Straightline

The Jeep brand is the only among the Chrysler sphere that has any real standing internationally. So it's not a surprise that the Fiat bosses will focused more than little attention to what has become an SUV brand.

Here's the plan for Jeep through 2014:

Extra-Small SUV: This entry which is expected for 2013 will be based on a Fiat Group product, almost certainly the Panda.

Small SUV: This space is currently cluttered with the less-than-dynamic duo, the Patriot and its uglier sibling, the Compass. Both will get some modifications for 2010, but by the end of 2012, both will have been killed in favor of one offering, based on a Fiat Group offering.

Mid-size SUV: The Liberty will be slightly refreshed for 2010 and will be replaced by a Fiat Group-based mid-sizer in 2013.

Wrangler: It appears that the Italians know enough to not mess with the heart of the Jeep brand, the Wrangler. It will get some updates for 2010 and will get more for 2011, when Jeep celebrates its 70th anniversary, but it will otherwise be left alone.

Commander: On the chart Chrysler/Fiat gave us, the timeline for the big-'n'-boxy Commander goes all dotted-line after 2010. Above the broken line is written "International Reallocation" whatever that means exactly.

Grand Cherokee: With the new model coming out around the middle of 2010, there's not much to change, nor much reason to apparently. Even the lux Grand Cherokee will get a Rubicon Trail-capable "Trail Rated" version.
 

Categories: Chrysler,Fiat,Jeep,SUVs

Chrysler's new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 will debut in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which hits dealerships in the second quarter of 2010. In the Grand Cherokee, this engine will be rated at 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

Single- and twin-turbocharged versions of the Pentastar V6 are also in the works.

Reporting by Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat,Jeep,SUVs

Among the new diesels Chrysler-Fiat plans to sell will be a diesel Jeep Wrangler scheduled for introduction in the fourth quarter of 2010. A start-stop feature will increase what should already be very good fuel economy and shave 5 percent off its annual CO2 contribution.

-- Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: Chrysler,Diesels,Fiat,Jeep,SUVs

And by that, Jeep means 40-inch tires. Those are some serious meats, especially when you consider that Jeep didn't use any of kind of suspension lift to make room for them.

Instead, them Jeep boys decided they wanted to keep the stock ride height and just trim the body instead. The custom fender flares sit four-inches higher than stock and are one-inch wider. The Lower Forty also features a carbon fiber "power dome" hood and a special drop-down tailgate.,

To get all the rubber moving, there's a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 hooked to a six-speed manual transmission. The Dana axles have 5.38 gears and ARB air lockers.

Interior upgrades include a custom roll cage, leather seats, color matched dash and bedliner material in place of carpet. It's all going to get dirty anyway right?

2009 SEMA Show

Categories: Jeep,SEMA Show,SUVs,Tuners and Modifications

According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Chrysler's new product plan calls for partial redesigns of seven different models in the next 18 months. To accomplish the quick turn around, the company plans to hire additional engineers, designers and purchasing agents.

It's a far cry from earlier this year when Chrysler slashed it white collar workforce to maintain its cash reserves. Now it's finding itself in need of those same people to help push through product programs in half the time it did before.

Whether any of this helps is up for debate. A partial redesign of the Sebring pictured above isn't going to cut it. Chrysler needs seriously upgraded product to compete and 18 months is a long time to wait for a bunch of refreshes.

Detroit Free Press: Chrysler Aims to speed up its next redesigns
 

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

Chrysler has formally announced what has been rumored for weeks. The Dodge brand has been split into two. It will now consist of the Dodge Ram truck brand and the Dodge car brand each with its own CEO. Well known designer Ralph Gilles takes over as the head of the Dodge car brand while Chrysler marketing executive Fred Diaz Jr. will head up the Dodge truck brand. The former head of Dodge Mike Accavitti resigned. 

There were also a few other executive changes announced today. Oliver Francois is the new CEO of the Chrysler brand replacing Peter Fong. Francois currently heads up Fiat's Lancia brand in Europe and will retain that position along with worldwide responsibility for Dodge and Chrysler marketing. And finally, Joeseph Veltri, a long-time marketing executive has been named head of product planning.

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

Chrysler Group Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne is expected to lay out a formal, 5-year product plan for Chrysler today. Expected on it are 2010 launches of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee (though Jim Press, above, won't be around for that) shown at this year's New York Auto Show, and the Chrysler 300, which will spawn Dodge and Alfa variants.

Marchionne is also likely to order makeovers for the Chrysler minivans, Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass/Patriot and, somewhat surprisingly, the PT Cruiser. Marchionne wants these updated products on the market by mid-2011, the Detroit Free Press reports, and will rehire an unspecified number of employees to get this done. The word around Detroit, says Auto Observer, is that Chrysler has been so throughly gutted of talent and manpower, it currently doesn't have enough of a workforce to take on such projects.

The Fiat 500 is also expected to get a U.S. introduction by mid-2011, and it will be built at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico, plant. All of this, of course, has to be greenlighted by the President's automotive taskforce.

