German Car Forum

VW and Chrysler to sign joint venture contract at NAIAS

Volkswagen and Chrysler are expected to formally sign an agreement on their proposed minivan joint venture at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

A Volkswagen spokesman declined to comment on the transaction.

Source: http://www.awknowledge.com/WVMA/cont...ontentid=47232

Dunno if this is good or bad?!?

VW and DC have been making their large vans together for some time now... perhaps it had something to do with them coming to this decision.

DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen Announce Minivan Manufacturing Alliance

DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group and Volkswagen today announced that they have reached a formal agreement under which the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based carmaker will manufacture a unique line of VW minivans for the North American market.

Production of the future Volkswagen minivan, which is based on the next generation Chrysler and Dodge minivan platform, will begin in 2008.

"Although the Volkswagen minivan shares its basic architecture with upcoming Chrysler and Dodge vehicles, this will be an all new product," said Wolfgang Bernhard, Chairman of the VW Brand Board of Management. "We're developing a design that will be uniquely Volkswagen's because we believe there's tremendous opportunity in this market for a vehicle of this type."

"This is a win-win deal for both the Chrysler Group and Volkswagen," said Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda. "With our manufacturing and platform engineering flexibility, we can deliver a high-quality product specifically tailored to Volkswagen's customers' tastes with little or no substitution effect on the current Chrysler and Dodge minivan lineup."

Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060105/deth015.html?.v=33

It’s widely been confirmed that German automaker VW will be producing its own minivan off other German automaker DaimlerChrysler's (it’s still weird to say that) platform.

Reports were leaked early yesterday that must have forced VW front man Wolfgang Bernhard and Chrysler boss Tom LaSorda at the L.A. auto show to confirm the rampant speculation that these two giants were hooking up. Bernhard told reporters that he estimates first year sales for VW’s minivan at a modest 10,000. They will probably be built alongside Chrysler and Dodge minvans at Chrysler’s plant in Windsor, Ont. where the company recently announced plans to invest $575 million CAD.

It will be interesting to see whether this will be a prelude to a DaimlerChrysler investment in VW.

Doubtful.

VW and DC executives sign the agreement.

Details (in German): http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx...7&firmaid=9260

Upcoming Volkswagen minivan won't be Chrysler copy, automaker says
AutoWeek | Published 01/16/06, 9:36 am et

DETROIT - Volkswagen's Chrysler- built minivan will have a unique shape and interior, says VW brand Chairman Wolfgang Bernhard.

The Chrysler group will build a minivan for VW in 2008 based on a new generation of vehicles that will debut in 2007.

Bernhard says VW will only get the long-wheelbase, seven-seat model.

He said the vehicle will be different from the Chrysler group version.

"It isn't just going to be a Chrysler minivan (with) a Volkswagen badge on it," he said. "It will be completely different. The touch, feel and functionality of the interior will be Volkswagen."

Adrian Hallmark, executive vice president of Volkswagen of America Inc., says the VW minivan not only will be "distinctive," but "a more sporty proposition than what you see in minivans. It will be strong and clean and definitive VW design."

The VW minivan will use a Chrysler engine because "in this market segment, engines are not that important," says Bernhard.

VW won't reveal what the minivan will be called. But it won't get VW's hallowed Microbus name, Hallmark says.

VW won't change the entire steering geometry of the Chrysler minivan. Handling changes will be made when a prototype is developed, Hallmark says.

Hallmark says potential sales for the minivan are huge because the market segment is 1.2 million vehicles.

>> Source <<

Here's the Chrysler van testing:

New Volkswagen minivan to feature unique exterior, Chrysler interior

DETROIT -- Although Volkswagen's new minivan will have unique sheet metal, under the skin it will be essentially a clone of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.

Chrysler's next-generation minivans are expected to debut in 2007, followed by the VW version in 2008.

VW's primary contribution for the minivan, will be design and styling, says Frank Klegon, executive vice president of product development for the Chrysler group.

"They have some input to characteristics they are looking for, but they will not provide engineering resources," he said.

"It is very much similar to the relationship we did with Mitsubishi and the Raider," said Klegon, who was interviewed at the Detroit auto show.

