The next-generation Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger will not be moving to Italy afterall. Originally planed to be built in Turin alongside the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Sebring will now be built at Chrysler’s Sterling Heights plant in suburban Detroit.
Previously, the automaker had initially planned to close the plant in 2012. Now, Chrysler will re-hire 900 workers and add a second shift.
Despite the changing the production venue, the successors to the Sebring and Avenger will continue to be based on Fiat platforms. The decision to bring production back to the U.S. was partly due to the strict labor rules by unions, which Fiat S.p.A.’s CEO Sergio Marchionne says hampers productivity.
Aside from issues concerning labor rules, there will be other benefits to moving production to the U.S. Japanese and even German automakers have built locally as a way of reducing costs.
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