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Are Chrysler's Stow 'N Go seats really that great?

Are Chrysler's Stow 'N Go seats really such a great thing? Seriously, I'm asking. Do owners of the Chrysler Pacifica, as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country before it, actually use the innovative functionality that see the second-row captain's chairs fold away into the floor? Frankly, I've always had my doubts. Car reviewers have long sung Stow 'N Go's praises, impressed with the ability to quickly turn the minivan from people carrier to work van. You'll frequently read mentions of needing to move sheets of plywood or treadmills or their kids' entire dorm room. Doing so is without question far easier when you can quickly make the second-row seats disappear as opposed to giving yourself a hernia lifting the things out and storing them in the garage – if removing them is even possible at all. Except here's the thing. We car reviewers have borrowed that van for the purpose of moving whatever it is we needed to move. Maybe the van in question is a long-term test vehicle like our old Pacifica Hybrid, maybe it's the more typical weeklong test loan. Either way, this is not a typical use case. The van is being considered more for its cargo-carrying abilities than its people-carrying abilities, and I just don't think that's representative of the typical minivan owner. Further to that point, the Stow 'N Go seats' flipping and folding capability might be great for versatility, but it makes for less comfortable seats. Although they have definitely improved in the 15-plus years since they were introduced, the Pacifica's Stow 'N Go seats remain thinner and flatter than the typical captain's chair. One can deduce that even Chrysler is aware of this as a downside. You see, the Pacifica Hybrid does not have Stow 'N Go seats since the giant underfloor hole they stow and go into is full of batteries. Instead, it has second-row captain's chairs  that don't seem to be discernibly different from those up front – they're far more comfortable. You can see the difference in the pictures above, with the gas-only Pacifica in red and the Hybrid in blue. I'm therefore left with the question: Would you rather have a far more comfortable seat, or an improved ability to carry some plywood? Considering the second-row designs of rival vans, it would seem that market research for Honda, Toyota and Kia isn't skewing in the direction of plywood. Much like the rest of the automotive industry, the minivan segment is rife for copy-catting.

Fiat brand chief reassigned then resigns amid flagging sales

Jason Stoicevich was replaced as head of the Fiat brand in North America just the other day. He was immediately reassigned to another job within Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. But according to Automotive News, Stoicevich quit the new job – and the company altogether – the very next day. The development comes amidst flagging sales for the Fiat brand in America. The introduction of the awkward-looking 500L multi-purpose vehicle has been largely regarded as a sales disaster in the US. Despite having just introduced the new 500X into the growing crossover market, and an overall upward trend across FCA group sales, the Fiat brand's figures have been dropping all year. While the Italian brand's volume has fluctuated from month to month compared to last year's sales, the number of cars its dealers sells on an average day has been firmly in decline. Fiat's downward trend reflects a general tendency in the market towards larger vehicles at the expense of smaller ones. However, the powers that be in Auburn Hills evidently felt that a change of leadership was in order, so it placed Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis in charge of all the company's mass-market passenger-car brands – namely Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat – and moved Stoicevich to running the group's fleet and small-business operations. Stoicevich remained in charge of the company's California Business Center, but it seems as though he was as dissatisfied with the switch as his superiors were with the performance of the brand over which he presided, and so he apparently elected to step down and leave the company.

FCA and ZF issue recall on nine-speed automatic transmission

After years of complaints, German transmission manufacturer ZF is finally issuing a recall of its much maligned 9HP nine-speed automatic transmission. Although it has been criticized for a number of issues, ZF is issuing the recall to address the possibility of the transmission unexpectedly shifting into neutral. The issue covers 505,000 vehicles in the United States alone. This issue is related to an improper crimp on the transmission wiring harness. Rather than a physical fix, ZF is issuing a software update to remedy the problem. The company doesn't recommend dealers attempt to fix the crimp. Although the transmission can be found in a number of models by various manufacturers, currently only those from FCA are being recalled. This is the second recall in less than a year related to a ZF transmission shifting into neutral. FCA recently recalled more than a million vehicles worldwide because of a poorly designed shifter for ZF's 8HP eight-speed automatic. That issue may have resulted in the death of actor Anton Yelchin in June. Although there are no deaths related to this new recall, NHTSA reports that the issue has resulted in at least 10 injuries. Issues with the transmission have been known for years. A number of software updates have attempted to address various problems, making us wonder if there could be a fundamental hardware issue as the complaints span across a number of automakers. Vehicles equipped with the 9HP include 2014 and newer versions of the V6 Acura TLX, Chrysler 200, Fiat 500X, upper-level Honda Pilots, Jeep Cherokee and Renegade, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, and Ram ProMaster City. Only FCA is issuing a recall and only on 2014 and 2015 models. Related Video: News Source: NHTSA Recalls Chrysler Fiat Jeep Safety FCA nine-speed transmission