The Chrysler Airflow concept is old news now; the electric crossover was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show and made the papers a while back. But today, a new Graphite Airflow concept added to the story—mostly in ways that aren’t related to the car itself (whose details you can find in our original story).The current … Read more
Jeep chief Jim Morrison introduced the Grand Wagoneer L and then took questions. Among the things we learned during his talk was that the Hurricane would be standard on the Grand Wagoneer L, and optional on the short wheelbase (if you can call it that) Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. This is presumably where the $2,000 … Read more
The Jeep Wagoneer L has launched—and it’s twelve inches longer than the Wagoneer, with a seven inch longer wheelbase, and a twin turbo inline six-cylinder Hurricane engine.The new inline six cylinder is made in two versions, previously called SO (standard output) and HO (high output). The high output version is good for 510 horsepower and … Read more
Tomorrow holds several New York Auto Show unveilings, including two which have been officially confirmed. The most recent confirmation was for the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which uses the Renegade/Compass platform with a special suspension and two powertrains, one of which has up to 272 horsepower or 30 miles of pure-electric range.Update: here is our show … Read more
Frederick Bender and Bryan Macek may have made it easier for future Ram pickup buyers to tie down—and lock down— their cargo. The FCA US employees patented a utility bar system which is attached to fittings which go into stake pockets in a pickup bed.The advantage of this system over conventional cross beams is aesthetic and … Read more
The NHTSA’s probe of minivan fires in the “RT” series Town & Country and Grand Caravan has ended after nearly two years with no recommended actions. The investigation covered 170,000 minivans from 2013 to 2020 which had a charge port between the middle and back seats, based on three reported fires. Neither NHTSA nor Chrysler … Read more
The Chrysler Airflow is an ironic name to bring back, since releasing the state-of-the-art car in 1934 was disastrous for the company and the brand. The original Airflow was revolutionary in many ways, but it bombed in the market.
But what of the new Airflow? It is expected to have black paint with dark bronze accents and interior changes to make it more of a production-intent vehicle. This includes changes to the steering wheel and rear seats. The new concept will be shown on April 13 at 11:45 am. The actual release may come in the early morning of the 13th with the unveiling to follow at the show. Stellpower will be covering the event in person.
What this means for the Cherokee…
In the first quarter of 2022, Chrysler sold 29,113 cars—26,366 Pacificas, 2,745 300s, and … two 200s. The 200 sedan has not been made since 2017; the Dart was shut down even before that.
How are these cars still being sold? And do GM and Ford have similar orphans on their sales sheets?
Ram actually beat Chevrolet with 127,116 sales, after falling 15% from the same quarter last year. However, like Ford, Ram isn’t anywhere near GM as a whole. By brand, Ram was #2 in the USA; by company, Stellantis was #3. If you were wondering, Toyota Tundra sales totaled just 22,643—and they were up by 18%.
What about smaller pickups? That’s the province of Jeep for the moment…
FCA US’ first quarter sales fell by 14%, largely on supply constraints, as we reported on Friday. However, FCA appears to have gained market share in the United States—largely at the expense of General Motors, which reported a hefty 20% drop from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, and Ford, which dropped by 17%.
The chart below shows U.S. sales for most of the “majors,” leaving out Mercedes, which has not reported sales yet (though now including Tesla and Volkswagen).
According to rumors in Auburn Hills, a second engine is planned for these trucks. It, too, would be an inline six-cylinder, but engineered specifically for truck engines. The new engine is rumored to be larger—3.7 liters—and to have a more traditional design, other than an odd 30° tilt. A source within Engineering told us that it was tilted over to make room for accessories on the side so that it could fit into smaller engine bays; and to provide space for a better air path, increasing its efficiency.
FCA US reported their first quarter sales with surprising speed, issuing them on April Fool’s Day—but they are real. Total sales fell by 14%, largely on supply constraints, from 469,651 for January-March 2021 to 405,221 for January-March 2022. Retail sales fell by 13%, slightly better than the fall in fleet sales.
Electrifying news. The Wrangler 4xe did quite well…
Jeep is recalling certain 2021-22 Grand Cherokee Ls due to a missing weld in the seatback frame to the child seat anchor. The good news is that, of 4,586 vehicles sold in the U.S. which are potentially involved in the recall—those built from October 13, 2021 to February 2, 2022—only 3% are expected to have … Read more
According to rumors in Auburn Hills, a second engine is planned for these trucks. It, too, would be an inline six-cylinder, but engineered specifically for truck engines. The new engine is rumored to be larger—3.7 liters—and to have a more traditional design, other than an odd 30° tilt. A source within Engineering told us that it was tilted over to make room for accessories on the side so that it could fit into smaller engine bays; and to provide space for a better air path, increasing its efficiency.
FCA US has been without front-drive sedans when Sergio Marchionne cancelled the Dart and 200. While Peugeot makes numerous compact and midsize sedans with front wheel drive on modern platforms, which could help FCA US to meet its fuel-economy numbers, they will not be brought to the United States under their own names. Carlos Tavares … Read more
Jalopnik just posted specifications from a staging site for the GR Corolla, which comes complete with a hefty restyling of the compact car known in the US mainly for a dull reliability. The 1.6 liter engine boasts 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, using all wheel drive and an “intelligent” (rev-matching) six-speed manual transmission—using … Read more
