Fiat Eyes Building Full Jeep Lineup in China

Fiat SpA is in "detailed conversations" with partner Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. about reviving production of Jeep SUVs in China, Bloomberg News reports.

Fiat has said it might eventually build Jeep models at the venture's factory in Changsha in central Hunan province. The Italian company owns 58.5% of Chrysler.

Mike Manley, chief operating officer of Fiat and Chrysler in Asia, tells the news service that eventually the full array of Jeep models might be made in China for the local market.

Jeep was one of the first foreign vehicle brands produced in China. The Beijing Jeep joint venture built the iconic SUVs from 1985 to 2009. After Daimler AG bought Chrysler, the venture became Beijing Benz. It stopped making Jeeps when Daimler AG sold Chrysler in 2009.

Chrysler aims to sell 500,000 vehicles under its Dodge, Jeep and namesake brands outside North America by 2014 compared with roughly 186,000 units last year. Manley says that goal is still "within reach."

With Europe's auto market shrinking, the company is looking to China for rapid growth, especially for Jeep. In the first nine months of 2012, the brand's import sales in China more than doubled to 33,500 vehicles.