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Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee flunk IIHS passenger-side crash test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has uncovered major safety-related problems while crash testing a number of popular midsize SUVs. Among those that scored an overall rating of "poor," the lowest possible score, are the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both SUVs showed a high risk of injury to a front passenger during the IIHS' passenger-side small overlap front crash test. This test simulates what might happen if a car or SUV strikes an immovable object, like a telephone pole, at 40 mph and with roughly 25-percent of its front width. "Although some vehicles in this group offer very good protection, in other models, the airbags, safety belts and structure showed serious deficiencies," says IIHS chief research officer, David Zuby. "In those SUVs, a front-seat passenger would be at risk of injuries to the head, hip or leg in a right-side small overlap front crash." In the 2018 Ford Explorer, the front of the SUV showed the structure was "seriously compromised" during both driver- and passenger-side small overlap crash testing, according to the IIHS. The lower and upper door hinge pillar showed intrusion levels of 15 and 13 inches, while the door sill itself was pushed inward 6 inches toward the crash test dummy. The IIHS states these results indicate a high probability that a front occupant would suffer injuries to their right hip and lower left leg. The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee didn't fare much better. Not only did the Jeep exhibit 10 inches of intrusion at the lower door hinge pillar, the front passenger crash test dummy's head hit the dashboard through the front airbag. Worse still, the side curtain airbag didn't deploy and the front passenger door opened. The IIHS says there is a strong chance this would result in right leg injuries, along with the possibility of a serious head injury. Even vehicles that earned an "acceptable" in the small overlap front crash test showed definite room for improvement. The 2018 Honda Pilot, for example, showed good structural performance during the crash itself. But the front passenger crash test dummy's head slid off the deployed airbag and hit the dashboard hard, indicating a head injury might result in a similar real-world crash scenario. Two other SUVs that scored "acceptable" ratings included the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder and 2018 Toyota Highlander. Scoring top marks of "good," the highest rating, in these IIHS crash tests were the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, 2018 GMC Acadia, and 2019 Kia Sorento.

Chrysler banks $507 million in Q2, trims 2013 earnings forecast

Chrysler has some good news and some bad news. First, profits were up 16 percent over the second quarter of 2012, bringing the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer $507 million on the back of strong demand for trucks and SUVs (a recurring theme this quarter, particularly in the US). Q2 revenue was up as well, from $16.8 billion in 2012 to $18 billion in 2013. The bad news is that the Pentastar's overall earnings forecast for net income in 2013 has been trimmed from $2.2 billion to between $1.7 and $2.2 billion, according to Automotive News.
In addition to the adjusted net income forecast, Chrysler tweaked its operating profit from $3.8 billion to between $3.3 and $3.8 billion. This has gone largely unexplained by Chrysler, perhaps hoping the news of a three-percent increase in its transaction prices for Q2 will allow it to sweep this adjustment under the rug.
The star of the show for Chrysler has been its US sales, which saw a 10-percent jump, both bettering the industry average of eight percent and improving over the same stretch of 2012. As with the increase in transaction prices, Chrysler has the new Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee to thank. Perhaps most worrying from this report, though, is that every brand in the automaker's stable saw an increase in sales... except for the Chrysler brand itself.

2023 Detroit Auto Show Editors' Rankings

The 2023 Detroit Auto Show was back in its traditional location, though in its fall spot in the calendar, and it was another pretty quiet event. By our count, only five new models, or model lines, were revealed and brought to the floor; all of which came from Detroit's own car companies. Still, some of them were quite significant, and the types were diverse. Naturally, we also had our favorites. So take a look to see how we ranked the reveals of the Detroit Auto Show. 2025 Cadillac CT5 View 15 Photos 5. 2025 Cadillac CT5 The refresh for the 2025 Cadillac CT5 is no great revelation, because it doesn’t have to be. An already solid, attractive design means only light tweaks were made to its appearance, and the new front fascia and redesigned lights just make the CT5 just that much more aggressive. So what was missing from the current model? Apparently, the answer was a gorgeous 33-inch curved LED display serving as both infotainment and instrument cluster. It has touchscreen capability to both the right and left sides of the steering wheel, and provides 9K resolution. Update some of the safety and driver assist tech, and — boom — the CT5 is properly modernized. Now bring on the updated Blackwing. –Senior Editor, Green, John Snyder 2024 Jeep Gladiator Live View 10 Photos 4. 2024 Jeep Gladiator Jeep carved out plenty of time for what is essentially a no-brainer mid-cycle refresh, but thereÂ’s one among us who is easily swayed: Me. I dumped the maximum number of points allotted on the 2024 Gladiator with only three words of explanation: "I like Jeeps." But this is kind of a big deal. The Gladiator pulled a lot of weight for Stellantis during the pandemic by providing an alternative to pickup buyers while Ram dealers were scraping the bottom of the supply barrel. To be fair, we're probably giving the Gladiator a bit of advance credit here for its promise to deliver a 4xe variant in 2025, but who else is talking about their PHEV pickup plans? Your move, Ford. –Associate Editor Byron Hurd. 2024 GMC Acadia AT4 View 17 Photos 3. 2024 GMC Acadia The 2024 GMC Acadia is the one reveal from this yearÂ’s Detroit Auto Show that was actually a totally new vehicle, and as far as three-row SUVs go, GMC aced it. The exterior has its own personality separate from its Chevrolet Traverse twin. Its AT4 trim is legit with more ground clearance, a torque-vectoring rear diff and sweet orange marker lights on the fenders.