Ram is dropping the EcoDiesel engine from the 1500, with the final truck to be made in January 2023. The option was first made in 2014, and upgraded for durability in the 2020 Ram 1500. The VM diesel engine, a 3.0 liter V6, brought Ram 1500 the highest half-ton diesel torque rating and towing capability, … Read more
Kokomo Casting employees at UAW Local 1166 went on strike recently to demand repairs to the heat/vent/air conditioning systems, health and safety improvements, clean uniforms (which are provided to workers in other plants), and work rule adjustments. Today, Detroit News reported that the company and union had reached a tentative agreement for a new local contract; … Read more
As Chrysler told owners five days ago, tomorrow, September 13, will be the official reveal of one of their “most luxurious and powerful special edition vehicles to date.” Most observers expect this to be a 300C with the 392 cubic inch, 6.4 liter Hemi V8 engine used in the closely related Dodge Charger and Dodge … Read more
Kokomo Casting employees at UAW Local 1166 are striking for repairs to the heat/vent/air conditioning systems, movement on health and safety issues, clean uniforms (which are provided to workers in other plants), and work rule adjustments. The union issued a statement noting that Stellantis claimed to have no money to fix these issues even as … Read more
Earlier this week, Jeep unveiled the Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S. Surprisingly, they have more in common with each other than the Wagoneer S has in common with the Wagoneer. Specifically, the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are body-on-frame vehicles based on the Ram 1500; the Wagoneer S is on the STLA Large platform, which … Read more
Chrysler’s revival is due in mid-to-late 2024 with a series of electric and possibly “electrified” (hybrid-electric) vehicles. In the meantime, buyers were promised one final hurrah in the form of a Chrysler 300 special edition, and it seems it will be a 300C just like the original 1957—in that it packs a 392 cubic inch … Read more
When Dodge introduced the all-electric Charger SRT Daytona EV Concept a few weeks back, the brand stated that the top-of-the-line Banshee model would beat the SRT Hellcat in every performance metric. No real performance numbers were offered and at the time, Stellantis didn’t have any all-electric vehicles to use for reference, but that changed with … Read more
Jim Morrison, head of Jeep and longtime off-road enthusiast, said that there would be four all-electric Jeeps by the end of 2025, with hybrids or full-electrics by that time. These are three of the new battery-electrics coming out in 2023-24. Rivian’s R1S has already shown that the BEV format can be very helpful in increased … Read more
This afternoon, Dodge introduced the 2023 Challenger Swinger and Charger Swinger. These new models are the 3rd and 4th vehicles to join the 2023 Last Call lineup, following the Challenger Shakedown and the Charger Super Bee. As expected, the Swinger package is mostly aesthetic, but these are fairly elaborate appearance packages, adding unique cues inside … Read more
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
For years, the ProMaster City, imported from Europe with little design change, was overlooked in favor of the Ford Transit Connect and Ram’s own full-sized ProMaster vans. While the ProMaster City held definite advantages while working in cities (particularly dense city centers such as Manhattan), it sold in small numbers—and, as one of two vehicles … Read more
Ram New for 2023 is an optional 12-inch digital gauge cluster with “nearly two dozen” different menus, five tiles for quick data, analog or digital readouts, and user profiles—on all types of Ram truck including chassis cabs. A new Ram 1500 Limited Elite Edition has a multi-function tailgate with a “tailgate ajar” warning light, bed … Read more