Today, around six weeks before the normal release, Jeep unexpectedly dumped its list of updates for the 2023 Wrangler. In essence, there are a couple of color changes (Earl replaces Snazzberry and Reign is new), an American flag decal on each front fender, new 17-inch wheels on Rubicon, and a limited-time Wrangler Freedom edition. The … Read more
Jeep will launch two new colors whose names give few cues as to their actual shades, Earl and Reign, on the 2023 Wrangler. Of the two, Reign will be a limited production; Earl was first shown on the 2020 Gladiator Farout concept. Earl, since it’s hard to tell from the photo, is a gray “with … Read more
Some dealers are advertising the list price of cars on their web sites, then demanding up to $5,000 above list as well as, in some cases, over $2,000 for filing paperwork with states, not including government fees or taxes. The Federal Trade Commission has proposed rules which would, among other things, require dealers to advertise actual … Read more
The Ram ProMaster and ProMaster City may gain some sales as Nissan stopped making its NV cargo and passenger vans last month. The NV was made in Mississippi and Mexico; sales were fairly marginal, though versions were sold by General Motors. GM will continue to make the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana, despite marginal sales, … Read more
Many recall the original Dodge Tomahawk concept motorcycle, which ended up being sold with few changes as “rolling sculptures” through Neiman-Marcus during a bizarre period of Mopar history. The motorcycle certainly caught the public imagination, but after the copies were sold off, it seemed like the Viper-powered three-wheeler was forgotten within Auburn Hills. That was … Read more
FCA US’ market share has increased in the first half of 2022, as competitors lost more ground than Stellantis’ US group. So far in 2022, every automaker other than Tesla and Polestar has lost sales, in some cases by rather serious margins (Nissan dropped by 32%, for example). The former Chrysler brands, coupled with slow-selling … Read more
In Canada, a country where Chrysler has traditionally enjoyed its highest market shares, second-quarter sales of Stellantis products rose by 17% over the same period in 2021—and retail sales rose by 18%, showing that the gains were not due to aggressive fleet sales. Overall, for the first half, FCA Canada sales rose by 4% to … Read more
GM had a relatively good second quarter, dropping by just 11% from Q2 2021—which is about half the drop of the US car market as a whole, excluding Ford, which has yet to report it. To a degree this goodness was purchased with the highest incentives—but FCA US was a close second, with both in … Read more
Toyota became a legend for its control of manufacturing quality and supply chains. Stellantis is a new beast, including FCA US, which is notorious among suppliers for its stinginess. On the other end, Toyota also went through years of running on fumes in its engineering departments, while FCA US pushed forward in exciting customers. Who dominated … Read more
Every time a car company puts out its sales figures, there will be some oddball vehicles on there—mainly, cars that have long been discontinued. They might have been used as loaners, or been subject to financial or legal issues, or perhaps even forgotten about—or the dealer may have been stubborn about getting at least what … Read more
FCA US reported a drop in sales for the second quarter (April through June) of 2022, compared with Q2 2021. Fleet sales rose as a percentage of the total, as retail sales fell by 24% and total sales fell by just 16%. Despite this, FCA US actually did well against its peers and may have … Read more
The Trenton Engine plant has two sections, North and South, sharing a parking lot and location near I-75 and MI-85, close to the Detroit River. Since the complex only makes engines and parts which are expected to be phased out, some believed the historic plant’s days were numbered. Instead, Stellantis is planning to spend $25 … Read more
Today, Jeep announced a number of changes to the Grand Cherokee lineup, which is now entirely on the WL platform. The heftiest change is making the 4xe plugin hybrid setup standard on the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, a decision many probably did not see coming. The 4xe provides the power of a V8 (375 hp, 470 … Read more
In the past, former Chrysler brands have tended to be either in the top or the bottom of the J.D. Power listings, but for 2022, they are literally all over it. Dodge was just below Buick as the second most reliable car; Chrysler was below even Tesla at the other end of the scale. Indeed, … Read more
When Chrysler was having its renaissance in the 1990s, breaking stereotypes and barriers, Tom Gale was trying to find a flagship car to represent each of the brands. Dodge had the Viper; Jeep already had the Wrangler; and Plymouth would have the Prowler. Chrysler was his one failure; he never nailed down the brand that … Read more
A €50 million equity purchase in Vulcan Energy Resources, making Stellantis its second largest shareholder, will help the Australian mining company expand operations in Germany. The money will be spent on expanding Vulcan’s Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field project, which produces geothermal energy and lithium brine. Moving forward, Vulcan will produce lithium hydroxide without using fossil … Read more