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CEO Sergio Marchionne curses FCA spokesman for emissions cheating denial

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reprimanded the company's top U.S. spokesman for issuing press releases about Fiat's vehicle emissions practices days after Volkswagen's disclosure in September 2015 that the German automaker had used illegal software to evade emissions tests, documents released Monday show. Lawyers suing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in a securities case filed excerpts of an email from Marchionne to Gualberto Ranieri, then the company's U.S. spokesman, in a filing in federal court in New York criticizing him for saying that the company does not use defeat devices. "Are you out of your goddam mind?" Marchionne wrote in an email on Sept. 22, 2015, adding that Ranieri should be fired and calling his actions "utterly stupid and unconscionable." The company said in a statement on Monday it was "understandable that our CEO would have a forceful response to any employee who would opine on such a significant and complex matter, without the matter having been fully reviewed through its appropriate channels." The statement added that Ranieri's comments came just days after VW's emissions issue became public "and before a comprehensive internal review and discussions with component suppliers was possible." Fiat Chrysler was sued in 2015 along with Marchionne and other executives over claims it defrauded shareholders by overstating its ability to comply with vehicle safety laws. An amended version of the complaint filed in 2017 added claims about its compliance with emissions laws. The shareholders accused the defendants of inflating Fiat Chrysler's share price by hundreds of millions of dollars from October 2014 to October 2015 by downplaying safety concerns. They said the shortcomings materialized in 2015 when the automaker was fined $175 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and took a roughly $670 million charge for recalls. Plaintiffs filed the excerpts seeking approval to take up to 40 additional depositions, including Marchionne's. The U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler in May 2017, accusing it of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 diesel vehicles sold since 2014. Fiat Chrysler has held numerous rounds of settlement talks with the Justice Department and California Air Resources Board to settle the civil suit, including talks as recently as earlier this month. It faces a separate criminal probe into the matter.

Murdered-out minivan: 2018 Chrysler Pacifica gets new S package

Minivans are generally considered cool in an ironic sort of way. No one drives a Honda Odyssey or Chrysler Pacifica because it's hip. People drive minivans because no other type of vehicle offers such a good mix of fuel economy, practicality and space efficiency. Still, automakers are doing their damndest to make sure kids set sail from school in the best-looking breadbox around. In order to spice things up, Chrysler is now offering the S appearance package on the Pacifica. Chrysler offers a similar package on the 300. On the Pacifica, the $595 S package can be added to any Touring Plus, Touring L, Touring L Plus or Limited models. The Pacifica S gets gloss black accents on the front and rear fascias including the grille, headlights and rear valance. The Chrysler wing badges on the front and rear are both done up in gloss black. A black roof rack is optional on the Touring Plus and standard on all other trims. 18-inch wheels are standard while 20-inch wheels can be added to any S-equipped car for an additional $995. The interior gets blacks seats with grey accents and the S logo. The steering wheel gets grey stitching and piano black accents, while the instrument cluster and door panels get trim in what Chrysler is calling Anodized Ice Cave. Really, it just looks like a different shade of grey. The front overhead console, headliner, visors, second- and third-row cargo lighting bezel, A-pillar trim and center console are all done up in black. Other changes for 2018 include standard SafetyTec, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all models. 4G LTE WiFi will be optional. 2018 Chrysler Pacificas will hit dealer showrooms in the next few months. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery News Source: FCA Chrysler Minivan/Van chrysler pacifica

Junkyard Gem: 1993 Plymouth Sundance Duster

When Chrysler introduced the Plymouth Duster for the 1970 model year, it was a sporty-looking fastback coupe version of the Valiant, itself a twin to the Dodge Dart. The Duster looked cool, didn't cost much, and could be very quick with the right powertrain choices; it stayed in production until the Valiant got the axe in 1976. A few years later, the Duster name went onto a coupe version of the Plymouth Volare, and then the middle 1980s saw the Turismo Duster and its legendary "Cocaine Factory" television commercial. The very last use of the Plymouth Duster name took place during the 1992 through 1994 model years, when the name was applied to a factory-hot-rod version of the Sundance. That's what we've got for today's Junkyard Gem: a purple '93 found in a Denver self-service yard. Because this was the early 1990s, the Sundance Duster got a full complement of dramatic-looking decals in bright colors. Just as was the case with its Valiant, Volare, and Turismo predecessors, the underlying model name itself was downplayed on the car's badging. In fact, the only place I could find the word Sundance was on the dash and in the owner's manual. While technically hatchbacks, the Sundance and its Dodge-badged twin (the Shadow) had a three-box shape that hid frumpy hatchback lines. Sort of a trunk, sort of a hatch, like the hatchback-coupe Chevy Novas of the late 1970s. That made this car a hot hatch, and one that could keep up with the likes of the Volkswagen GTI and Geo Storm GSi. The 3.0-liter Mitsubishi 6G72 V6 engine made 141 horsepower, making this 2,727-pound member of the K-Car family very quick for its cheap sticker price of $10,498 (about $19,360 today). This one even has the five-speed manual transmission, for lots of tire-squealing, torque-steering fun. I've seen a few of these cars on race tracks, and they have no problem reeling in a same-era GTI on a road course. Of course, the 6G72 likes to blow up in spectacular fashion when abused, but you could— and should— say the same about 16-valve Volkswagen engines. The Sundance/Shadow got the axe after 1994, when the Neon appeared as a more modern replacement; that meant the end of Lee Iacocca's Chrysler-rescuing K family in North America. This car started out in Denver and will be crushed in Denver. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.