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Peugeot's American future looks dead, but Stellantis intends to keep all brands alive

The years-old promise of a Peugeot return in the U.S. is looking bleaker by the second. Peugeot said the French brand would come back to sell cars in the U.S. five years ago, but now that FCA and PSA have transitioned to one Stellantis, that promise is looking a lot shakier. This news comes via a report from Car and Driver. When queried about Peugeot, Carlos Tavares, Stellantic CEO, offered this in response: “For the time being, I don't think that is part of the things that we want to prioritize for the next time window," Tavares said. "I think it's better that we funnel the talent, the capital, and the engineering capability of our Stellantis company to the existing brands to improve what needs to be improved and to accelerate where we need to accelerate, because we already have a very strong presence in this market." Tavares hasnÂ’t ruled it out entirely, but any kind of a Peugeot American renaissance is being pushed onto the backburner.  In good news for American brands, though, Tavares expressed great interest in keeping them all. Chrysler was the most worrisome of the bunch, as it only sells the aging 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan variants. Nevertheless, Tavares sees Chrysler as one of the “three historical pillars of Stellantis” and is eager “to give this brand a future.” Specifically, Tavares sees a high-tech future for the once-great American car company. Motor Trend reported on what Tavares spoke about in a call with the media. "It needs to rebound,” Tavares said. “We could think about what could be the next technologies in the automotive industry.” The obvious hint here is electrification and greater autonomy. Chrysler could theoretically become StellantisÂ’ electric showcase brand. ItÂ’s partway there with the Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan, but thereÂ’s still a long way to go for it to become the conglomerate's tech pillar. And then thereÂ’s Dodge and its powerful but emissions-heavy lineup. "We have the technology to deliver the torque, dynamics, and acceleration feeling, while also dramatically reducing the emissions," Tavares said. The Hellcat canÂ’t have a window-shattering 6.2-liter supercharged V8 forever, but it looks like Stellantis is at least committed to keeping the performance of DodgeÂ’s current lineup. Related video:

High-performance 2018 Dodge Durango SRT spied

Dodge is working diligently on revamping its lineup with new and refreshed models, including the high-performance Durango SRT due in 2017. Spy shooters captured a Durango with an aggressive front end that appears to fit the SRT bill, though it could just be a refreshed Durango. This Citadel-badged prototype is nearly identical to the current three-row SUV. The front fascia, which is being held in place by tape and has numerous rough edges, features a massive vent at the bottom and a distinct, three-holed air intake system just below the grille. The grille is also lacking the Durango's cross-like design. The front end appears to have gaping holes on both sides, with the right side being covered up by tin foil. The extra vents could be there for aerodynamic purposes, for cooling purposes, or just a pair of fog lights that Dodge doesn't want people to see. The high-performance SUV is expected to get a full makeover on the outside, which includes sportier wheels, a more aggressive hood, athletic body panels, and some aerodynamic components. The meat of the SUV, the engine, is still a mystery. While the Hellcat brothers feature a 707-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged V8, a previous report by Automotive News claims the upcoming Durango SRT will be powered by a 6.4-liter V8 engine. The 475-horsepower motor is currently in the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Regardless of what type of engine the Durango will have, it looks like Dodge really is working on a high-performance SUV to enter the continually-growing segment. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Dodge Durango SRT Spy Shots News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Chris Doane Automotive Spy Photos Dodge SUV Future Vehicles Performance

The Dodge Demon's massive torque wrinkles its massive tires

Horsepower doesn't mean a damn thing if a car can't properly put the power down. That's why Dodge has fitted the upcoming Demon with some of the stickiest road-legal rubber available. Those Demon-branded Nitto NT05R drag radials skirt by regulations with just the smallest of margins, and in order to maximize the potential of the 315/40R 18 size tires Dodge increased the car's torque multiplication with a higher stall speed for the torque converter and a 3.09 rear axle. The 12.6-inch-wide tires are fitted to 18x11-inch wheels at all four corners, and they're fatter than those 305-section front tires on the Camaro Z/28 that we raved about years ago. Dodge says the combination of soft, gooey rubber and the new gear ratio gives the Demon about a 15 percent larger tire contact patch, more than twice as much grip, and roughly an 18 percent increase in both converter torque and rear-axle torque multiplication. Simply put, the Dodge Demon moves. You can see the results in the teaser video above, which is titles "Multiplication" and shows the crazy wrinkling of the sidewall that results from putting that torque to the road. We wouldn't be surprised if the inner rim of the wheel needs some grip to keep the tire seated, something Chevy had to do on the last Z/28. There is something wonderful about Dodge's approach to performance cars. While the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro have moved on from their muscle car upbringings with proper track-focused models, Dodge has stayed true to its roots by developing a machine that's sole intent is traveling a quarter-mile quicker than anything else on the road. Twisty roads may be fun, but there is something wholly and deeply satisfying about going deep into the accelerator with a comical amount of power at your disposal. We can't wait. Related Video: New York Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance dodge demon dodge hellcat dodge challenger srt demon drag strip