2014 Chrysler Town & Country S on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot owner PSA reportedly in merger talks

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA are in talks to combine in a deal that could create a $50 billion automaker, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The deal could be in the form of an all-stock deal, the report said. Fiat Chrysler shares rose sharply after the report and were up more than 7% in late afternoon trading. Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot had no comment. Investors have speculated for several years that Fiat Chrysler was hunting for a merger partner, encouraged by the rhetoric of the company's late chief executive, Sergio Marchionne. In 2015, Marchionne outlined the case for consolidation of the auto industry, and tried unsuccessfully to interest General Motors in a deal. Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler had discussed a combination earlier this year, before Fiat Chrysler proposed a $35 billion merger with French automaker Renault SA. Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann broke off talks with Renault in June after French government officials intervened, and pushed for Renault to first resolve tensions with its Japanese alliance partner, Nissan. Following the collapse of the Renault merger plan, Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley left the door open for talks with would-be partners, but said the Italian-American automaker could go it alone despite mounting costs to develop electric vehicles and comply with tougher emissions rules in Europe, the United States and China. Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares dismissed the idea of a combination with Fiat Chrysler during a discussion with reporters at the Frankfurt auto show last month. "We don't need it," Tavares said when asked whether he was still interested in a deal with Fiat Chrysler. Fiat Chrysler has a commercial vehicle partnership with Peugeot.

U.S. auto sales in April expected to drop despite big discounts

DETROIT — U.S. auto sales in April likely fell nearly 8 percent from the same month in 2017 despite big discounts for consumers, industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Thursday. For much of the past two years, the discounts offered by automakers have remained at levels that industry analysts say are unsustainable and unhealthy in the long term. April U.S. new vehicle sales will likely be about 1.31 million units, down from 1.42 million units a year earlier, the consultancies said. The forecast was based on the first 17 selling days of April. Automakers, including Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, will release April U.S. sales results on May 1. Earlier this month, No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors said it will stop reporting monthly U.S. sales because the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market. GM will instead issue quarterly sales reports. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million units after hitting a record high in 2016. Sales are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. LMC expects full-year 2018 U.S. new vehicle sales to come in at around 17 million units. "Uncertainty and unfavorable factors appear to be mounting for autos, including a volatile stock market, rising interest rates, rising oil prices and potential trade roadblocks," Jeff Schuster, LMC's head of global vehicle forecasts, said in a statement. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales for April will be 16.6 million vehicles, down more than 2 percent from 17 million units in April 2017, the consultancies said. Retail sales to consumers, excluding lower-margin fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses and government, were set to decline about 9 percent in April. The level of consumer discounts, which can erode profit margins and undercut resale values, "remains the larger concern," the consultancies said. The average discount was $3,698, up $187 from April 2017. Discounts on trucks and SUVs were up $426, but down $226 on passenger cars. Reporting by Nick CareyRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ford GM JD Power

2017 Chrysler Pacifica is perfect for town and country

The Pacifica has returned. In a surprising move, Chrysler revived the name of its old three-row CUV for the long-serving Town & Country's replacement. That's a bold strategy. Let's see if it pays off. Chrysler's new minivan offers a tremendous improvement on its predecessor in terms of interior and exterior design, available technology, and powertrain. Design inspiration is most clearly drawn from the brand's 200 sedan, both inside and out. Gone are the egg-crate grille, blocky headlights, and vertical taillights of the old van, all of which have been replaced with slim, stylish units. Doubtlessly destined for high-end trims, Chrysler will also offer a 200-style, two-tone interior with over 35 inches of screen real estate. 8.4 inches are reserved for the central UConnect display, while drivers have their own seven-inch display in the instrument cluster. As for the kiddies, they're the big winners, with a pair of ten-inch touchscreen displays in the back. Underhood, the big news is reserved for the new plug-in-hybrid powertrain. You can read all about that here. For right now, we'll focus on the familiar 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and its accompanying nine-speed automatic transmission. There is 287 horsepower, 262 pound-feet of torque, and what will likely be a healthy improvement in fuel economy over the old Town & Country. You can read much more on the all-new Pacifica from our original post last night. We've also got a fresh gallery of live images from its big debut here at Detroit's Cobo Center, available up top.