On Friday, January 23, Bob Nardelli, chairman of Chrysler LLC said his company is at work on a new generation of the Dodge Durango SUV, a model whose fate has been in question since December 2008 when Chrysler closed its Newark, Delaware plant where the Durango was built.

The new Durango will be constructed in Detroit at the company's Jefferson Avenue North plant and will appear on the market in 2010. In the same letter to employees, Nardelli also indicated new generations of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans will go forward. In total, Chrysler will launch 24 vehicles in the coming 48 months.

Seeking to clarify aspects of a proposed alliance with Fiat, Nardelli said, "It is important to note that no U.S. taxpayer funds would go to Fiat. The alliance is based on an exchange of equity for assets. Fiat would acquire an equity stake in Chrysler by giving us access to substantially all its vehicle platforms and technologies. This access is of high value to Chrysler, saving us significant costs and years of development time.

"Throughout this process we will work with the U.S. government to ensure Chrysler meets all terms of the U.S. Treasury loan agreement, including the submission of a restructuring plan that assures Chrysler's long-term viability, timely loan repayment and energy efficiency."