In September, Mitsubishi introduced the 2006 Raider pickup. The vehicle was engineered by the Chrysler group and is essentially a Dodge Dakota pickup with different sheet metal. The Raider's instrument panel design and much of the interior is shared with the Dakota. Engines and transmissions come from Dodge.

The Raider and Dakota are assembled in Chrysler's plant in Warren, Mich.

Klegon said VW has not locked in the final styling for its minivan. "We have seen it from a perspective of sketches and stuff, but nothing has been built at this point." he said. "It is all still in the evolution phase."

VW will market only a stretched-wheelbase model.

Creed: Minivan will be 'a Volkswagen'
The minivan that Volkswagen is developing from the Chrysler group's platform will have unique sheet metal, says Trevor Creed, Chrysler group senior vice president of design. This month, the companies said that Chrysler will build a version of its next-generation minivan for VW.

Creed was interviewed by Automotive News staff members.

How will you work with VW on styling of the minivan?

Volkswagen has done all of their own styling on the minivan.

Did you get the right to look at it to see if there is any conflict with Chrysler minivans?

Yes, I did. Wolfgang (Bernhard, chairman of the VW brand) asked them to send me photographs of it. There is no conflict. They are obviously doing a Volkswagen, not a Dodge or Chrysler.

Do they get Stow 'n Go seating?

I don't know any of the business agreements.

How does the VW design differ from the Chrysler group design?

All of their sheet metal is unique. All of their glass is the same. That is the big economy of scale in doing it.

The Chrysler minivan is the iconic creator of the segment. Are you concerned about cannibalization?

I didn't have any concerns. It didn't cross my mind.

It is quite common in the business to share. The companies in Europe do that quite a lot. They manage to create unique brand identities for their products.

It never occurred to me for one minute that that would be an issue.

When I saw the styling of the vehicle it is quite distinctive and Volkswageny. And they have done their own interior as well.

>> Source <<


... Chrysler interior... why?! ***?!

This is either really really good news for Chrysler or really really bad news for Volkswagen. I think most people know by now Chryslers make the worst quality interiors in the biz, but maybe they will change things around starting with the new Town and Country.

I'm a pessimist, so really really bad news for Volkswagen!

Latest news. VW's van will have it's own interior:

VW's new minivan: engineered in the US

German automaker's new N.A. model will be a Chrysler clone

DETROIT -- Although Volkswagen's new US market minivan will have unique sheet metal, under the skin it will be essentially a Chrysler clone.

VW's primary contribution for the minivan will be design and styling, says Frank Klegon, Chrysler group's vice president of product development.

"They have some input in the characteristics they are looking for, but they will not provide engineering resources," he said.

"It is very much similar to the relationship we had with Mitsubishi and the Raider," said Klegon, who was interviewed at the Detroit auto show last month.

Mitsubishi introduced the Raider pickup in the US last September. The vehicle was engineered by the Chrysler group and is essentially a Dodge Dakota pickup with different sheet metal. The Raider's instrument panel design and much of the interior is shared with the Dakota. Engines and transmissions come from Dodge.

Chrysler will build a minivan for VW for the US market starting 2008.

Klegon said VW has not locked in the final styling for its minivan. "We have seen it from a perspective of sketches and stuff, but nothing has been built at this point." he said. "It is all still in the evolution phase."

Trevor Creed, Chrys-ler's senior vice president of design, said VW has done all of their own styling on the minivan.

"When I saw the styling of the vehicle it was quite distinctive and Volkswageny. And they have done their own interior as well," Creed said.

Asked if there is any conflict with Chrysler minivans, Creed said: "There is no conflict. They are obviously doing a Volkswagen, not a Dodge or Chrysler."

VW brand Chairman Wolfgang Bernhard said at the Detroit show that VW's version of the minivan isn't just going to be a Chrysler minivan with a Volkswagen badge on it.

"The touch, feel and functionality of the interior will be Volkswagen," Bernhard said.

VW will market only a long-wheelbase, seven-seat version.

Last March VW dismayed its US dealers when it announced it would not sell in North America a planned Microbus based on the T5 transport van. VW cited economic circumstances and the strong euro as reasons for the decisicion.

Source

... that can't be good!?