The chief executive of DaimlerChrysler, Dieter Zetsche, said yesterday that it would be difficult to break up Chrysler, as analysts and other outside experts have speculated in recent weeks, because of an integrated production system that binds together its various brands.

"Chrysler Group is very integrated," Zetsche said in an interview at the Geneva Motor Show. "The technical lines, like platforms, do not go along the same lines as the brands. The less they are aligned with the brands, the more difficult it would be to think of any separation."

Zetsche emphasized that he was making an observation, not commenting on options for how DaimlerChrysler might sell the Chrysler unit, a prospect it confirmed three weeks ago that it was considering. But his statement seemed to reinforce reports that DaimlerChrysler hopes to unload Chrysler as a single unit, rather than pull out single brands such as Jeep.