|
Volkswagen And DaimlerChrysler To Build 2008 Minivan Jan. 5, 2006  Executives from Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler sign an agreement to build a VW minivan. At center are Tom LaSorda, Chrysler Group president and CEO, and Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of the VW brand board of management. Volkswagen will tap DaimlerChrysler's expertise to build a new minivan. The automakers will work together to develop a VW-brand minivan specifically for the North American market. The vehicle will be based on the next-generation Chrysler and Dodge minivans, and will go on sale in 2008. It's not known whether the new minivan will feature any of Volkswagen's hallmarks — such as its top-rate interiors, fully galvanized steel and award-winning engine technology. The German van will be built alongside its American cousins at Chrysler's St. Louis, Missouri assembly plant. "This is an important and groundbreaking decision for the Volkswagen brand in the USA," said Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of the VW brand board of management. "In the Volkswagen product range we are missing a van for families, which meets the specific requirements of our American customers. With this new vehicle we are going to enter another important market segment with our own product." "This is a win-win deal for both the Chrysler Group and Volkswagen," said Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda. "With our manufacturing and platform engineering flexibility, we can deliver a high-quality product specifically tailored to Volkswagen's customers' tastes with little or no substitution effect on the current Dodge and Chrysler minivan lineup."
 |
|
|