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How GM ended up suing its crosstown rival Fiat Chrysler

DETROIT — Automakers sue each other on occasion, but no one in Detroit can remember one accusing another of bribing union officials to get an unfair labor cost advantage. Yet thatÂ’s what happened Wednesday when General Motors filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. ItÂ’s based on a widening federal investigation into corruption involving officials of the United Auto Workers union, and shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the unionÂ’s president Gary Jones stepped down. The 95-page complaint could affect ongoing contract talks between the union and Fiat Chrysler, the lone automaker of DetroitÂ’s big three thatÂ’s still in negotiations. It also could cause jitters with French automaker PSA Peugeot, which has reached an agreement to merge with the Italian-American automaker. Here are some questions and answers about the lawsuit and its impact: Why did GM sue? GM alleges that Fiat Chrysler senior executives, including now-deceased CEO Sergio Marchionne, paid $1.5 million in bribes to UAW officials for nearly a decade and corrupted the bargaining process with the union in the 2009, 2011 and 2015 contracts to gain advantages over General Motors. The lawsuit says that because of the bribes, which were funneled through a joint UAW-Fiat Chrysler training center, the union allowed Fiat Chrysler to use more lower-paid temporary workers. Also, FCA in 2015 did not have to limit the number of newly hired workers who make less and get lower-cost benefits than older workers hired before 2007. GM contends it couldnÂ’t negotiate similar union concessions that FCA was able to get through bribery. GM could only hire a limited number of temporary and lower-paid new workers, called “second tier” workers, which unfairly increased its labor costs by billions of dollars. It alleges the higher labor costs had another purpose — to force GM into a merger with FCA that Marchionne wanted. GM did wind up with higher labor costs, which until the lawsuit had not been linked to the federal corruption probe. Before contract talks with all three automakers began last summer, the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank, determined Fiat ChryslerÂ’s total hourly labor costs including wages and benefits were about $55 per hour, $8 less per hour than GM and $6 lower than Ford. At a Wall Street conference in New York on Thursday, GM CEO Mary Barra said her company can compete on a level playing field.

FCA adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Uconnect

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has three showcases ready for this week's Consumer Electronics Show. The spotlight reveal is a "glimpse" of the fourth-generation Uconnect system, which now gets Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto. They lead the advances due to be rolled out this year, which include beefier internals for faster startup and processing, the next evolution of the Uconnect navigation system, capacitive touchscreens, and higher resolution screens. Going beyond the vehicle, a concept display will present solutions to help drivers achieve "Car. Life. Balance." That means, as we've heard before, a car that knows what you want before you realized you wanted it via monitoring your driving habits, communicating with other vehicles and traffic infrastructure, and prioritizing information in certain situations to keep the driver from being overwhelmed. A Waze-like community of road knowledge is also on the menu, and it allows for tagging of tag street conditions to inform other vehicles, and a follow-me mode where people can "request to follow other vehicles." Government types will want to scope out the 2016 Dodge Charger Pursuit with an exclusive Uconnect system boasting a 12.1-inch screen and enhanced resolution that can speak to the officer's mobile computer. Have a read of the press release below for more details. FCA Announces New Fourth-Generation Uconnect® Systems at 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las VegasLatest technology advancements help provide Car. Life. Balance.• Uconnect team announces fourth-generation Uconnect systems featuring improved performance; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™ will be available globally in select models during 2016• CES attendees will experience a digital technology concept display that explores future intelligent transportation• FCA exhibit to feature concept brought to reality, the Uconnect 12.1-inch built-in touchscreen that enables integration of law enforcement computer systems with the industry standard Uconnect touchscreen systemJanuary 4, 2016 - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. and its subsidiary FCA US LLC are heading to the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with a display featuring the latest technology advancements in FCA vehicles and will provide a glimpse of the new fourth-generation Uconnect system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto."The Uconnect team is evolving Uconnect and making it even better," said Joni Christensen, Head of Uconnect Marketing, FCA US LLC.

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.
CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).
Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.