QOTD: Do You Care If China Sells You Your Next Jeep Wrangler?

by Steph Willems

Published: August 15th, 2017

qotd do you care if china sells you your next jeep wrangler

As you’re probably aware, this week began with rumblings that several Chinese automakers, some of them state-owned, are taking an interest in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Not entirely surprising, as we all know FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne’s spent the past year or so positioning his company for a potential takeover. Slashing debt, consolidating its operations, all to look pretty for that potential mate.

Sure, General Motors and Volkswagen rebuffed the company’s awkward advances, but there’s plenty of fish in the sea for a company with an urge to merge. However, with cash-flush Chinese manufacturers, buyouts are more likely than partnerships.

If it comes to pass, it might not be a bad thing for the volatile American automaker. China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., owner of Volvo Cars, did great things for the Swedish brand, overcoming its financial issues while affording the automaker a hands-off approach. Is Volvo making great cars again? Is it on solid footing?

All signs point to “yes.”

Do people still view the brand as a Swedish entity? Yes, just as they do for Jaguar and Land Rover and Mini and Rolls-Royce’s Britishness, despite its owners residing across the English Channel. In the case of Jaguar, well beyond the white cliffs of Dover.

Fiat Chrysler isn’t exactly new to foreign partnerships. Anyone interested in a Dodge Colt? Plymouth Cricket or Sapporo, perhaps? How about a Renault-engineered Eagle Premier or Medallion? How about something from the DaimlerChrysler era? How about a model from today — a Jeep with Fiat underpinnings?

If ever there was a Detroit Three Automaker willing to attract offers from China, it’s Chrysler. Arguably, using Volvo’s story as a guide, Chinese ownership could be a good thing for FCA. Ram 1500s and Jeep Wranglers will still roll out of U.S. assembly plants, the Pentastar sign won’t disappear from Auburn Hills, Michigan, but the company’s global reach would expand greatly. Chinese customers want American products, SUVs especially, and partnerships are already a must for any domestic automaker looking to manufacture vehicles in China. Just ask Ford and GM.

The question today is: would Chinese ownership taint the company and its brands, or has globalization reached a point where no one pays attention to the company behind the curtain, as long as the product remains desirable?

We live in a land of German-owned Rollers and Indian-owned Jags. Does it matter one iota who owns the company selling you a Jeep?

#Fca #FiatChryslerAutomobiles #QOTD #QuestionOfTheDay

Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 144 comments

PandaBear on Aug 16, 2017

Personally, I think FCA products can't get any worse than it is, so what the hell. Then again, I'd pick a Chinese Volvo over a US made Fiat any day.

1 Reply
Lorenzo on Aug 16, 2017

It doesn't matter. Sergio has run the company into the ground, shutting down models that never got updated when they no longer sell, with no replacement considered, and squandering cash on muscle cars and Alfa. He has no compacts or mid-size models, let alone ones that could compete, and the bloom is off the rose for the Fiat-based Jeeps. He has no cutting edge technology the Chinese would want, no competitive models outside of Jeep, and to top it off the company still has massive debt from Fiat. He has no chance to sell FCA to the Chinese, after GM and VW brushed him off - they're not that dumb. This is just a float, a last chance for a miracle before he has to part out the company.

Like Reply
- Vulpine on Aug 16, 2017
  
  That sounds like pure prejudice, Lorenzo; the fiat products are very good but because of people like you that hold onto obsolete beliefs, Sergio CAN'T sell the true compact and mid-sized cars he has. As for the "bloom is off the rose for the Fiat-based Jeeps," I suggest you look again. Jeeps are all over the place and they're still among FCA's top sellers.
  
  Like

Recent Comments

ToolGuy First picture: I realize that opinions vary on the height of modern trucks, but that entry door on the building is 80 inches tall and hits just below the headlights. Does anyone really believe this is reasonable?Second picture: I do not believe that is a good parking spot to be able to access the bed storage. More specifically, how do you plan to unload topsoil with the truck parked like that? Maybe you kids are taller than me.
ToolGuy The other day I attempted to check the engine oil in one of my old embarrassing vehicles and I guess the red shop towel I used wasn't genuine Snap-on (lots of counterfeits floating around) plus my driveway isn't completely level and long story short, the engine seized 3 minutes later.No more used cars for me, and nothing but dealer service from here on in (the journalists were right).
Doughboy Wow, Merc knocks it out of the park with their naming convention… again. /s
Doughboy I’ve seen car bras before, but never car beards. ZZ Top would be proud.
Bkojote Allright, actual person who knows trucks here, the article gets it a bit wrong.First off, the Maverick is not at all comparable to a Tacoma just because they're both Hybrids. Or lemme be blunt, the butch-est non-hybrid Maverick Tremor is suitable for 2/10 difficulty trails, a Trailhunter is for about 5/10 or maybe 6/10, just about the upper end of any stock vehicle you're buying from the factory. Aside from a Sasquatch Bronco or Rubicon Jeep Wrangler you're looking at something you're towing back if you want more capability (or perhaps something you /wish/ you were towing back.)Now, where the real world difference should play out is on the trail, where a lot of low speed crawling usually saps efficiency, especially when loaded to the gills. Real world MPG from a 4Runner is about 12-13mpg, So if this loaded-with-overlander-catalog Trailhunter is still pulling in the 20's - or even 18-19, that's a massive improvement.