DaimlerChrysler (DC) will invest $455 million in its Indiana Transmission Plant in Kokomo,
Indiana, to produce a Mercedes-Benz-developed transmission. DC will build the Mercedes-Benz
W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission for use in future Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep
products that are popular with trailerists. Production is slated to begin in 2004. The
five-speed rear-wheel-drive transmission will be an upgrade from the current four-speed
automatics in these models. Currently built in Germany, the W5A580 is used in the
Mercedes-Benz S-, E-, C- and M-Class vehicles. This is the first example of component
sharing between Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz since the merger with Daimler-Benz in 1998.
Dodges and Jeeps to Get New Transmissions
Originally Published in Trailer Life Magazine
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