Auto parts manufacturer Marelli has just opened a new production line to manufacture the dashboard of the all-new Chevy Montana pickup, which began mass production last week in Brazil.
On Monday, January 23rd, the Italian-Japanese supplier inaugurated a new production line at its Marelli Hortolândia plant in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, dedicated exclusively to manufacturing interior panels and trim components that shape the dashboard of new third-generation Chevy Montana. As such, Marelli is one of General Motors Brazil’s strategic suppliers for the assembly of Chevrolet‘s first unibody compact pickup.
In particular, the new production line at Marelli’s Hortolândia plant, which has already started manufacturing dashboard panels for the new Chevy Montana, required an investment of 150,000,000 Brazilian reais – close to $30M USD at current exchange rates. The investment was recently completed to install plastic injection lines and assembly equipment, as well as to create the molds and materials to manufacture the parts ordered by GM.
Marelli announced that the new production line for the all-new Chevy Montana’s dash started with an initial production rate of 62,180 panels per year, representing approximately one-third of the facility’s total announced capacity of 180,100 dash assemblies per year. The facility will be responsible for providing the instrument panel, center console, and other dash parts for the new Montana.
In fact, 100 percent of the new Chevy Montana’s dashboard panels and consoles will be supplied from the Marelli Hortolândia plant, with a nationalization rate of more than 90 percent. Once manufactured on its new production line, Marelli sends the separate components of the Montana’s dashboard to GM – which performs the final assembly along with its respective accessories at its São Caetano do Sul plant.
The GM Brazil supplier also mentioned that the contract to manufacture the new Chevy Montana’s dashboard is the first project completed worldwide after the creation of Marelli in 2019, when Japanese company Calsonic Kansei acquired Magneti Marelli from now-extinct Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). It is also the first self-manufacturing unit of the Interior Experience subdivision of the auto parts manufacturer in Brazil.
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Comments
Chevrolet needs this or something to compete with the Ford Maverick and it needs to be an ICE vehicle. No EV BS!
Pickup trucks are like the Jeep CJ and YJ for holding resale value. Since the Montana will be priced lower than the Colorado mid size ( S10 in South America ) then it will compete with SUV’s of the same Chevy brand. For rural and suburban areas of North America, a small pickup is just as suitable as an SUV. Lease companies For a 6 year loan, it makes it more feasible to buy a small pickup than an SUV. Where i live in Toronto, i have not seen one Ford Maverick on the street or on a billboard or even on radio or TV advertising or even online ads for the tiny Ford. Maybe Ford figure they cannot meet the demand in some markets so why spend money on adverting in low demand markets. Almost nobody is going to wait 4 months for delivery of a tiny pickup truck that retails for just $22 to $24,000. Ford charges too much for it’s midsize pickup. A guy in my local supermarket parking lot had a Ford Ranger XLT fully loaded crew cab 4 wheel drive and he told me he paid $40,000 for it. This is in Toronto, where the prices are about $10,000 higher than in the USA, but it’s too much, unless it has rich Corinthian leather….LOL, Hey boss.
This should be made in the USA . Globalism sucks and all who doubt me will soon find out .These jobs belong in the US. What the hell does this mean ? In fact, 100 percent of the new Chevy Montana’s dashboard panels and consoles will be supplied from the Marelli Hortolândia plant, with a nationalization rate of more than 90 percent. ? Doesnt make a lot of sense -A JAPANESE -ITALIAN PLANT -in a country Brazil that just borrowed the Biden /dem model to destroy and suppress the will of the people (stolen election ) that is 90% owned by the Gov of Brazil ?
Montana is a vehicle aimed at the Latin market. Its commercialization in the USA would be unfeasible in several aspects, mainly engineering. Furthermore, the will of the Brazilian people was expressed at the ballot box. This talk of “stolen elections” is just an excuse from a man who knew he would lose, since the same electoral system that elected him for 5 terms as federal deputy and 1 as president, is also capable of taking it away, as it happened.
Why should this component that will be used in a vehicle that will probably be manufactured only in Brazil be made in the United States? And how do you think those jobs should belong to Americans?
The issue here is not globalism but logistics! And by the way you don’t understand any of this!
Do you really believe that a possible production of parts in the United States for a vehicle that will be manufactured at the other end of the continent would be financially viable? Imagine the various obstacles (higher cost of production, shipping, time and especially taxation) that would exist in this process, even with “globalization” helping in the current form!
Why should this component that will be used in a vehicle that will probably be manufactured only in Brazil be made in the United States? And how do you think those jobs should belong to Americans?
The issue here is not globalism but logistics! And by the way you don’t understand any of this!
Do you really believe that a possible production of parts in the United States for a vehicle that will be manufactured at the other end of the continent would be financially viable? Imagine the various obstacles (higher cost of production, shipping, time and especially taxation) that would exist in this process, even with “globalization” helping in the current form!