Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is flinging cash at its Midwestern assembly plants as part of its world-conquering plan to boost Jeep production.

Yesterday, the automaker announced $1.05 billion in funding to retool its Belvidere, Illinois and Toledo, Ohio production facilities, and issued a kill date for one of its least popular products.

That’s right — say goodbye to the slow-selling Dodge Dart, which gets booted from Belvidere Assembly in two months to make room for Jeep Cherokee production starting in 2017. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne plans to outsource production of small cars to another automaker, but so far, no takers have stepped up to fulfill his dream.

Belvidere gets $350 million for Cherokee production, which is being shuffled from Illinois from Toledo. FCA plans to axe the paleolithic Jeep Patriot and Compass in December, making room for a single, yet-unnamed Fiat-based model.

The Toledo Assembly Complex sees the biggest investment — $700 million, to support production of the next-generation Wrangler, expected in 2018. That model, which will see a pickup variant added to its lineup, is undergoing key weight- and fuel-saving efforts designed to make the Environmental Protection Agency happy.

FCA claims it will announce its plans for the Toledo South plant some other time. The retooling efforts, which are supported (and dependent) on state and local investments, are expected to create 1,000 new jobs.

[Image: FCA US]