1978 Chrysler New Yorker on 2040-cars

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PSA unions vote in favor of merger with Fiat Chrysler

PARIS — The majority of unions representing workers at Peugeot maker PSA are in favor of a planned $50 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler, PSA executives and union representatives said. However, the unions said that once the merger deal was signed, they would be seeking detailed information about the plans for the combined company. At a PSA works council meeting, all trade union representatives on the council voted to give a favorable opinion on the merger. "We will remain vigilant about the social impact and await a clearer and more detailed picture of the plan's implications for plants, volume, and how much work will be given to the foundries," said Franck Don, representative of the CFTC union. "But the project in the form it's been presented makes sense because the two groups complement each other, are in good financial health, and thanks to the new format will attain a critical size which is vital in the auto business today." The merger would help the firms pool resources to meet tough new emissions rules and investments in electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as counter a broader downturn in car markets. Securing support from Europe's powerful trade unions will be critical for the merged company, which will employ more than 400,000 staff and operate hundreds of factories worldwide. The deal has stirred concerns in Germany and Britain where plants making Opel and Vauxhall cars have seen jobs cut in recent year as part of a cost-cutting drive. UAW/Unions Chrysler Fiat Citroen Peugeot PSA

Chrysler Pacifica adds sixth trim level: Touring Plus

While some of us might not want to admit our fondness for the homely minivan, there's something about the Chrysler Pacifica that gets unlikely drivers giving it the up-and-down on the sly (speaking from experience, here). A year into its life, the kinda-cool people hauler is getting a sixth trim level, called Touring Plus, that falls about in the middle of the lineup. Slotting in above the Touring trim ($32,090), the $33,455 Touring Plus offers a number of visual and convenience upgrades, but retains the cloth seats (for leather, you'll still have to move up to the Touring L level, at $36,090). On the outside, it gets the mesh lower fascia and foglights shared with the higher trim levels, plus projector headlights and LED taillights. For comfort and convenience, it offers three-zone climate control, power liftgate, a universal garage door opener, and second- and third-row sunshades to give your kids the limo treatment. As an added bonus for Touring Plus customers who opt for the 18-inch wheels and the 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment center, Chrysler will throw in the single overhead DVD player for free. If you were waiting for the "just right" Pacifica to become available, and this higher-content, cloth-seat version suits you just right, there's no need to wait. The Pacifica Touring Plus is available now. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery 2017 Chrysler Pacifica: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: FCA Auto News Chrysler Minivan/Van chrysler pacifica

Does the future of Fiat-Chrysler include Dodge?

Wards Auto reports the future of Dodge is looking uncertain. Fiat has more or less laid out it's game plan for the next few years, and while the Chrysler, Fiat and Jeep lines are set to receive plenty of love, Dodge isn't so lucky. Fiat has already hobbled Dodge significantly by splitting off the brand's trucks into a separate Ram line.
Wards says that after the Avenger rides off into the sunset early next year, Fiat-Chrysler won't replace the model, leaving a gaping midsize hole in the Dodge lineup. The report also cites unnamed sources as saying that at least two other current Dodge products will move to the Chrysler line.
One of those could very well be the Grand Caravan. Chrysler has already made it clear that it plans to trim redundancy between its minivan offerings, but it has yet to clarify which other vehicle could sail under the Chrysler banner moving forward. Either way, such changes to the product line would theoretically leave Dodge with just four models.