[Allpar News System]

The fate of the Toluca, Mexico assembly plant is a quandary for Mopar observers. Current plans appear to be for the Fiat 500 to return to European construction and for the Dodge Journey to move in with the Chrysler 200 or Jeep Cherokee when it moves to its new platform. Toluca, home of the Neon, then the PT Cruiser, then the Journey and Fiat 500, would then be empty.

Toluca includes an assembly plant and a stamping plant, and started out in 1984 building K-cars. In 1994, the plant switched from making LeBaron, Phantom, Spirit, and Acclaim to a single focus on Neons. PT came in 2001, Journey in 2008, Fiat 500 in 2011. While the plant’s future use is a mystery, here are what we believe to be the major options: Chrysler could shut it down entirely as unnecessary capacity far from the corporate supply lines; it is..

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[FreeLantz]

Overflow Jeep Wrangler production, perhaps? With all the new models that are rumored to be coming in the next generation Wrangler lineup, it might be necessary.

 

[Dave Z]

There's a thought. Would help reduce tariffs too

 

[Stratuscaster]

That seems to go against the "Wrangler's home is Toledo" edict. (Then again, there's that whole "Chinese production" thing...)

 

[billfrombuckhead]

That seems to go against the "Wrangler's home is Toledo" edict. (Then again, there's that whole "Chinese production" thing...)

I agree, keep Wranglers in Toledo. Can they build something for the Mexican market that is also exportable? Would it makes sense to keep building the present Avenger in Mexico?

 

[Dave Z]

Could be for export Wranglers. Particularly to South America. How many Wranglers are sold in Mexico and South America each year? More than 500? Seriously, if they ever were to make an offroad vehicle for the third world, that would be another thought.

How many of those metric ton pickups do we think they could make? How about if there was a body on frame 4x4 as well?

I wonder... whether they have any JTE people working on the metric-ton pickups. Y'know, Comanche was a great truck.

 

[MoparDanno]

The B "mini Wrangler" that is being designed in India possibly? That would make sense for Central and South American distribution.....

 

[TripleT]

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/20/2013-fiat-strada-first-drive-review/

This would be extremely popular in Central America, why not put a Dodge version into Mexico
,

 

[Mr.Source]

The fate of the Toluca, Mexico assembly plant is a quandary for Mopar observers. Current plans appear to be for the Fiat 500 to return to European construction and for the Dodge Journey to move in with the Chrysler 200 or Jeep Cherokee when it moves to its new platform. Toluca, home of the Neon, then the PT Cruiser, then the Journey and Fiat 500, would then be empty.

Toluca includes an assembly plant and a stamping plant. Originally created as AutoMex, it made a full line of cars for the Mexican market. In 1994, after years of making K-cars and related cars, the plant switched from making LeBaron, Phantom, Spirit, and Acclaim to Neons. PT came in 2001, Journey in 2008, Fiat 500 in 2011. While the plant’s future use is a mystery, here are what we believe to be the major options: Chrysler could shut it down..

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Hi, I just want to let you know that Automex, known as Chrysler, was located in Mexico City, in the famous street Lago Alberto, the picture you are shown is not Automex in Mexico City, this plant since the begining was Chrysler de Mexico, and it's still located in Toluca.

In the back of that area, where now we can find Mopar warehouse, we began to assemble the Dodge Shadow convertible, we had a normal aspirated engine and the GTS Turbo version.

And for your info. CHRYSLER WILL NOT SHUT DOWN TOLUCA, until TODAY, they have huge plans for it, and let me remind you, that they are not so crazy to shut down a plant who has been building cars with an outstanding quality, it maybe one of the best if not the best in quality for Chrysler, and it's among the best worldwide, so does Saltillo.
Vehicles engines and more are being assembled in Mexico with QUALITY and PRIDE !!!

 

[Erik Latranyi]

And for your info. CHRYSLER WILL NOT SHUT DOWN TOLUCA, until TODAY, they have huge plans for it,

....and you can't share the information!

 

[Bill Sample]

Toluca has an excellent reputation for high-quality work. In my opinion they have earned the right to have a good future.
Gracias Mr. Source and your fellow workers for the quality assembly of my PT Cruiser Convertible back in '07, probably one of the last 5-speed convertibles built - I ordered it just after they announced no more convertibles would be built.
I agree with those who predict that the future will include many Fiat designed trucks primarily, but not exclusively, for South American consumption. Hopefully it will be economically feasible to design a smaller pickup that would meet North American standards that could be built there.

 

[Jeepnut]

Personally hoping the build a US version of the Strada there. Just a thought on the Wrangler im all for the keep it in Toledo thing unless they cant expand capacity enough to build the variants they need to.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

I thought Neons were made in Belvedire, IL?

And Toluca quality? Is that why the rear fascia corners are still popping out below my tail lights on mine and just about every other Journey on the road?

 

[hmk123]

Our 2009 Journey SE has been pretty much trouble free. Been impressed with its quality.

 

[patfromigh]

My Neon was built in Toluca and had excellent quality.

Is that E-flex platform still ongoing? The reason I'm asking is the Scudo replacement doesn't have a home and the metric-ton pickup could share that platform. Here's another question. Will the giant Panda and the next Journey be the same vehicle? If the next Journey replaces the current one and the Durango, the Freemont could be a different vehicle built in Toluca.

 

[TripleT]

Our 2009 Journey SE has been pretty much trouble free. Been impressed with its quality.

Even the brakes?

 

[UN4GTBL]

I thought Neons were made in Belvedire, IL?

And Toluca quality? Is that why the rear fascia corners are still popping out below my tail lights on mine and just about every other Journey on the road?

But is that assembly quality or parts quality?

 

[valiant67]

I thought Neons were made in Belvedire, IL?

And Toluca quality? Is that why the rear fascia corners are still popping out below my tail lights on mine and just about every other Journey on the road?

Neons were built both at Belvidere, IL and Toulca, MX. I could not tell any quality difference between the Neons I had from either plant, except maybe the Toluca Neon had a little better paint. Any quality issues were design issues, not assembly issues.

 

[Dave Z]

I have to say our Toluca Neon had better paint than Belvidere Neons of the same year (1994) but they switched over to the modular clutch later, and that was a problem, though only after a dealer put his greasy mitts onto it. So maybe it wasn't a manufacturing problem....

Our brakes lasted past 100,000 miles, pads and calipers both.

Early Neons, both sedans and coupes, were made in Toluca. Later all coupes went to Toluca and all sedans to Belvidere.

 

[freshforged]

If they make a dodge Caravan (short wheelbase) to go along with the Dodge GranCaravan (long wheelbase) doesn't that cover the Scudo? As for future product plans, I'll not hazard a [email protected]