Jeep Avenger: stunning European Car of the Year victory
The Jeep Avenger is the European Car of the Year, in a surprise victory over stiff global competition.
Finally: Mopars at the Canadian Auto Show in Toronto
Stellantis is returning to Canada’s biggest, most popular car show, bringing Jeep’s indoor off-road course and other attractions. The displays will range from the Hornet to the Wagoneer L. It may seem that Stellantis was snubbing the show, but the show itself was actually closed for some time due to COVID. It will be open … Read more
A better 2022 for Mopars, north of the border
Mopars fared reasonably well in Canadian sales for 2022, with 169,179 cars sold—a 5% gain over 2021.
The Wagoneer had a good outing with 1631 regular and 930 high-priced Grands trading hands—totaling 16,682 sales. Compare those premium cars from a standard brand to Alfa Romeo’s 911 total sales for the year. Both were up from 2021 but that makes sense, since they started production late in that year.
STLA’s recall performance for 2022 vs the oddly high Ford and Tesla
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its list of 2022 recalls. Overall, there were 390 recalls, including trucks and trailers. Ford topped the list by a huge margin, with 65 recalls, including the company’s trademark fire-hazard recalls. In fairness, Ford had four major launches—the Bronco, Bronco Sport and Escape, and Mustang and F-150 … Read more
Does Mopar dominate big cars with the Charger?
Back in the 1970s, full-sized cars practically disappeared as fuel efficiency became more important and manufacturers started packaging their vehicles better—so that the outside of a car could shrink by a foot or two, while adding interior space. In the 1990s, Chrysler brought the segment back to life with the exciting LH cars, which added … Read more
Chrysler recaptured minivan title
Despite numerous plant shutdowns and a brand-new Toyota Sienna and semi-new Kia Carnival, Chrysler managed to hold onto the minivan crown, though it was a somewhat pyrrhic victory. With sales at just under 100,000, Chrysler held steady with 2021, but every competitor plummeted in sales. The Sienna fell by 35%, despite a brand new all-hybrid … Read more
Toyota is Brand One in the USA—but not the biggest seller
Toyota sold the largest number of cars of any brand in the US, once again, as a brand, with 1.85 million sales—down 9% but still enough to beat Ford’s 1.77 million sales (down 2%). Chevrolet, once America’s top seller by a big margin, rose to 1.50 million with a 6% gain. After that, no other … Read more
BEV thermal management: Supercoolers and, yes, intakes and exhausts
Electric motors can get quite hot while operating—and so can batteries when powering those motors. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) makers have all spent a great deal of time and money on thermal management, as gasoline-vehicle makers did before them. Their solutions work well for most people, but there is likely room for more work by enthusiasts. That … Read more
Where’s Ram in a year of pickups and big vans
Ford crowed over its ownership of big trucks and another year of the F-series being the top-selling nameplate. GM bragged that it was the top selling big pickup maker. Where was Ram, the only company selling two different generations of pickup, in all this?
Ram Revolution 1500 BEV concept: high-tech, clever design testing the waters for the real thing
Which brings us to the 2023 Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept. What exactly are they testing? We have a number of options, including the styling, the design, the technologies, and the powertrain. If you get impatient, just scroll down—we know truck people want to know about towing, hauling, and range, and some people just want to know about tech, and others want to learn about STLA Large.
Mopar US sales fell in 2022 (updated) while GM gained
All FCA US brands were down in U.S. sales for 2022, mainly due to supply shortages.
At Jeep, the Wagoneer was a hero with 316,219 sales in its first full year, with Grand Wagoneer adding 11,736 more—and showing that you can indeed sell an expensive Jeep (other than Wranglers). The low-end Renegade, by contrast, only had 27m549 sales. The mainstream Cherokee only mustered 40,322 sales, less than the two pricey Wagoneers; it leaves production on the last day of February. The Grand Cherokee hit 223,345 despite being down 16%; Wrangler dropped 11% to 181,409; and Gladiator hit 77,855 down 13%, despite its high price and niche status.
Dodge Challenger is America’s Bestselling Muscle Car Once Again
The sales numbers for the fourth quarter of 2022 are in and for the second year in a row, the Dodge Challenger beat the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro in annual sales. This was announced in a Stellantis press release earlier today and including the sales numbers for the Dodge Challenger. We have also … Read more
Chrysler Synthesis Cockpit Demonstrator Debuts at CES 2023
The Chrysler brand plans to introduce its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) in 2025 and a full battery-powered lineup by 2028. At the ongoing 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Stellantis is providing a glimpse into Chrysler’s all-electric future with the Chrysler Synthesis Cockpit Demonstrator. This futuristic two-seat cockpit it designed to showcase … Read more
Final Special Edition Dodge Challenger to Debut on March 20 in Vegas
The final special edition 2023 Dodge Challenger will be introduced on March 20, 2023 at the Dodge “Last Call” performance festival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is the car that was teased under a cover at the Dodge Speed Week event last summer in Detroit before a planned debut at the SEMA Show in … Read more
Motorsports Legend Ken Block Killed in Snowmobile Accident
This morning, the automotive world is morning the loss of one of the greatest wheelmen of the modern era with the untimely passing of Ken Block. Around 10pm on Monday, January 2nd, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office posted news on their official Facebook page that has shocked pretty much everyone in the automotive world when … Read more
New Ram 1200 (Dodge Dakota?) spotted in Brazil
Ram 1200 (possibly Dodge Dakota): … this unibody vehicle will be more than 5 meters long and positioned against the Ford Maverick. They believed that the Jeep Compass-based vehicle would be made in Toluca, Mexico, for the United States, Canada, Mexico, and possibly South America. It will be powered by the 2.0 turbo engine and ZF nine-speed automatic, with optional all wheel drive. They also expected a plug-in hybrid to go up against Hyundai’s Santa Cruz…