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Marchionne says Fiat Chrysler can make 6 million cars per year

The combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will see its production capacity increase from a projected 4.6 million in 2014 to 6 million units once it completes its integration, according to statements made by FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne.
"With the initiatives we will announce in May, six million is accessible," Marchionne said during a Fiat shareholders' meeting in Turin, according to The Detroit News. Marchionne is aiming to complete the merger between the Turin, Italy-based Fiat and the Auburn Hills, MI-based Chrysler by the end of this year.
Increasing production by 1.4 million units is no small order, particularly when combined Fiat and Chrysler sales have increased only modestly in the past few years - only 4.4 million units were sold in 2013, and while 4.6 million is projected for 2014, 4.5 million is also a distinct possibility. Six million units per year has been Marchionne's self-imposed goal for the combined automaker, according to The News, claiming that FCA would need to crest that point to achieve profitability.

China-market Jeep Grand Commander coming to U.S. as a Chrysler?

There's nothing like winding down the year with news to spin heads, eh? Allpar cites "sources" as suggesting the Chinese-market Jeep Grand Commander will come to the U.S. as a Chrysler. This Speculation with a capital "S" has several rationales. The late Sergio Marchionne said Chrysler will focus on utility and not sell cars, making it fit for a new three-row crossover. The road-focused Grand Commander couldn't live up to U.S. perceptions of Jeep values, which is why the lateral brand move. A new model would give the Pentastar a second nameplate alongside the Pacifica, since the 300 sedan dies come 2020. And a big Chrysler school runner would allow the near-immortal Dodge Journey to end its life with something approaching dignity. The Grand Commander, a stretched version of our Cherokee with three rows, uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 231 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 192-inch long SUV is ten inches longer than the Cherokee, and 2.2 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee. Carmakers bring a host of not-for-U.S. metal over here, so this doesn't signal production intent, but sharp eyes caught the Grand Commander on Michigan streets in March. The white high-rider carried its Chinese badging, and was bereft of camo other than tape over the door handles. Allpar says a domestic version wouldn't be built in China, but either in the Belvidere, Ill. plant that builds the Cherokee, or in facilities in Windsor, Canada or Toluca, Mexico. Should these events come to pass, Chrysler would soon have four models: Pacifica, a production version of Portal concept, a crossover based on the Pacifica, and the rebranded Jeep. Ready for more? Allpar also says there are "rumors of a Chrysler-badged crossover version of [the Dodge] Charger." FCA leaving Chrysler and Dodge out of the FCA five-year roadmap earlier this year leaves a vacuum ripe for, shall we say, Chinese whispers. We're not saying all of this won't happen, but put these prognostications in one place and it starts to read like a wrinkle in time, it's all so fabulous. Remember, the last we heard about the Dodge Journey, it was going to become an Alfa Romeo-based performance crossover headed to dealerships next year. The best we can suggest for now is to stay tuned. Related Video:

2018 Honda Odyssey bests Pacifica, Sienna in minivan crash, LATCH tests

Honda has a lot to be proud of following the latest round of passenger small-overlap crash testing by the IIHS. The safety organization tested the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Toyota Sienna, and the Odyssey managed the best rating of "Good." The Pacifica followed behind with an "Acceptable" rating, and the Sienna brought up the rear with just a "Marginal." Both the Pacifica and Sienna lost points because the structure around the passengers collapsed to differing extents, leading to parts of the structure intruding into the passenger compartment. The Pacifica didn't intrude enough to harm passengers, with each injury area still having a Good rating, but the Sienna's structure intruded far enough to potentially harm the leg and foot areas, leading to an Acceptable rating in those specific areas. In addition to the small overlap crash test, the IIHS evaluated all three minivans for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. Once again, the Odyssey aced the test with a Good+ rating, which is awarded for both ease of use and offering multiple anchor point options. The Pacifica and Sienna swap the crash test ratings, with a Marginal for the Chrysler and an Acceptable for the Sienna. The Odyssey and Pacifica can both brag that they're Top Safety Picks, and they'd get Top Safety Pick+ awards if they weren't hampered by headlights that only get Acceptable ratings. The Toyota Sienna fails to earn the regular Top Safety Pick award because both small overlap tests yielded results that were too low. Only one other minivan tested by IIHS has the Top Safety Pick rating, and that's the Kia Sedona. It earns an Acceptable rating in LATCH usability, and its headlights actually earned a Good rating. It hasn't undergone passenger-side small overlap crash testing yet. If it fares well, it could get bumped up to a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS Chrysler Honda Toyota Safety Minivan/Van consumer toyota sienna chrysler pacifica IIHS Top Safety Pick