The Dodge Hornet R/T is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) while also being the brand’s first compact SUV in more than a decade. With the governmental push for electrified vehicles, the Hornet R/T fills a key role for the Dodge brand in that area, but more importantly, the compact SUV segment is … Read more
Ram has announced the changes to its 2024 models. Back in May, Stellpower wrote that “Either the 2024s or 2025s are likely to jettison the Hemi V8s in favor of Hurricane Sixes, with the possible exception of the 6.4 liter truck engines in the Heavy Duty lineup.” All that has changed now is the dates: … Read more
As time goes on, FCA US (Stellantis North America) press releases increasingly refer to “the Dodge brand,” “the Jeep brand,” and so on. Maybe this made sense for Chrysler before FCA, to avoid confusion between the marque and the company (many car folk eschew the term “brand” in favor of the more dignified “marque”), but there is no Chrysler Corporation or Chrysler Group today.
There has never been any reason for Dodge people to refer to “the Dodge brand.” It’s just Dodge. Nobody thinks that Dodge City is producing cars—or Phelps Dodge—or Grace Dodge. There’s only one Dodge that makes cars, and it’s the group that used to be Dodge Division and before that Dodge Brothers… and Dodge Brothers didn’t make other brands of cars. <>Read more
Matt Hagan and his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat funny car are currently in the second spot in the battle for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Funny Car Championship while Leah Pruett and her Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster are in the fourth spot in their championship race. There are really only two points in … Read more
With the Ram 1500 and possible ProMaster and ProMaster City due for replacement in 2025, Ram’s upgrades for 2024 are relatively minimal. Ram chassis cabs appear to have had no actual changes, keeping their 6.4 liter gasoline Hemi and 6.7 liter Cummins B-engine options intact. Ram 3500 Chassis Cab has the eight-speed automatic with the … Read more
The last vehicle engineered entirely under Chrysler Corporation, before Daimler, Fiat, and Peugeot, is getting its own last call. The Abrams M-1 tank is finally headed for a full re-engineering project, ending decades of patching and add-on upgrades, according to Military Times.
The original Abrams tank was the only Chrysler turbine car to actually be sold; it was lauded by procurement officers for its ability to burn any fuel (though that doesn’t appear to ever have been used) and for its power and economy, relative to the only real alternative of the time, diesel. <>Read more
Automakers including Stellantis have been rebuilding their in-car platforms using Google software. That might be one reason why so many are flunking Mozilla’s privacy test; indeed, nobody passed it.
Automakers “can collect deeply personal data such as sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and genetic information, and where you drive,” with microphones, cameras, phones, and sensors in the car, as well as their car apps, web sites, and dealership systems. They combine the data to make inferences about buyer traits. None appear to use encryption in the car to keep this data safe. <>Read more
Takata airbags had to be recalled and replaced because they tended to erupt unexpectedly as humidity took its toll, due to engineering issues. The massive recall of ARC and Delphi airbags may are very different… <>Read more
Analysis. The industry is steadily moving towards electrification and full electric (via batteries or hydrogen fuel cells) to help with emissions and fuel economy. While there are many advantages, many in the buying public have vociferously objected—and do so again whenever any article so much as mentions electric cars or, in some cases, hybrids… <>Read more
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.
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) recently issued the whole vehicle theft loss report for the 2020 through 2022 model years and the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is officially the most stolen car in the United States. According to this report, the Hellcat Charger is 60 times more … Read more
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
Speculation. When I read about the STLA Medium platform and saw the segment breakdown, one of my first thoughts was the return of the small Mopar performance vehicles. The article mentioned the Neon, Stratus, and Sebring, but my mind went straight to the return of the Dodge Dart. The last Dodge Dart had a great … Read more
The 2024 Grand Caravan continues, but only in Canada, where it is a lower-cost version of the Pacifica. For 2024, new colors are the opposing Baltic Grey and Red Hot. In the United States, changes range from clever to minor: Emergency vehicle alerts in UConnect give drivers cluster and touch-screen notices of active fire trucks, … Read more
UConnect (or “Maserati Intelligent Assistant”) is adding some new features in the 2024s. Hybrid-electric (and future battery-electric) vehicles have dynamic range mapping which, when the navigation system is used, can predict range on particular roads with existing traffic. It provides alerts if recharging will be needed and shows available stations. Charging schedules can be managed … Read more
Early this morning, we brought you the news of the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, but since receiving a few questions about the rest of the lineup, we have put together this quick piece detailing the engine options and trim levels for the roomy SUV. In short, very little has changed for the 2024 model year … Read more
