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Chrysler Voyager minivan goes fleet-only for 2022

Private motorists will not be able to buy a new Chrysler Voyager in the 2022 model year; the minivan is now a fleet-only model. The cheaper alternative to the Pacifica loses most of its trim levels, but it gains a longer list of standard features during the transition. Fleet buyers take on many shapes and forms, but in minivan-speak the term usually denotes rental car companies. Chrysler simplified buying by paring down the lineup from three to one trim. Called LX, it gains a 7.0-inch touchscreen that runs the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, second-row Stow 'n Go seats, power-operated sliding doors, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel; that's not bad for something you're picking up at the airport to spend a weekend in. There's also a new air filtration system shared with the Pacifica.   Related: Least expensive vehicles to insure in America   The list of options now includes a package called Safety and Premium Group that bundles a blind-spot monitoring system, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path detection, full-speed forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation. However, upmarket features like leather upholstery and a 19-speaker Harman-Kardon surround-sound system are not offered. Chrysler is not making mechanical changes, so power for the Voyager comes from a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 rated at 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It spins the front wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is not available; only the Pacifica can get its power sent to four wheels. Similarly, there are no visual changes to report. The Voyager still looks like a pre-facelift Pacifica. Pricing information for the 2022 Voyager will be announced closer to its on-sale date. At launch, buyers will have five colors called Silver Mist, Brilliant Black, Bright White, Granite Crystal, and Velvet Red, respectively. The former (shown in the gallery) is new for 2022. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. How to use the Stow 'N Go seats on the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica

Fiat Chrysler to open $30M autonomous driving test facility in Michigan

Fiat Chrysler said Wednesday it's invested more than $30 million in a new facility to develop and test autonomous vehicle and advanced safety technologies at its Chelsea Proving Grounds in southeast Michigan. The facility is the first of its kind for the automaker, which has mostly relied on partnerships with the likes of Uber and Google subsidiary Waymo to develop the hardware and software used in self-driving vehicles and avoided making large investments itself under former CEO Sergio Marchionne. The company this spring announced plans to deliver as many as 62,000 additional Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo and make Waymo's tech available in customer vehicles via a licensing deal. The new facility features a dedicated highway-speed track for testing self-driving cars with obstacles, tunnels and other features, a 35-acre safety feature testing area and a high-tech, 6,500-square-foot command center equipped with computers that can track GPS coordinates and test vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. It will allow FCA to test for different levels of automated driving, automatic electronic braking and automated parking simulations, and test protocols from third parties such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, U.S. New Car Assessment Program and European New Car Assessment Program. Testing starts later this month. "The all-new facility at Chelsea Proving Grounds will help support and enable the successful rollout of the company's five-year plan laid out earlier this year," Mike Manley, FCA's new CEO and chief operating officer for the NAFTA region, said in a statement. "Our ability to test for autonomous and advanced safety technologies enables FCA to offer our customers the features they want across our brand portfolio." The Chelsea Proving Grounds, near Ann Arbor, opened in 1954 and now cover about 4,000 acres. About 900 people work there, the company says. Related Video: Image Credit: Getty Chrysler Fiat Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Uber Waymo testing

Marchionne open to combination with Ford or GM

At the depths of the auto industry implosion, there was widely reported talk that General Motors and Chrysler would be merged into a mighty import-beating behemoth. While such notions clearly never materialized, that doesn't mean the idea is dead. In fact, FCA boss Sergio Marchionne still welcomes the idea of a partnership with either GM or Ford. He responded positively to the idea, calling it "technically feasible," when asked about it at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Automotive News reports. "There's bantering that goes on all the time," Marchionne told AN, before quashing suspicions that a plan was in the works by adding that "nothing substantive" was going on. Our favorite black sweater enthusiast isn't quite as interested in the idea of teaming with a foreign manufacturer like PSA Peugeot Citroen, or in the rumored tie-up with Volkswagen, though. That is a shame, particularly in regards to Marchionne's shut down of a partnership with the French, although it isn't necessarily surprising – FCA already consists of eight automakers, and as Sergio told AN, there's really nothing at PSA that could help the company out. What are your thoughts? Is there an obvious project or segment that would benefit from an FCA partnership with Ford or GM? Have your say in Comments. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Marco Bertorello / AFP / Getty Images Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Sergio Marchionne FCA merger