Exclusive

Jeep dropping Gladiator in Europe because of diesel; FarOut to be last edition

by
Jeep Gladiator FarOut Final Edition

Jeep launched the European Gladiator in 2021; the pickup was exclusively diesel-powered, a position which was already somewhat difficult when it was launched, and which has increasingly become untenable. Diesel sales have been falling in Europe since the Volkswagen scandal spread to other automakers, with its place apparently taken by hybrids and full-electric cars. The latter finally overtook diesels recently.
<>Read more

Ford trucks breaking axle shafts, and other mainly-Ford, non-Mopar recalls

by
2023 Ford display with Tremor, Transit

Ford is recalling its 2023 “Super Duty” F-250 and F-350 pickups because the left rear axle shaft may break, which can cause loss of power or vehicle rollaway. The recall affects 41,555 trucks in the US. Ford is also recalling the 2023 Edge because the right-side headlight is too bright; and the 2023 Explorer because the turbo oil line may be damaged. Ah, one more Ford recall: various Ford and Lincoln vehicles from 2018 to 2023 (Navigator, Aviator, Transit, Bronco) may lose their rear view camera image. <>Read more

Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Back for 2024 with 710hp, Three Trim Levels

by
2024 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat might be gone from the 2024 lineup, but Dodge announced today that the 710 horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat is still available for 2024, giving members of the Brotherhood of Muscle a chance to buy a new supercharged Hemi for at least one more year.

The 2024 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is mostly unchanged from 2023, and still includes the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8. With 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque, the Durango Hellcat is the “most powerful SUV on the planet,” boasting a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, quarter mile time of 11.5 seconds, and a top speed of 180 miles per hour. The quick-shifting 8-speed automatic and advanced all-wheel-drive system make these acceleration numbers  easily repeatable; it is also a fine SUV for wet or snowy conditions, making it the perfect Dodge Hellcat vehicle for year-round use. <>Read more

New Charge Enterprises part of dual-fork, no-chances STLA strategy

by
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe PHEV

Stellantis has been sending what some would call mixed signals lately, creating a brand new twin-turbo I-6 engine at the same time as it invests heavily in two North American battery plants (a promised third one was not yet been sited). In point of fact, the company is following its previously announced strategy of selling both internal-combustion and electric vehicles in the US, Canada, and Mexico—a strategy expected to see a 50/50 sales ratio of the two vehicle types in the calendar-year 2030. 
<>Read more

Not spotty cars: SPOTiCAR to sell used cars at US dealers

by
spoticar not spottycar

Stellantis’ “pre-owned” vehicle program for all FCA US brands but Maserati is launching in the United States. It’s a European import, created in 2019, and now available in eleven countries. Of note, the marques included are “Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT, Jeep®, Ram,” and—“Wagoneer by Jeep.” SPOTiCAR “brings together the approved used vehicles of official … Read more

Cashing in on the thousand-horse Demon 170: New aftermarket goodies

by
parachute

Dodge has lined up a number of new products for owners of the world’s quickest 0-60 production car, the 1,025-horsepower 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.  Buyers must call the Dodge//SRT concierge team at 800-998-1110 to verify their vehicle ownership and place orders; and they have one year, from September 6, 2023 through September 6, 2024, to get their orders in…. <>Read more

Durango getting twin-turbo six engines, stay of execution; and Hurricane Hybrid confirmed?

by
2022 Dodge Durango police pursuit car (squad)

Dodge has released a statement to fleet buyers that the 2025 Durango will have the new Hurricane twin-turbo straight-six as an option; it produces more power than the equivalent Hemi, using the same grade of fuel, but uses around 10% less fuel (in the Wagoneer). It appears that the Durango will be sold with either the 400+ hp or the 500+ hp version.

For the first time, as well, Dodge announced that the Hurricane… <>Read more

Retro Friday: diesel slant sixes

by
1977 Slant Six

When the fuel crises of the 1970s hit, American automakers were unprepared. Once Chrysler saw that big car owners were dropping their V8s in favor of newly-available slant sixes to save fuel, they authorized a two-barrel slant six to make the smaller engine more satisfactory—but could they go further? Chrysler had more than one slant … Read more

STLA Medium’s role in North America

by
2022 Jeep Compass

Speculation. Recently, I argued that the North American arm of Stellantis could be successful using STLA Large and Frame for just about all its vehicles; and we know that most of STLA Small is destined for lands outside of North America. That still leaves us with the STLA Medium platform/architecture, which is likely to spawn the next-generation Compass. … <>Read more

Used, rebuilt parts coming to USA Mopar dealers (updated)

by
Dodge Upgraded Driveline

Part of Stellantis’ vision for the future is to make more money from the entire lifecycle of a car, which includes older cars whose owners do not want to pay for expensive new OEM parts. The solution, announced last year as part of the “circular economy,” is both environmentally friendly and economical for owners: selling used and rebuilt parts under the B-Parts Reuse brand… <>Read more

Ford goes traditional for Recall Monday; but it’s mostly trucks

by
Ford Bronco

Recall Monday brings us another week of recalls. We headlined the Jeep Wagoneer recall for trim which can interfere with airbags; this should usually be a quick, simple fix for the dealers. Ford, on the other hand, went truly traditional (for Ford) with yet another rollaway recall. The 2023 Ford Bronco may have an unsecured transmission, which can prevent the Park pawl from engaging. The fix is a new transmission… <>Read more