Auto blog

Fiat Chrysler and the UAW reach tentative labor deal

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Saturday announced a tentative agreement for a four-year labor contract, a boost for the automaker as it works to merge with France's Groupe PSA. Italian-American Fiat Chrysler and PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen, last month announced a planned $50 billion merger to create the world's fourth-largest automaker. The tentative agreement with Fiat Chrysler, which is subject to ratification by the union members, follows contracts that the UAW already concluded with Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co. The deal with GM followed a 40-day strike in the United States that virtually shuttered GM's North American operations and cost the automaker $3 billion. The UAW on Saturday said the contract with Fiat Chrysler included a commitment from FCA to invest $9 billion, creating 7,900 new jobs over the course of the four-year contract. Of the $9 billion, $4.5 billion was announced earlier this year, to be invested in five plants and creating 6,500 jobs. Detailed terms of the tentative agreement were not released, but they are expected to echo those under the new contracts with GM and Ford, as the UAW typically uses the first deal as a pattern for the others. "FCA has been a great American success story thanks to the hard work of our members," UAW acting President Rory Gamble said in a statement. "We have achieved substantial gains and job security provisions for the fastest growing auto company in the United States." Ratification is not a sure thing. Rank-and-file UAW members at FCA in 2015 rejected the first version of a contract. In addition, a lawsuit related to a federal corruption probe could also raise doubts among union members about the terms agreed. The federal corruption led GM to file a racketeering lawsuit against FCA, alleging that its rival bribed union officials over many years to corrupt the bargaining process and gain advantages, costing GM billions of dollars. FCA has brushed off the lawsuit as groundless. Under the UAW's deal with GM, the automaker agreed to invest $9 billion in the United States, including $7.7 billion directly in its plants, and to create or retain 9,000 UAW jobs. Ford's contract included commitments to invest more than $6 billion in its U.S. plants and to create or retain more than 8,500 UAW jobs. The deals with GM and Ford also created a pathway to full-time employment for temporary workers and left healthcare insurance coverage unchanged.

As Dodge Challenger changes, hybrid or however else, it's sure to stay retro

Unverified rumors claim Dodge will make major technical changes to the Charger and the Challenger (pictured) to comply with looming regulations. They'll likely be lighter than they currently are, they could get smaller in nearly every direction, and you can safely bet that they'll incorporate some degree of electrification. The retro-inspired, heritage-laced design is here to stay, however. Mark Trostle, Dodge's horsepower-addicted chief of design, told Muscle Car & Trucks that looks deserve a big chunk of credit for making the Charger and the Challenger as popular as they are. Horsepower and quarter-mile times help sell cars, but it's the "magic of their design" that lures buyers into showrooms to check out the modern-day muscle cars in the metal. "I wouldn't want to ruin something that's been so successful for us," Trostle concluded. He compared the Challenger to the Jeep Wrangler, another design icon in the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) portfolio. The offroader entered its fourth generation in 2018; every part of it is new, and it's not a Xerox copy of its predecessor, but it's still immediately recognizable as a Wrangler. Trostle hinted he's planning this type of evolutionary design for the next-generation Challenger. After all, it's part of the company's history, and heritage is something no amount of money can buy.  While it sounds like development work on the next-generation Challenger is ongoing, Dodge isn't finished with the current-generation car yet. The nameplate will celebrate its 50th birthday during the 2020 model year, and it's reasonable to assume Dodge has something special planned for it.

2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 gets race-focused upgrades

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is one hell of a machine. It's a single-minded 840-horsepower jackhammer, meant solely to burn rubber and win drag races. It's packed with all sorts of goodies like a transbrake, line lock, and a torque reserve mode. Still, it was an extremely limited-production model. It's also sold out. What do you do if you want some fun on the drag strip and you can't find our don't need the power of a Demon? Buy the new 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320. You can really think of the Scat Pack 1320 as a Demon without the wide bodywork and the supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Instead, you'll find Dodge's tried-and-true 6.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 under the hood making 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The TorqueFlite 8HP70 eight-speed automatic is the only available transmission. It's required equipment to use the TransBrake and Torque Reserve system. All-four wheels are wrapped in Nexen SUR4G Drag Spec 275/40R20 street-legal drag radial tires. The 1320 names comes from the length of a quarter-mile drag strip — 1,320 feet. The Scat Pack 1320 can run the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds at 115 mph and hits 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Of course, that's in its lightest configuration. Like the Demon, the Scat Pack 1320 only comes with a driver's seat. The passenger and rear seats are each $1 options. The goal was to give grassroots racers a bare-bones performance car at a relatively reasonable price. You don't need passengers if you're only racing. You also shave 114 pounds from the car's curb weight. Other upgrades include an SRT-tuned suspension, a 3.09 rear axle ratio, 41-spline rear half-shafts, 20 x 9.5-inch aluminum-forged wheels with knurled bead seats (to keep the tires from slipping on the rim) and upgraded Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers. The Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 joins a number of other upgraded 2019 Dodge models. That includes the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and the upgraded 2019 Charger SRT Hellcat. The Scat Pack 1320 adds $3,995 to the Challenger R/T Scat Pack's base MSRP. That's not the whole story. Since the automatic is mandatory, you need to tack on another $1,595. Add in destination, and the Scat Pack 1320 will set you back at least $45,980. Cars will hit dealer lots early next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.