Auto blog

Chrysler called out over lackluster Ram Runner by racer who helped develop it

Fans of off-roading and desert blasting might recall that Chrysler offers an aftermarket conversion that can turn a Ram 1500 into a road-legal desert racer, called the Ram Runner. The kit, sold through Mopar, includes some significant suspension upgrades, body tweaks and a brawnier cat-back exhaust for the truck's 5.7-liter V8.
Considering all of this, comparisons with the almighty Ford F-150 SVT Raptor are common. Among the off-road community, that makes these two a sort of Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang for people that prefer driving on dirt. In the Race-Dezert forum, the discussion as to which truck was better was proceeding as normal - Ram fans said their piece and Ford fans said theirs. Then, a man named Kent Kroeker offered up his two cents.
See, Kroeker is a Baja racer, and the man that helped develop the Ram Runner. Despite his association with the truck, though, he had some less than kind words for Chrysler and the Ram Runner.

Chrysler minivans under investigation for stalling after fuel refill

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least one man has reported that his 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan stalled unexpectedly on the highway shortly after being refueled. The unidentified man who contacted NHTSA regarding the issue cited as many as eight similar instances reported by other drivers.
NHTSA has announced that it will launch an inquiry into this issue, which could affect as many as 160,000 minivans from Dodge and Chrysler that were sold in 2007 (or more, if a problem is found that extends to additional models years, we'd assume). As of yet, there's no formal investigation, let alone a recall, on these vans, as the agency is merely determining if further action is needed.
Two months ago, Chrysler recalled nearly 700,000 vehicles, the majority of which were minivans, from the 2008-2010 model years to replace ignition switches after an investigation found that their weak springs and detent positions could fool a driver into thinking the car was in the "Run" position, when it's actually in the "Accessory" position.

2015 Chrysler 200 caught looking good after leaking out

We can't yet share all the details on the 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan, but we can direct your attention to the image above, which was published by the boys at Jalopnik after Chrysler reportedly let it out by accident. As you can see, the new 200 will be a nicely styled piece of machinery.
According to leaked documentation, the 2015 Chrysler 200 will come with the buyer's choice of a 2.4-liter Tiger Shark four-cylinder engine with 184 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque or a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 boasting 295 horses and 262 lb-ft. Those ponies will be routed through a nine-speed automatic with a rotary gear selector, sending power to the front wheels. Alternatively, a high-tech all-wheel-drive system will be available that can electronically disconnect the rear axle, saving fuel.
Speaking of fuel efficiency, the 2015 200 will be able to achieve up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway, which is an impressive figure for this class. An on-sale date has yet to be announced, but the next 200 will start at $21,700 (plus $995 for destination) when it does finally hit dealerships.