US automaker Chrysler has a difficult year ahead of it, the head of the Italian company that bought the ailing manufacturer last year said Monday.
But Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the carmaker had already hit bottom in 2009, dpa reported.
He said he would like to see Chrysler sell some 2.8 million vehicles in the medium term after a 36-per-cent sales drop last year to under a million cars sold. Chrysler and rival General Motors (GM) were both forced to take billions of dollars in emergency government loans in order to stay afloat through a deep US recession.
The third-largest US automaker would focus on sustainable growth, he said.
Chrysler merged its exhibit with Fiat, which was highlighting smaller models like the Fiat 500 that could one day reach the US.