Lin Yingxing, director of the base and a Chinese expert in Juncao and dryland rice technologies, who came to the airport of Goroka to fetch the reporters, got off the jeep promptly.

But the carmaker said the Jeep brand will continue to strengthen its product offering in China with an enhanced electrified lineup of imported vehicles.

Tavares also mentioned the "One Jeep" strategy, which means Stellantis would control sales and marketing of Jeep brand vehicles, whether imported or locally produced.

Stellantis owns 14 automotive brands from Fiat and Jeep to Peugeot and DS to Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

The earnings nearly tripled profits compared with its pre-merger existence, as the maker of Jeep, Opel and Peugeot vehicles exploited cost efficiencies.

In North America, the company's most profitable region, Stellantis used its available computer chips to build higher-priced vehicles such as Ram pickups and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

Formed via the merger of France's PSA and Italian-American Fiat Chrysler, the conglomerate owns 14 automotive brands from Fiat and Jeep to Peugeot and DS to Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

In September 2021, Stellantis announced that it would create a simplified operating organization to develop the Jeep brand in China.

Besides Jeep vehicles, Stellantis is producing Peugeot and Citroen-branded vehicles in China via its joint venture with State-owned carmaker Dongfeng.

Stellantis, a leading global automaker and provider of innovative mobility solutions, has a group of big brands including Maserati, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat and Dodge.

Stellantis, which operates 12 brands including Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep and Peugeot, plans to build five factories in Europe and North America.

Stellantis, now the world's fourth largest carmaker, has 14 brands ranging from Peugeot and Citron to Jeep and Maserati.

It will have 14 brands from FCA's Fiat, Maserati and US-focused Jeep, Dodge and Ram to PSA's Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and DS.

Trantini is also president of the company's Chinese joint venture GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which produces and imports models bearing the Jeep marque.

At the 2020 Guangzhou auto show held from Nov 20 to 29, Jeep is showcasing its latest models, ranging from the Wrangler to the Compass.

Trantini said the Chinese people have a passion for SUVs and that creates opportunities for brands like Jeep.

The SUV goes to its real nature, which is using the car off road, enjoying the adventure, enjoying the freedom, and Jeep's DNA comes out," he said.

He said Tencent's latest connectivity system is already installed in Jeep's new Compass SUV, and that Jeep itself is developing an app for its car owners.

Brand names such as Jeep and Peugeot will continue as well.

The tie-up was announced at the end of October and originally scheduled to be finalized in early 2021 at the latest, in order to create the world's fourth-largest automaker, bringing under one roof brands like Peugeot, Citroen, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

France's PSA and Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced a preliminary deal six weeks ago for an all-share merger that would create a company worth about $50 billion and unite brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Maserati with the likes of Peugeot, Opel and DS.

In the short term, the combined group will use profits from selling Ram pickup trucks and Jeep SUVs to US drivers to fund the development of cleaner vehicles to sell in Europe and China.

But Liebler said he can't see PSA messing too much with the US operations because they're performing solidly, largely due to sales of the popular Jeep brand and profitable Ram pickup trucks.

Fiat Chrysler's strongest brands are Jeep SUVs and Ram trucks and it is focusing on relaunching its premium and luxury brands, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, with a focus on hybrid engines.

In addition, the all-new Jeep Gladiator pickup exceeded FCA's expectation, earning a 7.7-percent share of the US segment in June.

FCA has a highly profitable businesses in North America with its RAM trucks and Jeep brand, but lost money last quarter in Europe, where most of its plants are running below 50% capacity and it may struggle with new emissions curbs.

The slowdown in delivery was primarily due to "non-repeat of overlapping all-new and prior generation Jeep Wrangler production and planned realignment of commercial strategies in Europe," said the automaker.

It is the first Jeep manufactured in China.

"The same Jeep model was produced for five consecutive years since 1958," said He Jugang, with the car-making company based in Chongqing in Southwest China.

In its 2018 full year results report, FCA said its net revenue went up 4 percent year-on-year to 115.4 billion euros ($130.4 billion), and net profit increased 3 percent to 3.6 billion euros ($4.07 billion), thanks to its record global sales of Jeep and Ram brands.

The Frontier will also face challenges in coming months, as Ford and Fiat Chrysler's Jeep division introduce new small trucks.

