2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude 4x4 on 2040-cars

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New 2018 Jeep Wrangler is definitely a Jeep Wrangler

Jeep is hiding details on the new Wrangler about as well as a colander holds water. The good people over at JL Wrangler Forums have managed to get ahold of some new images of the next-gen Wrangler. Surprise! It looks exactly how we expected it to look. These new images give us our best view yet, showing a number of details that we couldn't even glean from spy photos. Enthusiasts can put down their pitchforks. The Wrangler can still go topless. The two images - one of the front and one of the rear - show off what appears to be a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. The second photo is notable since it finally confirms that the doors and roof are fully removable, a feature that some feared would disappear with the new model. It looks like a fixed roll cage will help strengthen the Wrangler and protect occupants in the case of an accident. Hinges up front mean the windshield is still able to fold forward as well. The rest of the Wrangler, though all new, just updates the Jeep's timeless design. Up front, the grille is canted rearward at the top, the fog lights move to the ends of the bumper, the turn signals move to the front of the fender, and the hood latches are pushed forward a bit. The windshield appears to be a bit more upright and less curved than the current model. Around the side, we can see new vents behind the rear fenders. The door hinges looks smaller, and the mirrors have integrated side marker lights. There is a new line that cuts below the windows, flowing to the rear of the Wrangler. At the back, we can see that the tail lights now wrap around to the Wrangler's side, though they still look like the square lights we've always had. There is no sight of a rear-mounted spare, but plenty of spy shots have shown that it should carry over, new backup camera and all. It also looks like the new mounting points for the roll cage should provide a bit more cargo space. Look for more news, images, and renders as the Wrangler's development moves along. Related Video:

First Jeepster prototype spotted with final, boxy form

The long-awaited baby Jeep is getting closer to production, as evidenced by these spy photos. Previously, the only images of the so-called Jeepster saw it wearing a Fiat 500L body (see below), while this new batch of photos show hefty amounts of camouflage. How is that better? Well, it's very likely there's a production body hiding under all that cladding.
While picking out styling details is virtually impossible thanks to all the camo, as our spies point out, this gives us a very sound idea of the Jeepster's final size. It's small, although we'd argue that it's only slightly smaller than the current Jeep Patriot, based on the images of the newest Jeep sitting in front of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
As we reported previously, this little bambino will be built on a Fiat platform, but the styling should be uniquely Jeep - likely to include a somewhat vertical seven-slat grille and round headlights. We can expect to see a production Jeepster, if that ends up being the actual name (Latitude has been rumored, although as that's traditionally a trim level, we imagine there'd be some confusion), when it debuts at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

Prosecutors indict three FCA employees in alleged emissions-cheating case

Federal prosecutors indicted three Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA, now Stellantis) employees as part of an investigation into alleged emissions cheating. Charges unsealed on April 20, 2021, accuse the defendants of helping rig the emissions control system fitted to the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 used in some models during the 2010s. Prosecutors claim Emanuele Palma, Sergio Pasini, and Gianluca Sabbioni played a determining role in developing a defeat device that allowed the V6 to obtain certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while polluting too much in normal driving conditions. Jeep and Ram began making the engine available in the Grand Cherokee and the 1500, respectively, in 2014, but the charges state plans to game the EPA started in 2011. Palma, Pasini, and Sabbioni knowingly mislead federal regulators, the charges claim; they called it "cycle beating," according to The Detroit News. While the three men were part of FCA's research and development department, they started the project while working for an Italian supplier named VM Motori, which FCA purchased in 2013. Pasini and Sabbioni are each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Clean Air Act, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and six counts of violating the Clean Air Act. They could spend several years behind bars if they're found guilty. Both are currently in their home country of Italy. Palma's legal troubles are more serious. He was charged with several counts in September 2019, though four wire fraud charges were dropped in November 2020. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, a city located on the far outskirts of Detroit. Prosecutors claim motorists spent over $4 billion on over 100,000 trucks and SUVs fitted with the non-compliant engine between January 2013 and September 2017. FCA has already agreed to pay $800 million to resolve civil claims from the Justice Department, state officials and customers, though it significantly has not admitted guilt. It stressed that "it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests."