JEEP CHEROKEE SUV AND ALFA ROMERO PAIR

CHRYSLER GROUP LLC is preparing to roll out a new midsize Jeep that illustrates the promise and challenges that Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne is confronting as he merges Chrysler and Fiat SpA into a single, global auto maker. The 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which debuts soon at the New York Auto Show, is based on a design first developmented for Fiat's Alfa Romeo-a sharing intended to spare Chrysler hundreds of millions of dollars in engineering costs and shorten the time it takes to get new vehicles to market. The new Cherokee is expected to be Chrysler's most important all-new vehicle debut this year and its best hope for attracting new buyers and keeping Chrysler's U. S. sales on the rise. Last year, Chrysler sold 1.65 million vehicles in the U. S. , up 21% over the previous year.