????克萊斯勒（Chrysler）是底特律三巨頭里規(guī)模最小、某種意義上而言也是財(cái)政最吃緊的一個。要想估算它的價(jià)值，不妨看看美國財(cái)政部三年前標(biāo)價(jià)多少錢把它賣給了菲亞特（Fiat）：0美元。

????當(dāng)然，菲亞特也并不是真的分文不花就得到了克萊斯勒。菲亞特在收購克萊斯勒后，的確向后者貢獻(xiàn)了它的技術(shù)和知識產(chǎn)權(quán)。其中最主要的貢獻(xiàn)就是從菲亞特引進(jìn)的阿爾法羅密歐（Alfa Romeo）平臺，克萊斯勒基于該平臺生產(chǎn)了最新的緊湊車型道奇達(dá)特（Dodge Dart）。這款將于今夏上市的新車也許將是對剛剛恢復(fù)元?dú)獾目巳R斯勒最大的考驗(yàn)。

????自從2009年克萊斯勒接受了美國政府112億美元的緊急救助以來，克萊斯勒的財(cái)政狀況已經(jīng)有了不小的改善。近日克萊斯勒剛剛報(bào)出十三年以來最好的一個季度，今年克萊斯勒的第一季度利潤為4.73億美元，達(dá)到去年同期的四倍還多。另外克萊斯勒的高管表示，這也是自1998年以來公司季度利潤最高的一個季度。而且克萊斯勒今年很有希望實(shí)現(xiàn)15億美元的全年盈利目標(biāo)。

????克萊斯勒在老板塞爾吉奧?馬爾喬內(nèi)的精心策劃下實(shí)現(xiàn)了了不起的“咸魚翻身”，這主要?dú)w功于馬基奧尼對現(xiàn)有車型進(jìn)行了翻新、整改，加強(qiáng)了內(nèi)飾的舒適感，并且對之前略顯寒酸的車身鈑金做了一番“美容手術(shù)”。上季度克萊斯勒在北美以外的銷量猛增了80%，美國市場占有率也從一年前的9.4%上升到11.2%。而目前馬爾喬內(nèi)最大的殺手锏還是這款道奇達(dá)特。

????為了讓這款小車成功上市，馬爾喬內(nèi)著實(shí)投入了不少血本。光是為了研發(fā)菲亞特的阿爾法羅密歐茱麗葉（Alfa Romeo Giulietta）所用到的技術(shù)架構(gòu)就起碼花了兩三億美元的研發(fā)資金。另外考慮到美國司機(jī)中心寬體胖者不在少數(shù)，克萊斯勒又花了幾億美元用來擴(kuò)展該平臺的機(jī)械架構(gòu)，同時從內(nèi)到外全面開發(fā)達(dá)特轎車的設(shè)計(jì)。同時，中國的廣汽菲亞特也將借用相同的架構(gòu)，在中國推出一款名叫“菲翔”（Fiat Viaggio）的轎車。盡管達(dá)特轎車令克萊斯勒付出了不少，但這種在中美市場同時推廣的方式倒也省下了不少銀子。

????不過現(xiàn)在的問題是，這款新車型是否會如菲亞特-克萊斯勒所愿，在美國緊湊車市場一炮打響。位于密歇根州的HIS公司高級分析師艾倫?布拉格曼認(rèn)為，達(dá)特轎車是“第一個真正有意義的指針，是一個表率，可以檢驗(yàn)車企之間共同研發(fā)到底行不行得通。”他說：“到目前為止我聽到的反應(yīng)都非常正面。它的執(zhí)行必須完美無缺，發(fā)布的過程中不能出現(xiàn)紕漏或故障，不過這次的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)比以往任何時候都小。”

????達(dá)特取代了之前停產(chǎn)的道奇酷博（Caliber）。酷博的目標(biāo)客戶主要是那些預(yù)算緊張但又有些特立獨(dú)行的年輕人。“達(dá)特”這個名字上一次被道奇使用還是在1976年。這款新車型將主要與福特（Ford）福克斯和雪佛蘭科魯茲（Chevrolet Cruze）進(jìn)行競爭。它預(yù)計(jì)將在今夏上市，起價(jià)約在16,000美元左右，高性能的R/T版的價(jià)格大概會達(dá)到22,500美元。

????A good estimate for the value of Chrysler, the smallest and in some ways most distressed of the Detroit Three, is the sticker price the U.S. Treasury slapped on the window three years ago: $0.

????Well, not quite $0. Italy's Fiat Auto, which took over running Chrysler, did contribute its technology and intellectual property to the merger. One key element Fiat brought to the deal was its Alfa Romeo architecture used for the 2013 Dodge Dart, Chrysler's new compact sedan. The Dart, which goes on sale in the U.S. this summer, may be the biggest test for the rebounding company yet.

????To be sure, Chrysler has come a long way since it took $11.2 billion in federal bailout funds in 2009. The company just reported its best quarter in more than 13 years, earning $473 million, more than quadruple what it took in in the year-earlier period. In fact, executives said that it was the biggest quarterly profit made since 1998. Better yet, the auto maker is well on its way to making its full-year profit target of $1.5 billion.

????Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has orchestrated a spectacular first act largely through clever cover-up, retrofitting existing models with plush interiors and making surgeon-like nips and tucks to formerly dowdy sheet metal. That helped goose an 80% increase in sales outside of North America during the last quarter and swell domestic market share to 11.2%, up from 9.4% a year earlier. But the Dart is Marchionne's biggest new undertaking yet.

????The sprightly little Dart has cost a lot to bring to market. The architecture used in Fiat's Alfa Romeo Giulietta, on which it is based, cost at least a couple hundred million dollars to develop. Chrysler spent a few more hundred million to stretch the mechanical underpinnings to accommodate the corporal largesse of American drivers and to develop the Dart's design, inside and out. The same architecture will be used in China for a Dart-like sedan called the Fiat Viaggio. As much as it has cost, the collaboration is saving bundles of capital.

????The question now is whether the new model will be the hit the Chrysler Fiat alliance needs in the compact segment in the U.S. The Dart "is the first true indication of what these companies can develop together, a bellwether. So far the reactions I've heard are very positive," says Aaron Bragman, a senior analyst for IHS in Northville, Michigan. "The execution has to be flawless. There can't be problems or glitches in the launch, but there's less risk of this than ever before."

????The Dart replaces the discontinued and unlamented Dodge Caliber. The Caliber was a car aimed at younger, budget-minded buyers looking for a bit of attitude. The Dart is a name last used by Dodge in 1976. The new model is designed to compete primarily against Ford's (F) Focus and Chevrolet's (GM) Cruze. Its price will start at about $16,000 and rise to $22,500 for a high-performance R/T version, which will be available later this summer.