1998 Chrysler Sebring Jx Convertible 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.

Fiat Chrysler denies GM's 'preposterous' bribery allegations

DETROIT — Allegations by General Motors that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles bribed union officials are “preposterous” and read like a script from a “third-rate spy movie,” FCA lawyers wrote in court documents filed Monday. GM, in a court motion last week, alleged that Fiat Chrysler used foreign bank accounts to bribe union officials so they would stick GM with higher labor costs. But in a response, the Italian-American automaker fired back, calling GMÂ’s claims “defamatory and baseless.” GM alleged in a court filing last week that FCA spent millions on bribes by stashing the money in foreign accounts. The allegations of new evidence were made in a motion asking a federal judge to reconsider his July dismissal of a federal racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler. In trying to revive the lawsuit, GM alleged that bribes were paid to two former United Auto Workers presidents, as well as a former union vice president and at least one former GM employee. In its response, Fiat Chrysler said GM has to know that the prospect of getting the judge to overturn the dismissal is slim to none. “So this motion is apparently a vehicle to make more defamatory and baseless accusations about a competitor that is winning in the marketplace.” FCA denied allegations by GM that FCA paid two “moles” to infiltrate GM and send inside information. The company also denied that foreign bank accounts were involved. “That GM has extended its attacks to individual FCA officers and employees, making wild allegations against them without a shred of factual support, is despicable,” FCA lawyers wrote. GM's claims are based on the alleged existence of foreign bank accounts, which are legal, Fiat Chrysler wrote. “There is not one well-pled allegation in the proposed amended complaint (by GM) that these foreign bank accounts were used to pay bribes or facilitate any other illegal conduct,” FCA's response said. GM contends that bribes were paid to former United Auto Workers Presidents Dennis Williams and Ron Gettelfinger, as well as Vice President Joe Ashton. It also alleges money was paid to GM employees including Al Iacobelli, a former FCA labor negotiator who was hired and later released by GM. GM alleges that payments were made so the officials would saddle GM with more than $1 billion in additional labor costs.

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.