Chrysler Group on Thursday said it would roll out new hybrid vehicles, streamline its cars and trucks and introduce more diesel engines in a bid to improve the fuel economy of its product line-up.
Chrysler, which is being acquired by Cerberus Capital Management in a $7.4 billion deal, has trailed other major, competing automakers in key indicators of fuel economy.
"Chrysler Group is focused directly on improving fuel efficiency across our vehicle line-up," product development chief Frank Klegon said in a statement. "We have developed and are implementing a series of major initiatives - including a bigger push in hybrid and clean-diesel technology - to meet the needs of American consumers."
US automakers have seen their market share eroded in recent years, a trend many analysts and executives attribute in part to the reputation Japanese automakers have established for offering better fuel economy.
Like other automakers, Chrysler is also facing the prospect of tougher federal fuel economy standards under a pending bill in the US Senate that would mandate fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by 2020.