(January 6, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler Group is strengthening its ties with the City of Detroit by adding a third crew and 1,100 new jobs at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, expanding the Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup to include a diesel version for North America in the city and reaffirming plans to add 150 jobs by reopening its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, also located in the Motor City for production of the ultimate American sports car – the SRT Viper.

“Our future, like the history of our brands, is interwoven with the City of Detroit,” said Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne. “Detroit long has been home to renowned innovators and craftsmen.

"So it is in the Motor City, home of our industrial heritage and a resilient people, that we are entrusting the manufacture not only of the ultimate American sports car, the SRT Viper, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most awarded SUV ever – but also a diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee for North American markets.

“We believe that investing in Detroit is not only the right thing to do, but it is a smart thing to do as we work to write the next chapter in our shared history,” Marchionne said.

"Through its new commitments in the Motor City — the city in which the Company has its earliest roots — Chrysler Group is embracing its Detroit heritage and weaving it into the fiber of its future plans, which include producing fuel-efficient, environmentally clean vehicles, such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. And by adding 1,250 jobs at its two downtown Detroit manufacturing plants, Chrysler Group is demonstrating its belief in the passion, skill and steadfast dedication of the Motor City to build luxurious, high-quality, state-of-the art vehicles that are true to a shared heritage and aspire to create a better and sustainable future."

The new jobs and product announcements build upon Chrysler Group’s existing commitment, announced last month, to reopen the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant to produce the next generation SRT Viper. With Conner’s reopening, nearly 150 hourly and salaried jobs will return to the City of Detroit.

The next generation Viper will make its return to the product lineup late this year as a 2013 model. Conner employees began reporting for training and orientation in the fall.