Turkish-Built Dodge Neon Lights Up Again in Mexico
Tofas, a joint venture between FCA and Turkish conglomerate Koc Holding, launched volume production of the new sedan in September. The car is sold as the Fiat Egea in Turkey, while FCA uses Fiat’s traditional Tipo model name for other markets.
VIENNA – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will offer a new sedan known as the Fiat Tipo or Egea in Europe under the Dodge brand in Mexico.
“We will start exporting the Egea sedan to Mexico this year,” Cengiz Eroldu, CEO of Turkish vehicle manufacturer Tofaş, tells Turkish media at the Geneva auto show. Eroldu confirms the car will be sold as the Dodge Neon in Mexico.
Tofas, a joint venture between FCA and the Turkish conglomerate Koc Holding, launched volume production of the new sedan in September. The car is sold as the Fiat Egea in Turkey, while FCA uses Fiat’s traditional Tipo model name for other markets.
Plans call for total production of 580,000 sedans between 2015 and 2023. One-third of the output is to be exported.
In addition to the sedan, FCA unveiled the hatchback and wagon versions at the Geneva show. Volume production of the hatchback is to start in second-quarter 2016 and the wagon is to follow in the third quarter.
Tofas plans to manufacture about 700,000 hatchbacks and wagons by 2023 and to ship a large portion of the total output abroad.
The Fiat Tipo/Egea is not the first Tofas-made vehicle to be exported to North America. The Turkish plant already manufactures the Ram ProMaster City, a version of the Fiat Doblò, for the region.
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