Introducing New Cars: Chrysler

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Chrysler Group Builds 1 Millionth Pentastar V6 after 18 Months

12:59 PM Hell No comments

Only 18 months after the Chrysler Group began production of its new Pentastar V6 at its Trenton Engine Assembly Plant in Michigan, the company hit its first important milestone with the manufacturing of the one-millionth unit. The V6 is also produced at Chrysler's plant in Saltillo, Mexico.

The Detroit firm's all-aluminum 3.6-liter V6 engine made its debut on the 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee but has since found its way under the hood of many more models.

These include the Chrysler 200, 300 and Town and Country, plus the Dodge Avenger, Challenger, Charger, Durango, Journey and Caravan, and more recently the 2012 Jeep Wrangler.

Fiat-Chrysler Alliance wants to Produce Jeep Models in China

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Chinese officials may be withdrawing their support for investments made by foreign automakers, but the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance is still looking for ways to increase its presence in the country.

A new report from the Detroit News says that Fiat and Chrysler are currently in "intense negotiations" with the Guangzhou Automobile Group to produce Jeep models for the local market.

The Italian automaker has already forged a joint venture with Guangzhou for the manufacturing of a new compact sedan based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, which will most likely be introduced in China at the upcoming Beijing motor show in April.

Bailout Execs Criticized for Receiving Big Salaries, Some Claimed they Couldn't Survive with $500k…

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On Tuesday, the Office of the Special Inspector General charged with auditing the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which bailed out among others General Motor and the Chrysler Group, came out with a report criticizing the U.S. government for failing to implement salary caps.

To brief you up, back in 2008, the U.S. government used US$700 billion under Tarp to bailout more than 700 institutions from which seven companies stood out due to the amount of money they received and the nature of their bailouts.

The seven companies that received so-called "exceptional assistance" were General Motors, the Chrysler Group, Ally Financial (formerly GMAC, Inc.), AIG, Bank of America, Chrysler Financial Services and Citigroup.

Although using taxpayers’ money to bailout privately owned institutions was an issue debated for a long time, as it turns out, saving those companies and thousands of American jobs was not the only issue on hand.

CSI Marchionne: Poor J.D. Power Scores Means Chrysler Dealers Must Work on Customer Satisfaction

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Fiat is the brand in the alliance that's in trouble and Chrysler the one blossoming right now having increased its sales by 26 percent in 2011, yet Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is not happy about the latter's performance in J.D. Power’s December Sales Satisfaction Index study on customer experience at dealerships.

The recent J.D. Power survey placed Jeep, Ram and Dodge in three of the bottom four places amongst the mainstream brands.

As a result, Sergio Marchionne wants Chrysler Group dealers to rapidly improve their Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores if the company is to achieve its sales goals. He said that some dealerships’ salespeople weren’t acting properly, failing to make follow-up calls or treat customers “with the dignity they deserve”.

Is the 2013 Dodge Dart Sedan Using an Automatic Transmission Supplied from Hyundai?

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It's no secret that, aside from the Fiat Group-sourced 168bhp 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine, the new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan continues to use two powerplants from Chrysler's past.

You see, while the Detroit maker is marketing its 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder units under the new "Tigershark" moniker, both have their roots in the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) family of engines.

To explain, GEMA was a joint venture of the Chrysler Group, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai Motor Company for the development of a line of shared four-cylinder gasoline engines. In 2009, Chrysler bought out the shares of Mitsubishi and Hyundai and continued GEMA on its own.

And here's where Hyundai comes into the picture. Citing unnamed sources, Car&Driver is reporting that the 2013 Dodge Dart's Tigershark engines are fitted with a Hyundai-supplied 6-speed automatic transmission.

Fiat Rumored to Extend 500 Range With Mini-Rivaling Five-Door “Wagon”

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On paper, Fiat’s return to the North American market after a 30-year absence was well planned. The first product introduced by the Italian maker was the 500 city car, which had already proven to be a hit in Europe, selling 770,000 units since 2007. Things looked promising in the U.S. as well.

