Higher Miles But Runs Great on 2040-cars

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2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Quick Spin

Jeep won't come out and say it, but the 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk exists to bloody the nose of the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. America's off-road brand hasn't built a wheeling-specific version of its Grand Cherokee flagship in years, and the last GC Trailhawk was mostly stickers and tires. It was time for a true trail-spec Grand Cherokee again. We took a quick spin (two of them, actually) in the latest Trailhawk model, which joins Renegades and Cherokees with the same badge and off-road bent for 2017. Our time was limited, and so were our initial findings. After driving on and off pavement at Fiat Chrysler's proving grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, we can tell you that on the road, this Grand Cherokee has the same refined driving dynamics as any other. As for off-roading, the capability is still somewhat of an open question. Driving Notes The suspension and off-road system tuning are what really set the Trailhawk apart from other Grand Cherokees. Jeep tweaked the four-corner Quadra-Lift air suspension to improve articulation and suspension travel, while retaining the 10.8 inches of ground clearance of lesser Quadra-Lift Grand Cherokees. Paired with the standard Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, rear electronic limited-slip diff, and 20-inch Goodyear Adventure off-road tires, the Trailhawk is not short on capability (at least on paper). Unfortunately, paper is almost where this stops. The Trailhawks we drove were pre-production models with unfinished software calibrations. The throttle on the 3.6-liter V6 Trailhawk we took on the off-road course was super touchy and hard to modulate, regardless of which Selec-Terrain off-road mode was selected. Without a reliable throttle, we were bounding over obstacles instead of negotiating them patiently. This was back in June, and Jeep's PR reps assured us at the time that the engineers knew about the oversensitive throttle and have since confirmed that the issue has been fixed for production models, which are rolling off the line in Detroit now. We're planning to get into one of those vehicles as soon as one becomes available for a full review. Like the standard model, the Trailhawk's air suspension offers more comfort than the double-wishbone front and four-link rear suspension on the 4Runner.

FCA nears plea deal in diesel emissions fraud probe

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to criminal conduct to resolve a multiyear emissions fraud probe surrounding Ram pickup trucks and Jeep sport-utility vehicles with diesel engines, people familiar with the matter said. FCA lawyers and U.S. Justice Department officials are brokering a plea deal that could be unveiled in coming weeks and include financial penalties totaling between $250 million and $300 million, the people said. Such a resolution with FCA, which is now part of Stellantis NV, would come more than four years after Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty to criminal charges  to resolve its own diesel-emissions scandal involving nearly 600,000 vehicles.It would also mark the final significant chapter in the government crackdown on automakers' emissions practices that was precipitated by Volkswagen's deception, which became known as "Dieselgate." The FCA investigation focuses on roughly 100,000 diesel-powered vehicles that allegedly evaded emissions requirements. The plea negotiations are fluid and some terms, including the size of any financial penalties, could change as discussions continue, the people said. Justice Department officials are preparing paperwork that will likely be negotiated with FCA to finalize the plea deal, which could result in changes and also present an outside chance for the agreement to fall apart, the people said. A plea agreement would cap a series of investigations dating back to 2015 surrounding diesel-powered vehicles in FCA's U.S. lineup. The current criminal investigation targets the U.S unit of the Italian-American automaker. The affected vehicles span model years 2014 to 2016. Representatives for FCA parent Stellantis and the Justice Department declined to comment. The scandals over emissions cheating tarnished diesel technology and accelerated the industry's shift to electric vehicles. The European automakers had promoted "clean diesel" technology as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ease a transition to an all-electric future. When regulators on both sides of the Atlantic uncovered evidence that diesel vehicles polluted far more in real world driving, the argument for a slower transition to battery electric vehicles was shredded. Now, automakers are accelerating battery electric vehicle development to comply with tougher, post-Dieselgate pollution standards.

What to see at the Detroit Auto Show 2023

The 2023 North American Auto Show — also known as the Detroit Auto Show — is underway downtown. If you want to attend the public days of the show taking place September 16-24, hereÂ’s what you need to know about attending. But now that Autoblog has done our reconnaissance during the showÂ’s press days, we can tell you about the actual cars (and other things) you can see and experience. WhatÂ’s new? Ford The big new item from Ford is the 2024 F-150 pickup. You can check out the new trick tailgate, and see what the fuss is all about. The 2024 F-150 Raptor also debuted at the show, if you like high-power, off-roady full-size pickups. The show will also be a good opportunity to see the Mustang Dark Horse and Mustang Mach-E Rally up close and personal. Unfortunately, we only saw the wild 2025 Mustang GTD at an offsite event during press days, but it's quite possible Ford will roll it out for the public. Cadillac Cadillac revealed its refreshed 2025 CT5 at the Detroit show, and you can get a look at the revised front and the new tech-focused interior. Cadillac recently unveiled the all-electric 2025 Escalade IQ, so you can stop and see the most powerful Escalade ever while youÂ’re there. It wasnÂ’t on the floor during media days, but Cadillac told us theyÂ’d bring it for the public part of the show. Jeep Jeep unveiled its 2024 Gladiator at the show, and you can check out the new interior and trim levels in person at the Jeep stand. Jeep also has an indoor track set up for ride-alongs. If you havenÂ’t had the chance to see the refreshed 2024 Wrangler yet, you can see that, too, along with examples from the rest of the Jeep lineup, along with its Stellantis sibling, Ram. GMC GMC showed off the new, larger 2024 Acadia SUV for the Detroit Auto Show. ItÂ’s bigger than before, but does more to differentiate itself from its Chevy cousin, the Traverse. GMC also has its Sierra EV on display if youÂ’re interested in catching that in person. What else to see A number of automakers have large displays at the show with many of their models represented. In addition to those who debuted something new at the show, Buick, Chevrolet (check out the Silverado, Blazer and Equinox EVs, as well as the Corvette E-Ray), Lincoln with the new Nautilus, Toyota (get a look at the new Tacoma), Volkswagen, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mini, Volkswagen, Honda, Chrysler (the Airflow concept is there), Fiat, Ram and Dodge (see the Charger Daytona SRT concept) all have a sizable presence.