Chrysler Group LLC majority owner Fiat SpA has struck a deal with Guangzhou Automobile Group to restart Jeep production in China, a major step toward expanding the brand in the world's largest auto market.

The Jeep was first launched in China in 1983, and although production there ended in 2009 when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, the brand remains well recognized. Today, Jeep sells three models in China -- the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Compass -- all imported.

Fiat said Tuesday it had signed a 'framework agreement' to expand its partnership with Guangzhou to build more Fiat models, as well as to add Jeep production to China. Fiat already jointly builds the Fiat Viaggio, a midsize sedan, with the state-owned Guangzhou and imports several other models, including the subcompact 500.

The company didn't offer an exact time frame for Jeep production in China, saying only that any models built there will be for the Chinese market exclusively. At this point, it's unclear what models are being considered.

Chrysler and Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has targeted Jeep, along with Italy's Alfa Romeo, as two brands with the potential to grow globally. With new models and localized factory production, Mr. Marchionne aims to expand Jeep's presence in Europe, Russia and China.

'The expansion of the agreement with our GAC partners will allow us to unleash the potential of both our Fiat and Chrysler Group brands in China,' said Jeep chief Mike Manley, who is also chief operating officer for Fiat and Chrysler in Asia. He said the next-generation Jeep midsize sport utility vehicle, the Liberty replacement, will also be sold in China.

In 2012, Jeep's global sales hit a record 701,626 vehicles, a 19% increase over the prior year and putting it well on track to reach its goal of selling 800,000 Jeeps globally by 2014.

Sales last year in Asia nearly doubled.

'The reality is you can't ignore the size of the market or the opportunity that it represents,' Mr. Manley said in an interview.

The brand now has about 150 dealers in China, but it hopes to increase that number, especially as more-regional cities begin to develop, Mr. Manley said. By the end of 2013, it aims to have about 200 Jeep dealers in China, he said.

During the U.S. presidential race last year, Jeep's plans to build vehicles in China were thrust into the political spotlight when Republican challenger Mitt Romney aired campaign ads, suggesting the company planned to build Jeeps in China at the expense of jobs in the U.S. Chrysler quickly fired back, saying it had no plans to do so, and was, in fact, expanding its Jeep factories in the U.S.

CHRISTINA ROGERS

• compass [´kʌmpəs]   n.指南针；圆规   (初中英语单词)
• executive [ig´zekjutiv]   a.行政的 n.行政官   (初中英语单词)
• agreement [ə´gri:mənt]   n.同意；一致；协议   (初中英语单词)
• reality [ri´æliti]   n.现实(性)；真实；逼真   (初中英语单词)
• presidential [,prezi´denʃəl]   a.总统的；统辖的   (初中英语单词)
• thrust [θrʌst]   v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进   (初中英语单词)
• expand [ik´spænd]   vt.张开；膨胀；扩大   (高中英语单词)
• partnership [´pɑ:tnəʃip]   n.合伙关系   (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ]   n.言语；言论；格言   (高中英语单词)
• potential [pə´tenʃəl]   n.&a.潜在的；可能的   (高中英语单词)
• expansion [ik´spænʃən]   n.扩大；膨胀；发展   (高中英语单词)
• ignore [ig´nɔ:]   vt.忽视，不理，不顾   (高中英语单词)
• campaign [kæm´pein]   n.战役；行动 vi.从军   (高中英语单词)
• bankruptcy [´bæŋkrʌptsi]   n.破产   (英语四级单词)
• exclusively [ik´sklu:sivli]   ad.独有地；排外地   (英语四级单词)
• utility [ju:´tiliti]   n.有用 a.有各种用途的   (英语四级单词)
• vehicle [´vi:ikəl]   n.车辆；媒介物   (英语四级单词)
• republican [ri´pʌblikən]   a.共和国的 n.共和论者   (英语四级单词)