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Fiat Chrysler to pay $800M in Jeep, Ram emissions cheating case

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has agreed to a settlement worth about $800 million to resolve claims from the U.S. Justice Department and state of California that it used illegal software that produced false results on diesel-emissions tests, but still faces an ongoing criminal probe. The hefty penalty is the latest fallout from the U.S. government's stepped-up enforcement of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen AG admitted in September 2015 to intentionally evading emissions rules. The Fiat Chrysler settlement includes $311 million in total civil penalties to U.S. and California regulators, up to $280 million to resolve claims from diesel owners, and extended warranties worth $105 million. It covers 104,000 Fiat Chrysler 2014-16 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee diesels, the Justice Department said. Regulators said Fiat Chrysler used "defeat devices" to cheat emissions tests in real-world driving. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that "the settlements do not change the Company's position that it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests." The company did not admit liability. "You wouldn't pay $311 million total dollars to the federal government in civil penalties if there were not a serious problem," U.S. assistant attorney general Jeff Clark told a news conference. The settlement also includes $72.5 million for state civil penalties, and $33.5 million in payments to California to offset excess emissions and consumer claims. German auto supplier Robert Bosch GmbH, which provided the emissions control software for the vehicles, also agreed to pay $27.5 million to resolve claims from diesel owners. Owners will receive an average of $2,800 to obtain software updates as part of the emissions recall, Fiat Chrysler said. Elizabeth Cabraser, a lawyer for the owners, said the "substantial cash compensation" will ensure that consumers get the recall fix. Bosch, which also provided diesel emissions software to Volkswagen, also agreed to pay $103.5 million to settle claims with 47 U.S. states that said the supplier "enabled" the cheating and should have known its customers would use the software improperly, the New York Attorney General's Office said.

The Chrysler Pacifica has clever 'Stow 'n Place' roof rack crossbars

While we focused yesterday on all the places you can store stuff (and especially bottles) inside the Toyota Sienna interior, today I thought I'd point out how another minivan makes it easier to store stuff up on the roof. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica includes a clever integrated roof rack system dubbed "Stow 'N Place" that basically lets you store the cross bars on the van itself rather than somewhere in the garage. But wait, can't you always just leave crossbars on your car? Sure, if you want to live with extra wind noise and a fuel economy reduction. You see, the Pacifica stores them flush within a rail unit running length-wise with the roof. Basically, they're hidden away until you need them. The Subaru Outback has something similar to this, which we've previously reviewed. With its integrated crossbars, you just flip open a latch, fling the bar to the opposite side of the car and plug it in. Then repeat. It couldn't be simpler. Although the Chrysler system is more complicated, it does have a key advantage. Let's see how they work.  Chrysler tries to use chrome trim in order to create the visual illusion of raised roof rails from afar, but up close ... ... they clearly aren't. It's just a G.O.B.-grade illusion created by the chrome trim arching over black plastic trim.  You have to unscrew each end of the bars by turning these little pieces.  The bars are then completely detached from the van. You then have to articulate each of the bars so that they go from their straight, flush-mounted position to the necessary raised position. That's quite easy to do. Be careful, though as these suckers are sturdy metal. You don't want to drop one onto those fancy glass roof panels.  Subaru avoids all this and allows you to simply swing the bar across by utilizing a bulky rail housing that raises them up to the necessary height, but provides a visual that probably gives some car designers nightmares.   There are letters at each mounting point that align to those on a bar end. So, make sure to go A with A, D with D, etc.  However, you have two options for placing the C/D bar, meaning you're not stuck with a one-size-must-fit-all gap as with the Subaru. This is without question the advantage to Chrysler's approach here. So voila! What once didn't have crossbars now has them. It might not take seconds as with the Outback, but they're sure-as-hell quicker and easier to install than aftermarket crossbars.

France tries to dodge blame for blowing up FCA-Renault merger deal

PARIS — France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced. Shares in Italian-American FCA and France's Renault fell sharply in early trading after FCA pulled out of talks, saying "the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, which has a 15% stake in Renault, had engaged constructively, but had not been prepared to back a deal without the endorsement of Renault's current alliance partner Nissan. Nissan had said it would abstain at a Renault board meeting to vote on the merger proposal. However, a source close to FCA played down the significance of Nissan's stance in the discussions, believing French President Emmanuel Macron was looking for a way out of the deal after coming under pressure at home. Context The FCA-Renault talks were conducted against the backdrop of a French public outcry over 1,044 layoffs at a General Electric factory. The U.S. company had promised to safeguard jobs there when it acquired France's Alstom in 2015. The collapse of the deal, which would have created the world's third-biggest carmaker behind Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen, revives questions about how both FCA and Renault will meet the challenges of costly investments in electric and self-driving cars on their own. The merger had aimed to achieve 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual synergies, with FCA gaining access to Renault's and Nissan's superior electric drive technology and the French firm getting a share of FCA's lucrative Jeep and Ram brands. FCA has long been looking for a merger partner, and some analysts say its search for a deal is becoming more urgent as it is ill-prepared for tougher new regulations on emissions. It previously held unsuccessful talks with Peugeot maker PSA Group, in which the French state also owns a stake. French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said the door should not be closed on the possibility of a deal with Renault, adding Paris would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from FCA. "Talks could resume at some time in the future," he told FranceInfo radio.