FCA to invest $1.05 billion to retool Ohio, Illinois plants to build Jeeps

Fiat Chrysler said Thursday it will invest $1.05 billion in assembly plants in Ohio and Illinois to bolster Jeep output.

The carmaker will invest $350 million to move production of the Jeep Cherokee from Toledo, Ohio, to Belvidere, Ill., as part of a strategy to revamp its North American manufacturing footprint over the next year and a half to focus on light-truck output in the U.S.

Output of the Dodge Dart compact car and the Jeep Compass and Patriot, which are currently made at the Belvidere factory, will cease by the end of 2016. Earlier this year, CEO Sergio Marchionne said FCA is looking to outsource production of the Dart and the low-selling Chrysler 200 to a partner.

The Compass and Patriot are being replaced by one SUV, which will be shown at the Los Angeles auto show later this year and will be produced in the Toluca, Mexico, plant.

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