2002 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Limited Wagon 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Chrysler 300C gets Sport Appearance Package option

In 2017, Chrysler added the option of a Sport Appearance Package to the sporty trim level of the 300 sedan, the 300S. The package added trim pieces from the hot-blooded 300 SRT sedan that we don't get in the U.S., namely the front fascia with LED foglights and SRT-style side skirts. Mopar Insiders reports that as of this month, the same upgrade is available on the top-level 300C trim as the Performance Appearance Package. Whereas the Sport Appearance Package on the V6-powered S model costs $1,795; the 300C's Performance Appearance Package is said to cost $695. We're sure Chrysler knows this isn't the performance upgrade that U.S. 300 buyers want. For reasons best known inside Chrysler, only Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East get the 300 SRT and its 6.4-liter V8 with 469 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque, limited-slip differential, Bilstein dampers, and Brembo brakes. It's possible the absence of the 300 SRT here is because Chrysler wants North American audiences to see Dodge as the performance brand. At this point, however, anyone intending to buy a 300 should be happy the four-door is still on sale. The model is eight years old and hasn't been the subject of anything close to hard news since last September. That's when Automotive News Canada said the car would die in 2020 to make room for the six-passenger Portal concept. The last hard nugget before that was in 2016, when the late Sergio Marchionne told Reuters the 300 could go front-wheel drive on the Pacifica platform — a fate arguably worse than killing the car. Now all we have is rumor and speculation, such as when Road & Track writes a "major refresh [is] ... supposedly being planned already," and sees a possibility that the 300/Charger/Challenger trio live into the next decade. The moral of the story is: The 300's irons could be as hot as they're ever going to get right now. FCA hasn't announced the upgrade package, but Mopar Insider says dealers can get it right now, order code AJU.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid electrifies the family hauler

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the first-ever hybrid minivan – why didn't anyone think of this before? The extra jolt of electric propulsion lets Chrysler estimate this hauler can get a very green 80 miles per gallon equivalent, with 30 miles of full electric range. To make those amazing numbers possible, the Pacifica Hybrid uses a version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that runs on the Atkinson cycle for improved efficiency, matched with an electric motor. A 16-kWh lithium-ion battery sits underneath the second-row floor to supply the energy. The PHEV doesn't launch until the latter half of 2016, but Chrysler currently estimates the powertrain's output at 248 horsepower, versus 287 hp from the non-hybrid Pacifica. Charging the system to full takes just two hours from a 240-volt outlet. Other than the charging port just head of the driver's door and different wheel designs, the Pacifica Hybrid looks the same as the other model. The nearly identical styling isn't a bad thing because this is one of the most attractive minivans ever. The aesthetics are similar inside, too, but the battery removes the ability to stow the second row of seats. However, the third row can still fold flat. First hybrid powertrain in minivan segment "Due to its large footprint and multiple daily trip patterns, the minivan is ideally suited for electrification technology," said Bob Lee, Vice President and Head of Engine, Powertrain and Electrified Propulsion Systems Engineering, FCA – North America. "The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lives up to this promise and then some, with efficiency, power and refinement." Launching in second half of 2016, the Pacifica Hybrid is the industry's first electrified minivan. With an estimated 248 horsepower, the vehicle will deliver an estimated range of 30 miles solely on zero-emissions electric power from a 16-kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. In city driving, it is expected to achieve an efficiency rating of 80 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. When the battery's energy is depleted to a certain threshold, the Pacifica Hybrid becomes a part-time electric vehicle, like a conventional hybrid. Power to the wheels is supplied by the electric drive system or supplemented by a specially adapted new version of the award-winning FCA US Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gets officially official this Sunday

Want a chunk of the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles? Shares of the newly joined (technically) Dutch automaker will begin trading on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company itself will become a single entity on Sunday.
According to The Detroit Free Press, the new FCA will be the world's seventh largest company after Fiat shareholders' chance to oppose the merger expired on October 4. To prevent the merger, shareholders would have needed to exchange at least 500 million euros in shares for cash.
On Monday, current shareholders of both Fiat and Chrysler stock will see their shares converted into an equal number of FCA shares, the Freep reports.