While the 500’s mission was to rival BMW’s Mini, its 2011 sales of 26,000 units were almost half of original forecasts. Delays in the launch and the dealer network certainly played a role while Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne also thinks that the company’s strategy was to blame.

“We thought we were going to show up and, just because of the fact people like gelato and pasta, people will buy it”, he told reporters last week. “This is nonsense”.

Germany Makes Twice as Many Cars as the U.S. Even though it Pays its Workers Twice as Much

4:37 PM Hell No comments

You’re bombarded by the same message over and over again on the news and perhaps have even experienced it at your work as well: there is a global economic crisis, things are not going well, workers have to adapt and accept lower wages in order to keep their jobs.

It’s happening all over the world, from Europe to the United States. Even the current administration’s “car czar”, Steve Rattner, said that the government should have pushed the UAW to take wage cuts in order to enhance U.S. automakers’ competiveness.

It seems to make sense: cutting costs is a tried method of increasing a company’s profitability. But what if it’s all a lie created by profit-hungry, greedy mega corporations and perpetrated by the media – which, in some cases, are owned by the same people?

That’s the question posed by Kevin C. Brown on his article in Remapping Debate. The argument he makes is quite compelling: how are German car workers at companies like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW paid twice as much as their counterparts in the U.S., yet manufacture twice as many cars?

U.S. Auto Industry Speeds Up as China and Europe Slow Down

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What difference only three years can make: in 2009, U.S. sales had dipped to their lowest point in the last 25 years, while sales in China were increasing exponentially.

Today, the picture is quite different. The U.S. auto market has recovered and according to a report from Autonews, it may be the safest bet for profitable growth. Emerging markets including China, India and Brazil, which until recently looked like the land of opportunity for carmakers, are slowing down.

Fiat-Chrysler "Willing" to Form an Alliance with Opel, GM Says it's Not Interested

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In 2000, General Motors and Fiat formed an alliance in which the American company gained 20 percent of the Italian manufacturer’s shares in exchange for 5.1 percent of its own stock. Among other projects, the two companies jointly developed the Gamma platform for B-segment cars that underpinned the 2005 Fiat Punto and the 2007 Opel Corsa.

Fiat’s partnership with GM was short-lived though, and was eventually dissolved – but not before the Italians got US$2 billion dollars as part of the original agreement.

Well, we don’t know how to say “if at first you don’t succeed, try again” in Italian, but Sergio Marchionne surely does – and despite the earlier failure, commented during the Detroit Motor Show that Fiat and Chrysler would be “willing participants” if General Motors wanted to discuss Opel tying up with another manufacturer.

Chrysler Boss asks if the 700C Concept Minivan is Stupid, Beautiful or Crazy [with Poll]

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If it's attention that Chrysler wanted, it sure got what it asked for with the most secretive concept model of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the 700C minivan. And this despite the fact that the automaker didn't even issue a formal press release on its conceptual people carrier.

But all for good reason as Chrysler brand global boss Saad Chehab explained in an interview with Australian news site Drive at the Cobo Center.

Chebab told the website that Chrysler did not release any supporting information on the 700C because it "wanted unsolicited opinion about the car and its potential" from the motor show visitors. He also said that the 700C was a last minute addition to Chrysler's Detroit Motor Show booth.

Chrysler Rolls Out Odd-Looking 700C Concept Minivan in Detroit

3:16 PM Hell No comments

Unlike the 2013 Dodge Dart, the Chrysler Group was able to keep the 700C Concept under wraps until the grand opening of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. In fact, the Auburn Hills based company did better than that: it has yet to release any information whatsoever on the concept model…

Given the lack of details, we can only speculate on the 700C though out first guess would be that it is a study previewing one of many possible design directions for a future replacement to the Town & Country.

Dodge Dart gets "Unadjusted" 40 MPG Combined, Fiat Automatically Increases its Chrysler Stake by 5%

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Chrysler announced that Fiat S.p.A.’s ownership interest in the company has increased from 53.3 to 58.5 percent, in accordance to the June 10, 2009 Operating Agreement.

As stipulated by the agreement, Chrysler issued a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury stating that the company “has irrevocably committed” to begin assembly of a mass-production vehicle with a combined fuel economy of at least 40 mpg in a plant located in the United States.

