Chrysler’s New Survival Plan

On Nov. 4, Italian car manufacturer and new Chrysler owner Fiat unveiled its five-year plan to turn around the ailing American automaker in what both companies’ chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, is calling an industrial “intervention.” Billing the plan as Chrysler’s “last chance,” Marchionne said the restructuring will include a retooling of Chrysler’s commercial vehicles. Ram trucks have been spun off as a separate brand from Dodge, and in 2011 the midsize Dakota pickup will be replaced with a unibody chassis. The full-size pickup line will be redesigned in 2012, when small and large commercial vans re-enter the fold. Earlier this year, Dodge and Mercedes parted ways over the successful Sprinter van, leaving a hole in the line.