The union between Chrysler and Chery is about to bear fruit. China Car Times reports a rebranded Chery A1 will go on sale in Mexico "very soon" under the Dodge banner. This is the same model they're looking at bringing to the U.S. once they meet safety and emissions standards, with a target date of 2009. Wall Street Journal drove an A1 in China last August and came away impressed: "the A1 performed admirably… the ride was surprisingly smooth and quiet.. At 100 miles an hour, there was only a slight vibration in the steering column." They noticed a few quality problems but decided "for such an inexpensive car [around $7K in China], it is hard to complain." There's no word yet on how inexpensive it'll be after it makes the trip across the Pacific.
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Hey, it works for global Korean compacts wearing the “Chevy” brand name. And now that the US has the Chevy Aveo, are Chinese Dodges coming soon?
You can bet your Six-Sigma black belt on it. :)
That doesn’t look anything like the Hornet. Boo.
Cerberus isn’t gonna spend a dime on tooling up the Hornet. Well, at least not until they see some return on investment.
I can’t wait for it to go on sale here just so I can see the convoluted arguments made by the Detroit apologists about how buying a Chinese built Dodge is better than a made in the US Toyota.
I’m really sad to hear that Chrysler/Cerberus has chosen to import a Chinese vehicle. I owned many Dodge Colts in my youth and college days and wish those were still part of the Chrysler line-up. Whatever happened to the Chrysler/Mitsu partnership? The current gen of Mitsu Colts are excellent vehicles that are sadly no longer available in NA.
Note to Cerberus: Bring back the Dodge Colt, NOT a product from a country with such detestable human rights violations and disregard for human and animal safety and consumer rights.
Although this is undoubtedly a shrewd financial move for Cerberus, it’s truly sad to see the consumer market so enamored with cheap Chinese goods that we’re willing to overlook the Chinese government’s treatment of its own people and animals. Perhaps there is hope that the continued growth of the Chinese export market may result in positive changes for China.
Would YOU drive a Chinese product? Likely FULL of asbestos, lead and who-knows-what other contaminants–don’t lick the steering wheel or breathe in that new car smell! Crash and safety standards? Non-existent. Quality? About the same as a first-gen Hyundai Pony or Excel–the whole car will recycle itself after 2 years, decomposing right before your eyes!
Will it be a cheap car, and will it sell? Absoutely. Maybe Wal-Mart will sell them in their Automotive section.
They’ll probably call it a dodge Omni, as part of the current retro naming game. This car will go down in history as the end of Cry-sler as we know it.
I have two questions of concern about this vehicle: 1) If my 3-year old chews on the bumper covers, will she get lead poisoning? & 2) Will this be shipped with ten thousand desiccant packets in it or just five smuggled prostitutes sporting “White Diamonds?”
I am surprised it doesn’t come in one color – Red.
Everything we buy is already from China, I won’t hold my breath on cars. If I’m not mistaken, TTAC is broadcasting GM’s demise in real time, and everyday, China is closing the gap with the US on virtually every technological and economic front. You might vow never to buy a Chinese car, can you be sure your friends and family won’t in 20 years?
It will be interesting to see if anyone buys these things…. Chinese quality from the domestic manufacturer in the worst financial shape shouldn’t fill buyers with much confidence in warranty service.
I get the sense this is the Hyundai Excel circa 1987. A real POS. Only difference is that in Korea, they didn’t send us poisoned toys and crush free speech.
“prostitutes sporting “White Diamonds?””
I don’t get it. What does this mean? What are White Diamonds? Please explain. I feel stupid not “getting” this.
So the great Dodge brand, of the 440, the Monaco, the Dart, and the Polara, already so badly tarnished by the Caliber, the Nitro, and other abominations is going to … oh, forget it. I realize Chery can’t bring it any lower. The Dodge Boys are turning over in their graves.
Chrysler could resurrect some of their old Dodge names for this new baby – Neon, Omni, Colt, Dart, Shadow, Monaco, Mirada, or – gasp – Polara.
Could be worse like “Car of the year” then the Big 2.8 would really be in trouble…nawwwww they’d be out of business by then!
I will take one of the prostitutes.
“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s unwise to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything,
because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.
The common law of business prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it’s well to add something for the risk you run.
And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.”
John Ruskin, 1819-1900 Author, Influential Critic, Philospher
In that picture, the A1 looks a bit like a Honda Fit clone.