2011 U.S. Sales: Detroit's Big 3 and Koreans Report Strong Gains, Honda and Toyota Feel the Pinch

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In the year that just ended, some automakers have a lot to be grateful for while others including Japan's biggest car brands would rather forget due to the Tsunami as well as the Thailand floods that significantly hurt their production lines during 2011.

Starting with the American carmakers, General Motors saw its U.S. sales rise 13.7 percent last year to 2,503,820 units. Chevrolet led the way with 1,775,812 units (+13.4%) followed by GMC at 397,986 (+18.8%), Buick at 177,633 (+14.3%) and Cadillac at 152,389 (+3.7%).

Marchionne’s 6 Million Sales Target for Fiat-Chrysler Deemed "Unrealistic" by Analysts

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To say that Fiat is in a crisis would probably be the understatement of the (last) year. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Italian group lowered its sales target for 2012 by half a million units, from 2.7 to 2.2 million. Even its CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has admitted that the European car market will drop in 2012.

Yet, the man who masterminded Chrysler’s acquisition during the 2009 bailout and merged the two groups into one entity wants them to sell more than six million vehicles a year by 2014. By doing so, he might have set the bar too high.

Polk Estimates Global Vehicle Sales to Reach 77.7 Million Units in 2012, and 96.3 Million in 2016

3:05 PM Hell No comments

The analyst gurus at R. L. Polk & Co have issued a new forecast for global vehicle sales in 2012. The automotive market intelligence firm predicts that sales are expected to rise 6.7 percent over 2011 volumes to 77.7 million vehicles, thanks to the global economy riding out the European debt crisis and consumers returning to showrooms.

However, this does not mean that the European car market will recover. On the contrary, Polk estimates that Europe will be the only region where sales will be flat or slightly down to just over 19 million units due to the tight financial plans enforced by most governments.

New Chrysler 200 Super S by Mopar Heads to the Detroit Auto Show

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Joining the 2012 Dodge Charger Redline at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week will be a second Mopar creation, this time based on the Chrysler 200 sedan called the Super S.

There are two available kits that improve the Chrysler 200 sedan's looks and handling respectively and which can be ordered together.

Yay or Nay? Custom Chrysler 300C HEMI V8 Coupe

9:38 AM Hell No comments

When you are a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer like Tony Gwynn, you can pretty much afford to get whatever ride you like. In Gwynn's case, at some point he fancied a first-generation Chrysler 300 in a coupe form. And he got his wish.

But now, Gwynn's custom-made Chrysler 300 has popped up for sale at Beverly Hills Motor Cars in San Diego with the dealer asking for US$27,950 (€21,700).

2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series

3:03 AM Hell No comments

Chrysler has introduced the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series, which will hit the U.S. market in the first-quarter of 2012.

Outside, Luxury Series cars are distinguished by their platinum-chrome grilles, door handles, mirror caps and polished 19 or 20-inch wheels, depending upon platform (RWD cars get 20-inch wheels, AWD cars get 19-inch). The styling changes are subtle and tasteful, and really do enhance the looks of the 300.

The seats themselves are a fine piece of design, coming with 12-way power-adjustable driver and front-passenger functions (including four-way power lumbar), plus two-mode ventilation and two-mode heated seats for both front and rear passengers.

The 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series arrive in the first quarter of 2012, starting at $40,145.

Press Release

All-new Chrysler 300 Luxury Series Sedan: The Most Luxurious and Fuel-efficient Chrysler Flagship Ever

All-new 300 Luxury Series expands the 2012 Chrysler 300 lineup with more personality, style and efficiency
Exclusive Luxury Series appointments include ultra-premium leather, hand-sanded matte wood, world-class craftsmanship and refinement - all to deliver the most luxurious Chrysler sedan ever
Chrysler 300 is the first domestic luxury sedan to feature a state-of-the-art eight-speed automatic transmission
Best-in-class 31 highway miles per gallon (mpg) and best-in-class all-wheel-drive fuel economy with eight-speed automatic transmission and award-winning 292 horsepower, 3.6-liter aluminum Pentastar® V-6 engine
Chrysler 300 Luxury Series models start at $40,145 and arrive in the first-quarter of 2012

December 27, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Designed to be the most luxurious and fuel-efficient Chrysler flagship sedan ever, the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series combines ultra-premium leather - once limited to some of the most exotic Italian luxury cars - with world-class refinement and handling, state-of-the-art safety and connectivity features and eight-speed automatic transmission with Pentastar® V-6 engine for 31 best-in-class highway mpg.

