Fiat Plans To Move Jeep Production to Russia

Fiat’s new venture in Russia with OAO Sollers plans to produce as many as 150,000 Jeep SUVs a year, the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti reported Wednesday, citing analysts who participated in a company conference call.

Chrysler, under Fiat control, is looking largely at Jeep to help it more than double its international sales to 500,000 vehicles a year by 2014.

Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne just signed the deal with Sollers last week, cancelling his keynote speech before the Economic Club of Chicago in conjunction with the Chicago auto show to do so.