Auto Observer

Detroit Free Press

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Fiat,Jeep

Chrysler is chopping the size of the owner's manual in its model-year-2010 vehicles. Paper manuals will be 10 percent of the size they were in 2009 and will be accompanied by a DVD. The 60-to-80-page paper manual will include only basic info (adjusting the seat, dealing with an emergency situation). The main "manual" will be on the DVD. The embedded video offers a sample of the DVD manual for the 2010 Jeep Liberty

On the surface, this change is about saving paper, but unquestionably, cost-savings is the main motivating factor. Chrysler says you can still get a traditional full paper manual at no extra charge, but you have to request it through your dealer or through customer service.

What do you think of this change? Is it long overdue given the current state of technology? Is DVD the most appropiate format, or should Chrysler be putting this on a mini hard drive?

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep,Trends

This is not a new story. Ever since Chrysler announced it was terminating its franchise agreement with 789 dealerships in May, accusations that political bias entered into the decisions have been all over the Web, mostly on conservative-leaning blogs and forums. The basic "argument" is this: The vast majority of terminated Chrysler dealers gave money to Republican candidates, while many of the dealers who were spared supported the Obama campaign.

This claim has been refuted many times over in publications as wide-ranging as the left-leaning Huffington Post to the far-right Heritage Foundation's journal. Many experts have argued that car dealership owners as a whole are more likely to give to Republican causes, so it only stands to reason that many of the terminated dealers were GOP donors. Analysis by the Heritage Foundation suggests there was no correlation between dealerships' status and the percentage they donated to the Republican vs. Democratic campaigns (nor the amount they donated). In effect, it was just business.

But the rumors won't go away. Read Chrysler's official statement after the jump.

Continue reading Chrysler's Official Response to Accusations of Bias in Dealer Closings.

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

Chrysler stopped leasing vehicles on Aug. 1, 2008, at a time when low residual values (among other things) were causing all kinds of problems. Today, the company announced it will start offering leases again effective tomorrow.

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

This long list of events is your chance to throw away your inhibitions and lay down some rubber. Some of the track days make you bring your own vehicle, while others provide you with a machine to pilot. Either way, find the right event and brush up on your driving skills by booking some track time at the links below.

Continue reading Hit Up the Track With These Events.

Categories: Audi,BMW,Bentley,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Consumer Track Events,Dodge,Ferrari,Ford,Infiniti,Jaguar,Jeep,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lotus,MINI,Maserati,Mazda,Mitsubishi,Porsche,Saab,Scion,Subaru,Toyota

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

The whole idea of a high-performance sport-utility vehicle is a little tough for us to swallow. It's a totally nonsensical concept, yet it continues to thrive even in the face of expensive gas and even more expensive vehicles.

That said, who wouldn't appreciate driving a 2-ton, four-wheel-drive vehicle that can run 13s in the quarter-mile? There aren't many that can, but we've tested two that impressed us.

Most recently, it was the 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S that rolled through the garage and blew us away with its 550-horsepower V8. Then again, it should for $139,000. If your budget doesn't allow for such extravagance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the next best thing. For a mere $45K, it offers a similar experience. How similar? See for yourself in our latest head-to-head match-up straight from the test track.

Continue reading IL Track Tested: 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 vs. 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

Categories: IL Track Tested,Jeep,Porsche,SUVs

Last Friday, Chrysler announced that it would resume production of the PT Cruiser after saying the vehicle would be phased out over a year ago. It comes as a surprise not only because the PT had already been written off, but also because the Toluca plant in Mexico that builds the PT was scheduled to be retooled to produce Fiat subcompacts like the 500.

Now that production of the PT has resumed, it's obvious that Fiat has other plans. Why the change? Bill Visnic at AutoObserver puts forth various reasons for the new direction, and none of them are particularly good for Chrysler/Fiat.

AutoObserver: Chrysler To Continue With Cruiser; Plans With Fiat Changing?

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

Chrysler says it doesn't want to make anybody feel left out if they don't have a clunker to trade in, so as of July 24 it's offering $4,500 cash back or 0% financing for all buyers.

Of course, if you do have a clunker and can take advantage of the government program as well, you could save a cool $9,000 on a new Chrysler product before you even start haggling. Rams and Challengers for everybody, sweet. 

Categories: Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Jeep

Have you heard the news about the Fiat Panda 4x4 Adventure? It's a stripped down, "eco-friendly" version of Fiat's micro-sized off-roader. According to the press release, this bundle of fun is "aimed at "those at one with nature, with a love of outdoor activities, but also for professionals in the agricultural and forestry sectors." Clearly, Fiat was looking to satisfy all constituencies.

And why should you care? Because one of those constituencies could be you someday. Forecasting firm Global Insight is already predicting that the Panda will head our way badged as a Jeep in the summer of 2011. And if you thought Jeep's current compact vehicles are anemic, this particular Panda features a base engine with 60-horsepower. Don't worry though, there is a higher-spec model with 70-hp.

IL News: Fiat Panda 4x4 Adventure Unveiled

Categories: Fiat,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Jeep,SUVs