Chrysler presented its Jeep range (top) and electric concept 200 EV sedan (bottom) at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Now its vehicle range at the 63rd Frankfurt IAA next month will join Fiat in Hall 6.

The new future between the reborn Chrysler Group and Fiat Group will be clearly demonstrated at the Frankfurt IAA next month as the North American carmaker will host its stand in Hall 6 alongside the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Abarth, Ferrari and Maserati brands. Chrysler's stand which will show off offerings from the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands will be situated next to Abarth while on the opposite side of the aisle will be Fiat's Alfa Romeo 'sports' brand. Only Hyundai will intrude into the new look Fiat Group as the Korean carmaker will be lined up along one end of the hall.

Absolute star of Hall 6 and of the whole of the bi-annual 63rd IAA in Frankfurt will be Ferrari's sensational new 458 Italia sports car which will replace the F430 Coupé in Maranello's high performance model line-up. Chrysler Group will however bring some new features to its stand which will feature five of its models that show of "Model Year 2010" upgrades. Its main focus will be on the 5-door ("compact" category in U.S. definition) Dodge Caliber hatchback which was introduced in 2006 as well as Jeep's Compass and Patriot four-wheel-drive SUV models. All three models will boast upgraded interiors and be fitted with the Daimler-sourced 2.2-litre diesel engine which is particularly targeted at European markets.

ramping up the 2.2-litre diesel engine in Europe should help the volumes of this unit that Chrysler buys off Daimler as it is also one of the key dispute points that has seen Chrysler head to court last week to sue its former German owners for breach of contract. Slow sales from Chrysler has seen its demand for Daimler engines fall dramatically below agreed contracts and Daimler says it is owed 55 million euros and is refusing to honour contracts that were transferred to the new Chrysler Group during the bankruptcy process according to details of a lawsuit filed last week. Daimler is demanding previously waived payments and is threatening to withhold other parts it supplies, such as torque convertors, which could halt production. "Daimler’s bad faith conduct and contractual breaches following the acquisition threaten to derail these efforts, severely harm Chrysler, and send devastating ripple effects through the automotive industry," read a statement issued in court last week by Chrysler. The stand-off could affect production at the Detroit plant that makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the factory in Ontario, Canada that assembles the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, although no production has as yet been affected.

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