Fiat and Chrysler pitched a finely balanced merger of equals to Renault on Monday to confront the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes by creating the world’s third-biggest automaker.
If it goes ahead, the $35 billion-plus tie-up would alter the landscape for rivals including General Motors and Peugeot maker PSA Group, which recently held inconclusive talks with Fiat Chrysler (FCA), and could spur more deals.
French group Renault said it was studying the proposal from Italian-American FCA with interest, and considered it friendly.
Shares in both companies jumped more than 10 percent as investors welcomed the potential creation of a company that would produce more than 8.7 million vehicles a year and aim for 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual savings.
