Sergio Marchionne, the chief of both Chrysler Group and Fiat Group, said he will delay the launch of Chrysler's redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee if he doesn't think the vehicle's quality is flawless. The SUV is scheduled to go on sale in June or early July. It was unveiled at the New York auto show last spring.
"It is the signature vehicle" of Fiat-run Chrysler -- the first all-new vehicle since Italy's Fiat took over -- and will be seen as a sign of the quality of all successive Chrysler-Fiat vehicles, Marchionne said today in a speech to the Automotive Forum 2010 in New York.
The Grand Cherokee "must be flawless'" he said. "It will not be launched (on time) otherwise."
Marchionne also continued to insist, as he has for months, that privately held Chrysler Group is making money, an assertion that has met with industry and media skepticism. He said he's been able to do it because he has gotten the company's break-even point "much lower than people thought."
The forum, sponsored by the National Automobile Dealers Association and consultants IHS Global Insight, is connected with the New York International Automobile Show. Press previews begin Wednesday and Drive On will be there to bring you the news live.
-- James R. Healey/Drive On
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