed in Caliber models sold outside the United States, the story said.
|
