Marchionne's Finale Entails Expanding Jeep, Shrinking Fiat
- Jeep, Ram to go global while Alfa Romeo, Maserati combine
- Carmaker may stop sales of Fiat cars in North America, China
Fiat betting on SUVs and luxury
Sergio Marchionne’s last hurrah as chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV entails betting the carmaker’s future on Jeep SUVs and Maserati luxury cars while downsizing its namesake brands, according to people familiar with the matter.
Under the plan, the company is considering ending sales of Fiat cars in North America and China in the coming years, while mostly confining Chrysler to the U.S., said the people, who asked not to be identified before Marchionne unveils the strategy on Friday at the Balocco test track outside Turin. Fiat declined to comment ahead of the presentation.