Update: No new Cherokee was revealed today, but a brand new, unexpected Jeep Recon with removable doors was previewed along with the Jeep Avenger for Europe and the BEV Wagoneer S. A new Cherokee might still be planned, but the Recon might be a replacement for the Cherokee, too. Jeep is holding a 4xe Day tomorrow to … Read more
Chrysler’s revival is due in mid-to-late 2024 with a series of electric and possibly “electrified” (hybrid-electric) vehicles. That makes the marque’s recent Facebook post all the more puzzling: The range of explanations includes a special-edition Chrysler 300C, powered by the 392 engine—an engine whose displacement intentionally replicates that of the biggest and most powerful of … Read more
The Hurricane I6 comes in two forms, standard output (beating the 5.7 Hemi) and high output (beating the 6.4 Hemi’s 485 horsepower by 25 hp, and its 485 pound-feet of torque by 15). Acceleration is said to be thrilling, with strong torque throughout the engine’s rev range. But what about gas mileage? According to EPA … Read more
The 2022 Jeep Cherokee was the first to drop the 2.4 liter four-cylinder—an engine whose block was jointly designed by Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and DaimlerChrysler, with each company setting up their own air and fuel delivery systems. Under Cerberus and Fiat, Chrysler redesigned these to create “Tigershark” versions; but they remained noisy and, at best, no more … 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 Hurricane I6, equipped with twin turbos and a raft of high tech design features, has two versions, each of which easily outpowers the corresponding Hemi V8. The standard output engine’s peak horsepower and torque are above those of the 5.7 Hemi, while the high-output Hurricane runs over the magic 500 for both horsepower and … Read more
While car shortages are expected to continue for another year, due to parts shortages, North American production has been rising—according to Automotive News. Within the Big Three, in June 2022 compared with June 2021: FCA US: 159,677—up by 34,885 General Motors: 186,979—up by 29,101 Ford: 153,401—up by 27,665 For the year to date, the numbers … Read more
Last week, Mopar announced a number of new additions to its Direct Connection portfolio, aimed mainly at racers—Direct Connection’s original 20th-century audience and purpose. These include a new Drag Pak rolling chassis for the Sportsman class in drag racing and a new $8,000 Challenger body-in-white. These were covered by Stellpower in some detail last week, … Read more
In addition to bringing back the fratzog—its logo through the 1960s and early 1970s—Dodge may bring back a symbol of 1980s performance. FCA US trademarked three Dodge terms, all in the category of “passenger automobiles and structural parts therefor:” Fratzog—the Dodge symbol which, to our knowledge, was only informally named, and not trademarked by the … Read more
We have received many questions pertaining to the order banks for the 2023 Dodge Challenger and Charger – which are expected to be the final model year with the supercharged Hemi engines. There is still no official word from the Dodge brand or Stellantis as to when the final model year will officially go on … Read more
Way back in January, we reported that then-new Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell was planning an expansion or revitalization of the brand. It will require patience: for example, she reported that “a large utility vehicle” is on the cards for launch any time from 2025 to 2028. She was careful not to be specific about what is coming. … Read more
On Monday, FCA US announced that it would be making a 1.6 liter turbocharged engine for use with hybrid powertrains in two American vehicles. This engine appears to be a new edition in the established EP6 series. The first EP6 four-cylinders had rather public issues with the valve timing; when these were fixed, PSA assigned the … Read more
When the 2022 Jeep Cherokee eliminated the 2.4 liter four-cylinder, the writing on the wall became easier to read. The old “Tigershark” version of DaimlerChrysler’s World Gasoline Engine was now only used in the Jeep Compass and Ram ProMaster City. When we first wrote about this, weeks ago, we believed the 2.4 had around one or … Read more
Reading the recalls at Stellpower, people may get the idea that Stellantis recalls its cars at an unusual high rate. In fact, every automaker issues numerous recalls, as cars are exceedingly complex systems made with a bewildering array of option groups to maximize both sales and profits. We don’t have a lot of Toyota stock … Read more
Today, Chevrolet introduced the 2023 Colorado, which has seemingly gotten a whole lot better with the generational change. The bland, boring styling of the current Colorado has been replaced with a far edgier, more aggressive design. Sure, it looks a great deal like every other new Chevy across the front end, but some people like … Read more
Stellantis posted record profits for the first half of the year, with adjusted earnings before tax and interest rising by 44% to $12.7 billion. North America, which is dominated by the former Chrysler brands, was responsible for nearly half of all sales, and had a record margin of 18.1%. Overall, Stellantis’ margin rose from 11.4% in … Read more