When the Hurricane Six engines were first unveiled, a company executive said that the long-awaited twin-turbo straight sixes were to be optional in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as appearing in the Jeep Wagoneer. 2023 models came and went without this option; and then the 2024s arrived, and while the Wagoneer went Hurricane-only, the Grand Cherokee stayed mostly as it was. Read more
Jeep has re-released the Avenger in Europe, with the addition of the awaited hybrid version to the existing all-electric model. The Avenger is a compact crossover not planned for sale in North America; the battery version has a 400V motor and 54 kWh battery.The hybrid uses a 1.2 liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine with a 48V … Read more
The Wrangler 4xe recall last week, which got perhaps more attention than it deserved (as only 1% of the vehicles actually have the flaw), grabbed headlines; but today’s list of recalls from the NHTSA is remarkably short, excluding as we always do commercial and recreational vehicles.The worst recall belongs to Land Rover’s 2023 Defender, with … Read more
Jeep is recalling some 32,125 US-market 2021-24 Wrangler 4xes due to fire risk, though only around 1% have the flaw. The company advises that owners do not recharge them, but that they do park them away from structures and other vehicles, until the software is updated.The software update will include an automated check of the … Read more
Stellantis confirmed that they had bought back 50 million shares of STLA stock from Dongfeng for $1 billion. The Chinese company had owned roughly 3.2% of Stellantis’ stock, and will now own a bit less than 1.6%. The shares will be cancelled once Stellantis has them, rather than being resold, as Stellantis is also buying … Read more
With battery-electric cars set to become a major part of Stellantis’ product line—and a projected 50% of US sales in 2030—the company has to have some way of testing battery-electric vehicles while keeping its gasoline powertrain testing. It also has to avoid unquenchable fires in the basement of the Auburn Hills testing center.The first of … Read more
Stellantis is the #2 automaker in Europe, and the #1 in commercial vehicles. Globally, its commercial vehicle range, now dubbed Pro One, includes six brands including Ram, ten pick-ups, and a hydrogen solution. The company plans for light commercial vehicles to account for a third of Stellantis profits, including aftersale services.The new Fiat E-Ducato, was … Read more
The Jeep Wagoneer topped large SUVs’ residual values for the second year, according to J.D. Power. This helps with lease prices and profits, and shows that the Wagoneer remains desirable to buyers.The Jeep Wrangler also topped its segment, as did the Ram ProMaster. The latter is the only front wheel drive large commercial van in … Read more
Chrysler is recalling just 32 2023 Pacifica PHEVs, ironically because the 12-volt battery’s isolator post may not have been installed correctly. This could result in a fire whether the vehicle is moving or parked. Owners are asked to park outside and away from buildings until the recall has been finished. All affected vehicles were made … Read more
UAW members voted to ratify contracts with GM and Stellantis (FCA US). Key parts of this deals were ending pay disparities, abuse of temporary workers, and raises to counter inflation and partly make up for past concessions.The GM deal was more difficult than the one at FCA US; 68% of Stellantis employees voted for the … Read more
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Stellantis had sent buyout offers to half its white collar staff in the United States, blaming the expenses of moving to electric vehicles.A company representative clarified that an offer was being sent to “6,400 non-bargaining-unit U.S. employees with at least five years of corporate service” out of 12,700 … Read more
Mercedes is dominating the week’s recalls—and Stellantis is absent from it. The main issue is a missing brake inspection gauge on a variety of 2019-21 Mercedes models, along with a sunroof that may close unexpectedly in the 2020 GLS580.
Finally, finishing a rough recall week for the Germany maker, the 2024 GLC300 may have windows come out… Read more
Dodge has returned to having thousands of dollars of rebates onto its cars after a years-long run of being able to sell at or over list price. The rebates do not apply to certain vehicles; at least one dealer is trying to make roughly the same profit on Dodge Demon 170s as the retail value … Read more
Since the release of the Ram 1500 Ramcharger, there has been a good deal of unfounded criticism of the engineering choices—even before such key figures as the fuel economy on an empty battery have been released.
The Ramcharger is almost unique as a hybrid in that the engine is used both to recharge the battery and to power the motors when needed, but has no physical way to drive the wheels. Read more
A tractor-trailer truck rammed into a car dealership in Tooele, Utah last week, causing a fire at the Mopar/Ford dealership.The crash occured last Friday and, according to the local TV station, KMVT, injured 11 people, damaged 27 vehicles, and left visible damage to the dealership building One person had to be airlifted to the hospital.The … Read more
The reopening of Belvidere as an assembly plant won’t take place until 2027, which seemed like a surprisingly long time away—until more information was released yesterday.The local newspaper, the Rockford Register Star, described the deal as changing the large factory on the site into a “megahub,” or an extra-large parts distribution center. While it isn’t … Read more
