Chrysler Group has finished sourcing the parts it needs for the North American version of the Fiat 500 car that goes on sale at the end of the year.
Plans to build and sell the 500, which has been a big success in Europe, in North America grew out of the Chrysler-Fiat partnership formed last June.
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It will be built in Chrysler’s Toluca plant in Mexico and parts sourcing is complete, Dan Knott, senior vice president in charge of purchasing, told the Society of Automotive Engineers conference, reported the Detroit News.
There are 145 suppliers for tiny car, of which 35 are NAFTA-based companies that did not already supply parts for the European 500, Knott said. Many are current Chrysler suppliers.
Knott said that the criteria to choose new suppliers over existing Fiat ones was a combination of cost and quality. For example, sourcing for the radio went to Delphi because its satellite radio in the US was deemed better quality than using the supplier for the European version.
