Jeep Renegade leaving the US, Canada

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Renegade (RED)

There will be no 2024 Jeep Renegade in the United States or Canada, according to a report from the industry weekly Automotive News.

The Renegade is Jeep’s least expensive vehicle. It was co-developed with the Fiat 500X; early prototypes were reportedly unsatisfactory and sent back to the engineering center after Jeep’s testing, requiring two years to meet the marque’s standards. Often sneered at by Jeepers for its relatively low off-road capability, the Renegade was still a tough-bodied vehicle…

Recall Monday: loose bolts, bad welds, and that Jeep recall

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recalls-bolts

The week’s recall roundup includes some odd GM and BMW gaffes, randomly opening Ford doors, and, at last, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall announced by Stellantis two weeks ago.

At GM, the 2023-24 Cadillac Lyriq may have badly welded seat belt brackets, and the Hummer and Silverado EVs may have loose seat belt buckle bolts. These may seem like embarassing mistakes if they hadn’t been released with Ford’s 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ recall for doors which may open while driving.

2024 Fiat 500e prices set—below 2019 models

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2022 Fiat 500 electric (BEV) (Fiat 500e)

Fiat is dropping the price on the 500e from the prior generation, but it will still cost more than the Leaf ($27,495). Buyers can get the 2024 Fiat 500e for $32,500 plus destination, according to Alex Bernstein of CarsDirect. His report comes from dealership order guides. The car may be sold as “haggle-free,” without individual … Read more

Status report: Grand Cherokee Hurricane, Hemi, and four-banger

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Jim Morrison piloting Grand Cherokee

When the Hurricane Six engines were first unveiled, a company executive said that the long-awaited twin-turbo straight sixes were to be optional in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as appearing in the Jeep Wagoneer. 2023 models came and went without this option; and then the 2024s arrived, and while the Wagoneer went Hurricane-only, the Grand Cherokee stayed mostly as it was.

Recall Monday: Wrangler and other companies

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recalls

The Wrangler 4xe recall last week, which got perhaps more attention than it deserved (as only 1% of the vehicles actually have the flaw), grabbed headlines; but today’s list of recalls from the NHTSA is remarkably short, excluding as we always do commercial and recreational vehicles. The worst recall belongs to Land Rover’s 2023 Defender, … Read more

Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall and fire warning (updated)

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2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe

Jeep is recalling some 32,125 US-market 2021-24 Wrangler 4xes due to fire risk, though only around 1% have the flaw. The company advises that owners do not recharge them, but that they do park them away from structures and other vehicles, until the software is updated. The software update will include an automated check of … Read more

STLA halves Chinese company’s shares

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Stellantis financials - earnings - dollars

Stellantis confirmed that they had bought back 50 million shares of STLA stock from Dongfeng for $1 billion. The Chinese company had owned roughly 3.2% of Stellantis’ stock, and will now own a bit less than 1.6%.  The shares will be cancelled once Stellantis has them, rather than being resold, as Stellantis is also buying … Read more

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Runs Great Early Times in California

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Ron Silva's 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

The vast majority of track times that we discuss here at Stellpower occur on the East Coast of the United States in the late fall or winter months, because the air density is pretty much unbeatable. When the Dodge team ran their 8.91 record, they did so at South Georgia Motorsports Park in December, when … Read more

Canada houses STLA’s battery testing hub

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2024 Ram EV

With battery-electric cars set to become a major part of Stellantis’ product line—and a projected 50% of US sales in 2030—the company has to have some way of testing battery-electric vehicles while keeping its gasoline powertrain testing. It also has to avoid unquenchable fires in the basement of the Auburn Hills testing center. The first … Read more

New generation of Fiat Ducato EV provides longer range

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large vans

Stellantis is the #2 automaker in Europe, and the #1 in commercial vehicles. Globally, its commercial vehicle range, now dubbed Pro One, includes six brands including Ram, ten pick-ups, and a hydrogen solution. The company plans for light commercial vehicles to account for a third of Stellantis profits, including aftersale services. The new Fiat E-Ducato, … Read more