"This year's performance underscores the efforts we undertook to realign our production to give US consumers more Jeep vehicles and Ram pickup trucks," FCA US's sales chief Reid Bigland said in a statement.

Starting from Dec 29, Chrysler will recall 1,806 Jeep Wrangler vehicles made between Aug 7 to Sept 20, 2017, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

The debut vehicles include the 2020 Porsche 911 sports car, the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLE, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup, the 2020 Hyundai Palisade SUV and the redesigned Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback.

The recall involves imported Jeep Cherokees manufactured between Jan 5, 2010 and Sept 8, 2013, according to the GAC.

"Asked about potential interest from GAC, FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said the Chinese company had helped FCA bring Jeep to the Chinese market through their joint venture, and FCA was in turn trying to help GAC expand in the US, the Associated Press reported on Monday.

No-shows included Fiat Chrysler's namesake Fiat and its Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands, Peugeot and its DS luxury division, plus Nissan, Infiniti and Volvo.

[Photo/IC]BEIJING－Great Wall Motor Co has discounted reports of an impending deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, saying there are no talks and it may not pursue a takeover of the Italian-American car manufacturer's Jeep division.

The Jeep marque anchors the company's mass-market car operations and has been a key focus of expansion.

Reflecting the brand's importance, Morgan Stanley estimates Jeep is worth 20.6 billion euros ($24 billion), more than the entire group's market value.

Great Wall said on Monday that it was interested in buying Jeep.

Fiat said there's been no official approach from Great Wall on Jeep "or any other matter relating to its business.

"It's unlikely Fiat would sell Jeep on its own, which would mean also taking on other brands such as Dodge, Ram or Chrysler.

A man rides a tricycle past a Jeep Liberty vehicle on the production line at Chrysler's Toledo Assembly Complex in Toledo, Ohio.

[Photo/Agencies]Experts say takeover would realize dream of company's chairman to make it world's largest SUV makerChina's Great Wall Motor intends to buy Jeep from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, which analysts believe could give the country's largest SUV maker a boost to go upscale.

Wang Fengying, general manager of Great Wall, said it is interested in Jeep and is contacting Fiat Chrysler to begin negotiations, Automotive News reported on Monday, citing an email from the executive.

"We are interested in purchasing the Jeep brand and we will pay close attention to it," Zhao Lijia, a public relations manager at Great Wall, confirmed with China Daily on Monday.

However, Fiat Chrysler said that it has not been approached by Great Wall Motors in connection with the Jeep brand or any other matter relating to the business.

Dongfeng, GAC Group and Geely have denied reports that they had expressed an interest in Jeep.

Yale Zhang, managing director of Shanghai-based consulting firm Automotive Foresight, said Jeep, the renowned off-road SUV maker, will benefit Great Wall in terms of products and sales.

"Jeep sold 1.42 million SUVs last year, while Great Wall delivered 938,000 units.

Patrick Yuan, an equity analyst at Jefferies Hong Kong, said the takeover of Jeep will help to improve the outlook for Great Wall's long-term development.

"By acquiring FCA (Jeep), technical support is expected, while long-term sustainability is more visible.

Fiat Chrysler has been producing Jeep SUVs in China with its partner GAC Group since 2015, including the Cherokee and Compass models.

A representative of GAC Group declined to comment on the possible impact on its productions if Great Wall takes over Jeep.

FCA has the trappings: it is large, with 15 brands, including Jeep, Dodge and Alfa Romeo, in addition to the two in its name: Fiat and Chrysler.

On Aug 15, Morgan Stanley raised the value of FCA's Jeep SUV division to 14.7 euros ($17.28) per share, about 38 percent of the company's 10.62-euro closing price in Milan, Italy, one day earlier.

The West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions stopped short of accusing Fiat Chrysler of emissions cheating, but said on-road tests of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickups revealed nitrogen oxide levels at three to 20 times what is permitted by US clean-air rules.

The researchers tested five of the Jeep and Ram models from model years 2014 and 2015 in laboratories and on the road using portable equipment to measure emissions.

The case focuses on diesel engines in Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickups for model years 2014 to 2016, alleging that they generate more emissions in normal driving than during laboratory tests.