• The New York Times, Friday, February 16, 2007 12 PM

For six weeks, the Chrysler Group and General Motors have been discussing the possibility that G.M. would produce a big S.U.V. like the Tahoe for Chrysler to sell in the United States and other markets, according to people with direct knowledge of the talks.

Chrysler, whose lineup is weighted heavily toward S.U.V.'s, pickups and minivans, has talked about building a large S.U.V. for more than 20 years. But it has not been able to find a way to justify the expense of developing one. G.M. builds the Tahoe, as well as a sister vehicle, the G.M.C. Yukon.

"It's ironic that both of them are in financial trouble because they're too dependent on big vehicles, and now they're talking about doing a big vehicle together," says Kevin Smith, editorial director of Edmunds.com.

S.U.V. sales have fallen since 2002, especially after gasoline prices spiked above $3 a gallon in 2005 and 2006. Still, auto companies say there is a market for big S.U.V.'s, especially for buyers with large families and those who use them for business.

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