The Dodge Hornet is coming, but it’s still in the rumor stage. Meanwhile, Subaru has thrown down a brand new 2022 WRX. Subaru claims upgraded handling and a new direct-injection turbocharged boxer engine for its 2022 performance sedan. The status of the STi high-performance model is currently unknown but there’s a new GT trim, and all … Read more
The Ram Clean Air System, standard on the 2022 Ram 1500, filters 95% of air particulates, providing the “cleanest cabin air in a Ram Truck ever,” and separating out pollen, allergens, bacteria, smoke, and other pollutants. On the Chrysler 300, it’s not called the Ram Clean Air System, but it’s still there. How does this … Read more
Christine Feuell is leaving her post as Chief Commercial Officer of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions to become the leader of the Chrysler brand. She will report directly to Carlos Tavares. While Honeywell might seem like an odd place to be mining for a leader of a car brand, Christine Feuell rose through the ranks … Read more
For 2022, the Jeep Compass, already upgraded to look and feel more luxurious, has gotten more attention inside. A new 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster is optional, and buyers get an 8.4 inch center telematics display on base models and Latitude, with a 10.1 inch screen standard on all upper models. The center console has … Read more
A huge, online Mopar auction is coming, to break up a collection held in Texas and gathered over the course of many years. Some of the cars are pristine, some are junkers; and there is memorabilia for those who can’t afford the cars (or the shipping). The auction materials are already posted, via Spanky’s Freedom … Read more
The Uconnect 5 system has more changes than just capitalization, which moves from UConnect to Uconnect. Now, the system is four times faster than Uconnect 4, with three times as much memory, WiFi capability, and more flexibility. Ram. The new Uconnect 5 telematics system will be standard on Ram Chassis Cab Laramie and above, and Ram … Read more
The Chrysler 300, one of the very few mass-market full-size sedans still sold in America, went through a model pare-down in 2021. For 2022, the UConnect 4C navigation system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, displayed on an 8.4 inch touch-screen, is standard. The 300 starts with an eight-speed automatic and 292 horsepower V6 engine; … Read more
Mopars topped J.D. Power’s 2021 Initial Quality Survey (IQS™), which, since it only tests vehicles for the first 90 days of ownership, tends to reflect factory inspection and telematics systems more than long-term quality. Topping the list remains a high achievement. Of most importance, Ram pushed its way up to be the very top brand; … Read more
Jeep Wranglers with the four-cylinder engine may have cracked fuel lines which can cause a fire. The problem is likely to affect only a few 2020 Wranglers—around 1% of the 14,410 potentially afflicted vehicles sold in the US (vehicles sold elsewhere in the world will be recalled if they have the same equipment). The plastic … Read more
A new compact crossover dubbed Dodge Hornet is destined for sale in the United States in calendar-year 2022. The Hornet will carry a 2-liter dual-cam GME engine, currently made in Italy but possibly to be imported from Indiana if demand is high enough. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version is expected—and, really, needed for Stellantis North America … Read more
American Stellantis owners are less likely to stay loyal to the company than buyers of GM or Ford cars, by a wide margin, according to Experian data published recently by Automotive News. However, Stellantis is not at the bottom of the automotive field—though its competitors are generally much smaller. Among major manufacturers, GM is surprisingly … Read more
The last major ProMaster upgrades involved a new front grille and some hefty durability-and-reliability upgrades. The next upgrades are aimed at catching up to the state of the art in safety, comfort, and convenience; and increasing efficiency with the old six-speed minivan automatic replaced by a TorqueFlite nine-speed automatic. There is also a new two-row … Read more
It might be the last truly new engine made by Stellantis—the engine coded Tornado, after the British fighter. Four years ago, I wrote about this turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine for Allpar. At the time, people in the company said this powerplant would replace the 5.7 Hemi. There were six advantages of this engine over the Hemi: … Read more
FCA had already started making a strong four-cylinder turbo engine and was near production on a strong turbo six when it merged with Peugeot. So, months later, why are we still seeing Jeeps with low-power four-cylinder engines, and nothing to compete with Ford’s turbo sixes? The answer is production. The Jeep version of the turbo-2.0, … Read more
Collectors Keith and Denise Neufeld brought together an interesting mix of cars and parts over 30 years; and all of their collection is now being auctioned off, including a 1967 Dart GT, 2008 Dodge Magnum SRT8, Dodge 400, Fargo pickup, Plymouth Special Deluxe, Chrysler New Yorker, and various Brand X and other trucks. Among the … Read more
The Windsor Assembly Plant, original and current home of the Chrysler minivan (and, at the moment, nothing else) has won the Association of Energy Engineers’ Canada Region Energy Project of the Year Award, for cutting the paint shop’s energy use by 8%. That is enough to save 20,250 gigajoules per year—or about the same as … Read more