How Rare And Beautiful 1983 Chrysler Imperial Really Well Mantained Drives Great on 2040-cars

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Next Chrysler minivan spied inside and out

Chrysler isn't supposed to unveil the next-generation Town & Country until the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, but FCA is hard at work getting the minivan ready for launch. Our spies recently caught prototypes on the road and took copious photos of the interior and exterior, giving us an early idea what to expect from the future family-hauler. These shots make it pretty clear that FCA's engineers aren't done working on the next T&C yet, and all of the camouflage on the outside makes any styling changes very difficult to spot. However, the company is testing the future version with a current one, and the new design appears to have harder angles. One intriguing picture clearly shows the Dodge logo on the back of the minivan. The Dodge Grand Caravan is supposed to be killed off for 2016, though. We've also heard the next-generation minivan will get a plug-in hybrid variant, which was reportedly confirmed last week. The interior is slightly less concealed than the outside, but development is still ongoing in there, too. It's easy to spot the familiar infotainment screen from other FCA products, and there's just a peek at the T&C's instrument cluster, including the design for the tachometer. A rotary dial gearshift also appears to be in the center console, similar to the Chrysler 200. Even at this early stage, it appears that FCA is trying to take the next T&C a little more upmarket compared to the current iteration. The move fits well with earlier rumors of the price increasing for the future model. Related Video:

Chrysler hoons Pacifica minivan, issues recall

Chrysler is recalling about 50,000 Pacifica minivans after finding an issue with a seat belt. According to the NHTSA recall notice, "In certain passenger seating and vehicle situations, the second-row center seating position seat belt buckle could cause the left outboard seat belt to become unlatched." The affected vehicles have the eight-passenger configuration, and includes 47,927 Pacificas in the U.S. from model years 2017 and 2018, plus another 1,908 vehicles in Canada. It appears the problem occurs under spirited driving (or "extreme handling maneuvers"), which is kind of funny, because: minivan. FCA's statement, though, adds a little more clarity. The problem was discovered through Chrysler's own testing, not some dad hooning his minivan on the way to soccer practice. The problem only occurs when there are people sitting in both the center and left outboard seat of the second row. In hard cornering, the left seat belt's release button would come into contact with the center buckle, which caused it to unlatch. FCA will notify owners, and will install a shorter second-row seat belt buckle for free. The automaker is unaware of any injuries related to this issue, but urges customers to "avoid using the second-row center seat in conjunction with the other second-row positions." Better yet, if you're going to autocross your Pacifica this weekend, leave your kids on the sidelines. They're just added weight anyway. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Chrysler Pacifica: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: NHTSA, FCAImage Credit: Copyright 2017 Chris McGraw / Autoblog Recalls Chrysler Safety Minivan/Van chrysler pacifica seat belt

Nissan didn't have much say in merger talks, but it had what FCA wanted

TOKYO — Nissan wasn't consulted on the proposed merger between its alliance partner Renault and Fiat Chrysler, but the Japanese automaker's reluctance to go along may have helped bring about the surprise collapse of the talks. While Nissan Motor Co. had a weaker bargaining position from the start, with its financial performance crumbling after the arrest last year of its star executive Carlos Ghosn, it still had as its crown jewel the technology of electric vehicles and hybrids that Fiat Chrysler wanted. The board of Renault, meeting Thursday, didn't get as far as voting on the proposal, announced last week, which would have created the world's third biggest automaker, trailing only Volkswagen AG of Germany and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. When the French government, Renault's top shareholder with a 15% stake, asked for more time to convince Nissan, Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew the offer. Although analysts say reviving the talks isn't out of the question, they say trust among the players appears to have been broken. "The other companies made the mistake of underestimating Nissan's determination to say, 'No,' " said Katsuya Takeuchi, senior analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo. The Note, an electric car with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan beat Toyota and Honda. Renault and Fiat Chrysler highlighted possible synergies that come from sharing parts and research costs as the benefits of the merger. But what Fiat Chrysler lacks and really wanted was what's called in the industry "electrification technology," Takeuchi said. With emissions regulations getting stricter around the world, having such technology is crucial. Yokohama-based Nissan makes the world's best-selling electric car Leaf. Its Note, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model beat Toyota and Honda Motor Co. for that title. Nissan is also a leader in autonomous-driving technology, another area all the automakers are trying to innovate. "Although Nissan had no say, its cautionary stance on the merger ended up being very meaningful," Takeuchi said.