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Fiat Chrysler's next-generation Uconnect is faster, built on Android

If you're a regular reader of Autoblog, you know that for a long time we've liked Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system for its bright, clear, responsive touchscreen interface. Now, according to the company, it will be better than ever with Uconnect 5, the latest iteration of the system. It has upgraded hardware and a revamped graphic user interface (the stuff on the screen). Looking at sample screens shown above, there are characteristics shared with the old system, such as the time, status and shortcuts at the top and the menu icons at the bottom. In the middle, the major change is the addition of home screens that can be customized with favorite menus and readouts that are always available. Each of these home screens can have up to four functions and you can have five pages to flip through. The graphics themselves feature more legible fonts and updated icons. Each car brand will get its own set of icons, colors and textures to help create unique experiences. And while each Fiat Chrysler product will be able to have Uconnect, including Alfa Romeo that has until now lacked Uconnect, each brand has the ability to make small tweaks including the screen orientation. The system will support displays in landscape, portrait or square, so different brands may choose different shapes. Powering Uconnect 5 is a processor Fiat Chrysler says is six times more powerful than what's in current systems. It features 6 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal storage. The processor also supports screens as large as 12.3 inches with as many as 15 million pixels, or nearly twice that of a 4K resolution TV. The system can display information on up to four screens, too. Uconnect 5's firmware is built on Google's Android operating system, joining a few other automakers in using Android as a base for their infotainment systems. Uconnect 5 brings with it a number of new features. It brings full Alexa integration, so you can use it just like you do at home, provided you have a data plan for the car. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto continue to be standard, but now they can be used wirelessly. You can also now connect two phones via Bluetooth wirelessly so you can access content from both. Navigation gets real time information and updates from TomTom. Users can create five profiles with unique climate, radio and instrument settings, plus one for a valet.

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 to recall 318,000 vehicles for faulty backup camera software

An array of 2019 and 2020 FCA vehicles are being recalled over faulty backup camera software that doesn’t meet federal regulations. According to recall documents, the backup camera may not turn off “until a drive cycle ends.” ThatÂ’s far longer than the 10-second linger time allowed by the rules, so FCA has to recall all of the vehicles to implement a fix. WeÂ’ve listed all of the vehicles involved below. 2020 Jeep Gladiator 2020 Jeep Cherokee 2019-2020 Ram 1500 2019-2020 Ram 2500  2019-2020 Ram 3500 2019-2020 Chrysler Pacifica 2019-2020 Dodge Durango 2019-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2019-2020 Jeep Wrangler 2019-2020 Jeep Renegade 2019 Dodge Challenger ItÂ’s an extensive list encompassing a huge chunk of FCAÂ’s lineup in the United States. In total, FCA is recalling 318,537 vehicles. They must be equipped with the 8.4-inch or 12-inch infotainment system for the problem to present itself. FCA expects the recall to start on May 22 this year and will begin to notify owners soon. To fix the vehicles that may be affected, FCA plans to update the infotainment system at the dealer or over-the-air. If youÂ’ve noticed a screen thatÂ’s sluggish to relinquish its hold on the backup camera feed (or maybe never does), then you have this recall to look forward to. Update: FCA has provided additional information about the repair methodology. Customers will be able to receive an update over the air or have their cars updated at the dealership. Customers will begin receiving notifications this month. Related video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep Crossover Minivan/Van SUV