"The new 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Edition is more than just our flagship car, it's the trophy for the tireless majority, an automobile designed and built to meet the most discerning of expectations," said Saad Chehab, President and CEO - Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "It's fitted with a paddle shifting eight-speed transmission found only on cars twice its cost, dressed with the highest grade Italian Poltrona Frau leather and finished with hand sanded real wood found only in exotic cars - all to deliver a surprising combination of hyper craftsmanship, style, technology and ‘uber' best-in-class fuel economy at 31 mpg."

The new 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series expands the Chrysler flagship sedan lineup further with a fuel-efficient V-6 engine option, in addition to the top-of-the-range Chrysler 300C Luxury Series sedan with its powerful 363 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine with Fuel Saver Technology.

World-class luxury with expressive styling details

The all-new Chrysler 300 and 300C Luxury Series are the most highly appointed sedans the brand has ever offered.

Exclusive interior features found on the Chrysler 300 and 300C Luxury Series sedans include either Black or Mochachino Poltrona Frau® "Foligno" leather-wrapped instrument panel, cluster brow, center console side panels and upper front- and rear-door panels. Premium Nappa leather covers the door armrest, bolster and center console armrest. Black or two-tone Mochachino seats are wrapped exclusively in supple Nappa leather and include 12-way power-adjustable driver and front-passenger seats (including four-way power lumbar) with two-mode ventilation and two-mode heated seats for both front and rear passengers. Black or two-tone Mochachino leather-wrapped steering wheel - with all-new die-cast paddle shifters - features a unique chrome accent ring to highlight the segment-exclusive 360-degree heated rim. Completing the interior environment is specially selected Natural Pore Mocha wood trim featuring a matte finish to enhance the beauty of the real wood.

On the exterior, large 20-inch polished face (rear-wheel drive (RWD) only, 19-inch with all-wheel drive (AWD) and painted pocket aluminum wheels, provide the 2012 Chrysler 300 and 300C Luxury Series sedans with an even more planted and road-holding look. Platinum chrome fascia accents, exterior mirror caps and door handle accents provide an even more upscale look. Topping off the unique exterior is a platinum-chrome finished grille surround with platinum-chrome mesh grille for a truly distinctive appearance.

Premium amenities include the segment's largest touchscreen infotainment system (8.4-inch) Uconnect® Touch 8.4N with Garmin® navigation, SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link, LED-illuminated instrument cluster with driver-selectable color EVIC, power tilt and telescoping steering column with memory, power-adjustable pedals with memory, power backlight sunshade, premium 18-ounce Berber floor mats satin chrome lower door sills with "Chrysler" logo, dual heated/cooled cup holders, ambient lit foot well lighting, LED illuminated interior door handles and front and rear map pockets, premium carpeted trunk mat, HomeLink universal transceiver and power exterior mirrors with memory, driver mirror auto-dimming and auto-tilt in Reverse.

Available in RWD or with the segment's most advanced AWD system, the 2012 Chrysler 300 and 300C Luxury Series models arrive at Chrysler dealerships in the first-quarter of 2012. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (including $825 destination) of these Chrysler 300 models is:

Chrysler 300 Luxury Series (RWD) $40,145
Chrysler 300 Luxury Series (AWD) $42,495
Chrysler 300C Luxury Series (RWD) $42,895
Chrysler 300C Luxury Series (AWD) $45,245

Democratization of technology: segment-first eight-speed automatic transmission

Once available only on premium import vehicles costing twice as much, the 2012 Chrysler 300 is the first domestic luxury sedan to feature an eight-speed automatic transmission. This new segment-exclusive ZF 8HP45 eight-speed automatic transmission expands the world-class power and fuel-efficiency of the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series and delivers class-leading fuel efficiency with respect to:

