Ford Motor Co. has recently unleashed its revised recovery plan. Said plan covers the release of additional models and the slashing of tired warhorses in the lineup. The automaker is also planning to create a more appealing and relevant showroom.

Expected additions include inexpensive high-fuel economy subcompacts. Said additions are expected to expand the market of the automaker. This time around, Ford will also be dealing with younger generation market unlike before. Ford Fiesta parts will also be enhanced to improve performance, style and driving feel.

Since small cars are also in the hype, Ford will also compete with the fast-growing market. Bestsellers in the small car segment include Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit. Hence, Ford is also planning to produce a midget from to compete with these bestsellers. Ford Escape parts will also be improved to create a smaller version of compact SUV. These new additions are anticipated to go on sale in the year 2009.

The introduction of S-Max microvan to the automotive market is also anticipated in 2009. This new car is inspired by Focus compact car. However, it will be shorter than Fusion sedan and smaller than Honda Civic coupe. It will feature seven seats. A sporty compact coupe is also contemplated upon. The latter will be designed to slash the cost of fuel. It will be using diesel power.

Ford Fairlane is also expected to wow customers and make them acknowledge the new concept of the American family hauler. This concept will is a combination of practicality and style. According to Ford, “Nobody has come up with the defining model for this new segment yet. We think we have a chance to do that with the Fairlane.” The sale of Fairlane is expected to start on 2008.

Among the line of those models which will be discontinued are Ford Taurus and Ford Freestar. The former is a midsize sedan, which was once considered America’s favorite car. Freestar, on the other hand, was the formerly called Windstar minivan. Before, said vehicle but along with its change of name is a major drop in sales. The production of both vehicles is expected to end next year.

Indian auto sector is growing in a big way and you can see many luxurycars makers are trying to make India a hub for their different needs. This also helps the foreign makers to expand their production in India as well as to position themselves strongly in the Indian car market. Its product portfolio ranges from small cars to sports cars and luxury sedans; and from versatile vans to heavy-duty trucks or comfortable coaches. Chryslers’ passenger car brands include Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep

Chrysler part of the used to be Detroit?s Big Three and producer of American Motors catalytic converter is now down to being the fourth-largest US automaker. And just recently it has announced that it is dropping its plans for a new Imperial luxury sedan due to the rising gasoline prices and tougher fuel-economy regulations.

It can be noted that the Senate has passed a bill last month calling for automakers to raise their average fuel mileage to at least 35 miles a gallon by 2020 the same proposal in the House would also hold manufacturers to the same standard by 2018.

Chrysler?s executives have made the decision within the past few weeks according to the automaker?s spokesman Ed Saenz. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker has unveiled its Imperial two years ago and has scheduled the production to start in 2009 in Brampton, Ontario.

Saenz said, “There was no business case for us to bring it to the market. We will continue to look for a future product for the plant.” He also added that the decision has put $597 million of investment in the factory on hold but will not affect any of the plant?s 3,500 jobs.

Chrysler will be investing $3 billion in order to produce more fuel-efficient engines and other powertrain components. It is no secret that the automaker has been badly hurt by its reliance on pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles and minivans that are continuously losing sales as US gasoline prices soared nearly to $3 a gallon. Another reason for Chrysler?s decision to divert its production target is the fact that the US Congress is also considering an increase in fuel-efficiency standards.

Tom Libby, an analyst at marketing-research firm J.D. Power & Associates in Westlake Village, California said, “It makes sense not to build a high-end, lower-volume car when the direction of the market is moving toward smaller vehicles. If there is a hole left in Chrysler’s product lineup without the Imperial, it’s a not a hole in the growing part of the market.”

Chrysler has also planned to pull the production of a new vehicle from the Brampton plant if the Canadian Auto Workers didn?t agree to give up a wage premium of about C$125 a week. The union has initially rejected the pay provision but then changed its decision last March 11 giving way for the planned investment.

Chrysler is being sold by parent DaimlerChrysler AG to Cerberus Capital Management LP which is purchasing 80.1 percent stake in Chrysler in an agreement that includes a $7.4 billion investment and will be completed this quarter.

It was the Windsor Star in Windsor, Ontario that reported the change in plan of Chrysler which is not to go on with the production of the Imperial.

In the news: The Free Press has reported that the Chrysler Group maker of the famous Eagle muffler has set aside their plans of producing the new V6 engine plant after DaimlerChrysler CEO Zetsche made an announcement last February 14 stating that the Auburn Hills-based automaker is going to be sold.

Many wonder whether this was the first concrete sign of the steps being taken by DaimlerChrysler to separate the Chrysler Group from the parent company. But Chrysler insiders deny such notions. And last Wednesday, the producer of top-of-the-line Eagle mufflers, Chrysler Group has finally announced its plan to build a $730-million engine plant in Trenton that is going to be placed right next to its current engine factory. This announcement came as a surprise to city officials who had previously given up on the possibility.

Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown in his state of the city address has accepted the fact that the city may lose its largest employer and taxpayer which is the Chrysler?s Trenton Engine Plant after learning of the announcement made by DaimlerChrysler that it might sell its Chrysler arm.

It should be noted that before February 14, Chrysler Group has announced its plans that will help the company to turnaround and return to profitability but things changed after DaimlerChrysler announced that it might sell its US-based unit. Brown said that after that sad news Trenton was no longer sure whether previous Chrysler plan of building an additional plant will still pushed through.

Hope return after Chrysler announcement last Wednesday that it will pursue its plan of building an additional plant in Trenton but added that there would be some changes in the plan like for instance instead of the of originally planned 1 million square feet to produce more than 650,000 engines a year, it will be reduced to a smaller facility measuring only 780,000 square feet which is just enough to fit on the current Trenton site and produce 440,000 engines a year.

And just like the original plan the new facility will be used to build new line of V6 engines, reducing four different architectures to one. The facility will also replace the current Trenton plant. Trenton city officials are hoping that the plant will produce more in the future to continuously provide employment to more people in the city.

The engines that are to be created in the new facility in Trenton are dubbed the Phoenix which previous news has reported would be made for both Mercedes and Chrysler Group vehicles but unfortunately there was no mention of Mercedes on last Wednesday?s engine announcement.

It can be remembered that last summer, DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche said that the two units were working on a joint program to develop a common V6 engine technology that may be used in all of DaimlerChrysler AG?s car brands. But according to Chrysler spokesman David Elshoff, “This announcement is independent of any Mercedes plans. Mercedes is not part of the current Phoenix plan.”

Analyst Paul Lacy of Global Insight said that a few months ago he was told by Chrysler officials that the Phoenix Program is going to be created for both Chrysler and Mercedes and could mean the production of more than 1 million engines a year. Lacy also said that there could be reasons why Chrysler has chosen to build a smaller facility, “The first one is that they have some understanding or indications that they are not going to continue their cooperation with Mercedes that far down the line. At that point, 440,000 units are almost understandable.”

He pointed out also the fact that the Phoenix program could be a split between the Trenton site and a Chrysler engine plant in Kenosha, Wis., where the local union agreed to changes in work rules last year, or elsewhere. He speculated that the old Trenton plant could be used for the Phoenix program. He said, “Something is up. Either they are going to use a second site or they are losing Mercedes.”

Last February, it seems that Chrysler had focused in on a spot in Van Buren Township. But according to Township Supervisor Cindy King, she noticed that by the end of February the company has stopped talking. She is wondering whether the potential sale of Chrysler has anything to do with it.