“We have discussions open with auto companies,” he told reporters while attending a ceremony at a university. Mr Marchionne said the board might discuss alliances at its next meeting on October 24, adding that he expected at least one alliance by the end of the year.
He also said Fiat’s third-quarter results were in line with expectations, and left open the possibility of raising the 2.7 billion euro ($3.8 billion) group trading profit target for the year.
“The commitment is to review them, or raise them or leave them as they are. We are not lowering anything,” he said of the company’s targets.
Speculation has swirled for weeks that Daimler could seek a partner to work on the next generation of Mercedes-Benz A-Class and B-Class compact cars, whose importance is being highlighted by the debate on cars' contribution to global warming.
BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroen have also been mentioned as possible allies for Daimler to develop small car platforms or new engines.
Incidentally, Fiat’s Magneti Marelli division announced it was forming a joint venture with Suzuki Motor and Maruti Suzuki India to make electronic control units for diesel engines. Analysts said BMW would be a more likely fit because it was a premium brand with a successful small car, the Mini.