Depending on which vehicle it’s fitted to, the latest Pentastar V-6 is said to deliver fuel-economy improvements of more than six percent while increasing torque more than 14.9 percent. He said he could “hug you nicely … hug you tightly … hug you like a bear”.
Advertisement
But Marchionne denied he was edging toward a hostile press for a deal. The largest US automaker and the third biggest in the world said its domestic sales slid 0.7 percent but painted a positive note on the drop: they dropped numerous sales towards the low-margin rental fleets and even decided the overall outlook for the entire US market needed a boost – of around 300,000 units.
In an interview published on Sunday on the website of Automotive News, Marchionne said he had studied every detail of a deal that would result in “cataclysmic changes in performance” but had not been able to start a discussion with GM.
A number of automotive analysts say Marchionne is pushing for consolidation – and specifically a merger with GM – because Fiat Chrysler trails the competition when it comes to hybrid and electric vehicles and meeting future regulatory standards.
An outright hostile bid, however probably wouldn’t be in the best interests of FCAU investors. He claims the combined company would generate between $28 billion and $30 billion in annual revenue before taxes and other expenses, more than the combined total of almost $22 billion GM and FCA generated past year as separate companies.
Fiat Chrysler, GM and Ford are in the middle of contract talks with the UAW. They have gone through the proposal from Fiat Chrysler and have reviewed it completely. “I want to hear it across the bargaining table, so I can lock it down”, said Ken Lortz, director of the UAW’s region 2B.
Many people probably don’t already know, but some aftermarket suppliers have actually created kits to convert a Wrangler into a pickup truck. While not directly calling the FCA CEO’s analysis incorrect, a spokesman said GM officials believe that the company and its stakeholders will be better off without FCA. “I’m not trying to date Mary, for the record, but I tried to get to see her”.
And if there is resistance to sitting down with FCA because of Mr. Marchionne’s reputation as a crafty and cagey deal-maker, Mr. Marchionne has an answer for that, too. In June, Barra insisted that her company needs needed to improve efficiencies by “merging with ourselves”. Mr. Marchionne sat with Automotive News (AN) for two full hours to discuss the topic.
Advertisement
Marchionne previously said he hoped to decide by the end of the summer on where the Wrangler would land.
