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Fiat Chrysler open to mergers, and PSA is looking for one

GENEVA — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is open to pursuing alliances and merger opportunities if they make sense, but a sale of its luxury brand Maserati is not an option, Chief Executive Mike Manley said on Tuesday. "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that," Manley told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show. Asked whether he would consider selling Maserati to China's Geely Automobile Holdings, as suggested by recent media reports, Manley said: "Maserati is one of our really beautiful brands and it has an incredibly bright future. ... No." FCA is often cited as a possible merger candidate. Bloomberg said this week that the Italian-American carmaker was attractive to France's PSA Group given its exposure to the U.S. market and its popular Jeep brand. The Detroit News' headline on the situation Friday read, "Fiat Chrysler CEO open to a deal as PSA circles" and stated that Manley's open-to-just-about-anything comments were aimed directly at PSA. Bloomberg said talks between the two were preliminary and said PSA chief Carlos Tavares has also contemplated mergers with General Motors or Jaguar Land Rover, which is losing money for Indian owner Tata. PSA has enjoyed a decade of turnaround and has $10.2 billion in net cash available. The maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, acquired Opel and Vauxhall in 2017 and made them almost instantly profitable. Manley, who took over after the death of Sergio Marchionne, said he currently had no news on possible deals. Manley also said the world's seventh-largest carmaker, which is lagging rivals in developing hybrid and electric vehicles, would take the least costly approach to comply with increasingly more stringent European emissions regulations. "There are three options. You can sell enough electrified vehicles to balance your fleet. Two: You can be part of a pooling scheme. Three is to pay the fines," he said. "I don't see a scenario when (carmakers) continue to subsidize technologies ... indefinitely." The carmaker had said last June it would invest 9 billion euros ($10.19 billion) over the next five years to introduce hybrid and electric cars across all regions to be fully compliant with emissions regulations. Asked about a 5-billion-euro investment plan for Italy FCA announced in November but then put under review, Manley said the plan had been confirmed as originally presented.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Long-Term Update | Luxury steering wheel leaves us cold

Our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, being the Limited trim, is a pretty plush place in which to spend some time, with Nappa leather seats, heating and ventilation for those seats, eight-way power adjustments for both front occupants, a heated steering wheel, and seat-mounted screens for the rear. In the black and cream combo of our van, it's a light, airy, and borderline luxurious place to be. But the steering wheel has begun to bother us. Chrysler calls it the "Luxury" steering wheel, and it's exclusive to the Limited trim. It's lovely in appearance with dark leather on the outside, light leather on the inside, and a real metal ring separating the two. Unfortunately, now that it's become bitterly cold in Michigan, the metal ring is freezing our palms. And although the wheel is heated, the only parts that get warm are the leather sections. So while the rest of our hands feel toasty, each one has a slim line that stays chilled where they contact the metal trim. View 12 Photos In the words of LeVar Burton, don't just take my word for it. Assistant Editor Zac Palmer was frustrated by it, too, and feels it betrays the practical nature of the minivan: "I'm a firm believer in function over form in nearly every circumstance. A minivan is the ultimate expression of function in the automotive world, but the steering wheel on our Pacifica does not follow that philosophy. The large metal band going all the way around the leather wheel nearly eliminates the benefit of the warm, heated steering wheel. Once this gets cold, it stays cold, and there's nothing you can do except take solace in the fact that it looks pretty as your palms rest on icy metal." If you're like us and dislike cold hands, the good news is that the wheel isn't featured on the Pacifica Hybrid Touring Plus or Touring L trims. Both also offer packages with heated steering wheels and seats. Of course, skipping the Limited trim does mean missing out on a number of nice luxury features, such as the Nappa leather, 8-way power passenger seat and front seat ventilation, plus dual rear entertainment screens and a Blu-ray player. So you'll have to weigh your priorities to determine whether this steering wheel is worth living with. And if you do have to have the Limited trim, perhaps we could point you toward some driving gloves for the winter months? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.