Chrysler cuts engine shift at Dundee plant
Chrysler has cut and reassigned a total of 58 employees at its engine plant in Dundee as it prepares to produce an additional engine for the Dodge Dart.
The Auburn Hills automaker reassigned 44 of those employees to new jobs and let go of 14 workers who were still in their initial 90-day probationary period, said spokeswoman Jodi Tinson.
Chrysler reassigned the workers because it is cutting back on production of its 1.4-liter FIRE engine that the plant makes for the Dodge Dart, said spokeswoman Jodi Tinson.
The company is preparing to begin production of a 2.4-liter engine at the Dundee plant that will be an additional option for buyers of the compact car.
“We have eliminated a shift of production of the FIRE engine,†Tinson said. “We have a new powertrain for the Dart coming online, and so we are rebalancing the mix for the Dart.â€
Last week, Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said sales of the Dart have not met expectations.
He blamed the slow sales on the choice of powertrains for the car, which some auto critics have said feels underpowered compared with its competitors.
Chrysler sold 25,303 Darts last year after the car went on sale in July. The Dart competes with popular cars such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze. In 2012, sales of all those models easily topped 200,000. The Civic was the top-seller, with sales of more than 317,000.
Marchionne said Chrysler is working to introduce a new nine-speed transmission on the Dart. However, that is unlikely to happen until next year.
Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com
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