1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo on 2040-cars

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Stellantis will build four electric vehicles in Italy, say union reps

MILAN — Stellantis will produce four medium-segment electric vehicles, of different brands, at its Melfi plant in southern Italy from 2024, the UILM union said on Tuesday. Since Stellantis was formed at the beginning of this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, production in Italy has been under scrutiny for costing more than elsewhere in Europe. "Stellantis announced that Melfi would be the first plant in Italy to get new models, based on post-2022 business plan," UILM said in a statement after workers' representatives met with the carmaker at Italy's industry ministry in Rome. Future production at Melfi will be based on a single enhanced production line that will merge the two existing ones, the union said, adding the restructuring will leave production capacity at the site unchanged at around 400,000 units. UILM's head, Rocco Palombella, said unions had not received all the answers they wanted as Stellantis was still working on its new business plan. "But the positive element is that the company has not absolutely called for structural redundancies," he said after the meeting. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares has said the group would present its business plan late this year or in early 2022. Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest carmaker, gave no details about what was discussed at the meeting. In an earlier statement the company said it was working "with determination and speed" to support the energy transition of all its Italian sites. Italy's Industry minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, however, said in a separate statement after the meeting that Stellantis had yet to decide where it would build its third electric battery plant in Europe. Stellantis, which already has two battery factory projects in France and Germany, has said adding gigafactories in Europe and the United States would be decided this year. The company is holding talks on this with Rome, as Italy is one of its main production hubs in Europe. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Fiat Jeep Citroen Opel Peugeot Stellantis

Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X finally on the way to dealers

After a brief pause, the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X are on their way to dealers again. While initially reported as a software bug, the issue had nothing to do with the models themselves. According to a statement from FCA US to Autoblog, the "vehicles were built with an atypical Vehicle Identification Number that may not be recognized as valid by some computer systems." That problem has now been fixed. FCA US held the compact crossovers back from dealers until the company could rectify the bug. If the CUVs had been delivered, there would have been difficulty registering the vehicles, according to Automotive News. Before discovering the situation, about 20 of these Renegades were sold to customers. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne originally discussed the predicament in late May. "I'm having a very bad engineering day," he said. "It's a combination of attributes of that vehicle that is making my life horrible." While the boss predicted the problem would be fixed as late as mid-June, the company apparently got things working much quicker than that. Related Video: FCA US Statement A limited number of 2015 Jeep Renegade and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles were built with an atypical Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that may not be recognized as valid by some computer systems. This VIN issue has been resolved. FCA US has been working with governmental agencies, insurers and financial institutions with whom customers may interact to ensure successful registration, financing and insurance coverage. Renegade and 500X vehicles are being shipped and are in stock at dealerships for purchase. The VIN issue is entirely separate from the operation of the vehicle.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk Drivers' Notes | Haulin' the groceries

Powered by the same supercharged Hemi at the heart of Dodge's Hellcat cars, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the sort of vehicle that comes from a " Why not?" attitude from the maniacs at SRT. It's not for the faint of heart, nor for the cash-strapped. With 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque, it's capable of a 0-60 sprint of just 3.5 seconds. Its base price, however, is $86,995, though our tester's sticker totaled just a few bucks shy of $100,000. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: "What business does a Jeep have going 0-60 in 3.5 seconds?" This was my thought as I merged into rainy rush-hour traffic on Woodward Avenue in the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. "Why does an SUV need to have 'Track' in the name?" I thought as I unintentionally broke the tires loose pulling away from a stoplight. I hit the "Eco" button, but the Jeep still roared with every toe-tap, and still managed to gulp down nearly a quarter of a tank of gas on my ride home. That sound, though, is amazing, and surely more unsettling to other drivers coming from such a big beast of a ute. Anyway, this Jeep feels more grown-up than other Hemi-powered vehicles I've driven. The fit and finish in this $99,000 Jeep is far nicer than, say, the Dodge Durango SRT (though at a much higher cost). If another driver didn't pay close attention to the badging, they might see this and think it just another Jeep. The sound, though, will give it away every time. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: If Fiat-Chrysler knows how to do anything, it's making fast SUVs, and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is further proof of that. And by that I mean, they know how to make them fast, and they know how to make them pleasant to drive. The Trackhawk definitely handles the fast part better than its SRT Durango and SRT Grand Cherokee cousins, what with its extra 230-odd horsepower. This big beast seriously rockets when you punch the throttle. The nose rises up, the supercharger screams, the exhaust rumbles and the speedometer ticks up much faster than you'd ever think. And it feels strong at all revs. Also impressive is that you don't have to really think when flooring it. The all-wheel-drive and fat tires offer so much grip the Jeep simply goes. The pleasant to drive part comes in the fact that the Trackhawk is very comfortable. The suspension has plenty of give, providing a good ride over pockmarked Motown roads.