Best-in-class highway fuel economy (31 highway mpg)
Best-in-class V-6 AWD fuel economy (18 city and 27 highway mpg)
Best-in-class combined fuel economy (23 with RWD, 21 with AWD)
Unsurpassed city fuel economy (19 city mpg RWD, 18 mpg AWD)
Overall unsurpassed fuel economy in its class (19 city and 31 highway mpg with RWD)

The addition of three more gear ratios in the proven ZF eight-speed automatic transmission design help to reduce the gaps normally associated with upshifting and downshifting. Combined with the award-winning 292 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, passengers will experience world-class levels of refinement due to small, evenly spaced ratios that provide quicker acceleration and smoother shifts.

Delivering up to a 17 percent fuel economy improvement compared with the previous generation six-cylinder Chrysler 300 AWD models, the new 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series AWD combines the new eight-speed automatic transmission, fuel-efficient 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine and the segment's most advanced AWD system for maximum all-weather traction and efficiency.

Chrysler 300's AWD system (both V-6 and V-8 engines) features a segment-exclusive active transfer case and front-axle-disconnect system to improve real-world fuel economy. No other major automotive manufacturer offers the combination of these two independent technologies. Chrysler 300's innovative AWD system seamlessly transitions between RWD and AWD with no driver intervention. When AWD is not required, the system automatically disconnects the front axle to maximize fuel economy while still providing the outstanding fun-to-drive performance and handling inherent in RWD sedans.

2012 Jeep Wrangler

11:33 AM Hell No comments

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler.

Regular TireKicker readers know of my fondness for purposeful, iconic design. Well, right up there with the Porsche 911 (but one heck of a lot less expensive) is the Jeep Wrangler.

Remarkably, I've never owned one. This, despite spending 16 years of my life in the High Sierras and 27 in the Desert Southwest. Came close once, in Reno in 1978. But the CJ (as it was then known) was crude, thirsty and expensive. I bought a Toyota Corolla instead.

Now, though, the Jeep Wrangler appears to be in a sweet spot...having acquired comfort, practicality and everyday usefulness (well, some of those things, anyway) without sacrificing its rugged go-anywhere capabilities.

A lot of credit for that goes to the new Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. 285 horsepower, 260 pounds per foot of torque...and it's standard in every Wrangler...even the base $22,045 Wrangler Sport. That engine brings with it a much better mileage picture, too...EPA estimated 17 city/21 highway.

Our tester was the two-steps-up Sahara, which adds air conditioning, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, power locks and windows, body-color fender flares, deep tint sunscreen glass, and 18 inch satin silver painted wheels. Base price for the Sahara: $27,970.

2012 Jeep Wrangler interior.

The other major improvement in the Wrangler? The interior. Chrysler/Fiat (or Fiat/Chrysler)'s attention to detail in the cabins has spread to the Jeep and it is now a remarkably nice place to be, while still maintaining the ruggedness of materials and construction a real Jeep needs.

Our Sahara also had a big batch of optional equipment...leather-trimmed seats (heated in front) for $900...Customer Preferred Package 24G (a remote USB port, electronic vehicle information center and Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth) for $385...a 5-speed automatic transmission with hill descent control for $1,125...Trac-Lok limited slip rear differential for $295...a body-color 3-piece hardtop with rear window wiper, washer and defroster and a storage bag for $1,715...a Media Center upgrade (AM/FM/SiriusXM/CD/DVD/mp3/HDD/Navigation system with SiriusXM Travel Link and a 6.5 inch touch-screen display) for $1035 (a bargain when you consider many nav systems are $2,000 or more)...and a remote start system for $200.

Fold in the $800 destination charge and the bottom line is $34,425. No, that's not cheap. But it's not outrageous, and it's possible to shave almost 12 grand off that price and still get the great engine, decent interior accomodations and off-road and poor weather capability.

The Wrangler is getting very close to being an offer too good to pass up.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Base price: $27,970.

As tested: 34,425.

Likes: New Pentastar V6 engine, vastly improved interior, and it's still a real Jeep.

Dislikes: Can I get back to you on that?

EPA estimate: 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway.