1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on 2040-cars

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Stellantis to introduce hybrid versions of Fiat 500e EV, Jeep Compass

  MILAN — Fiat owner Stellantis said on Monday it would build a hybrid version of its 500e small electric car at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, amid a slowdown in electric car sales. The announcement came after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares met in Turin with union representatives who had long been asking the company to boost production at Fiat's historic home with a new high-volume, cheaper model. The factory currently produces the 500e model, but a global slowdown in sales of fully electric vehicles has pushed Stellantis to significantly slow production rates, introducing protracted furlough periods for the plant's workers. "Carlos Tavares recalled the importance of offering affordable and high-quality cars for Italian customers," Stellantis said in a statement. It added that developing affordable cars also depended on external factors including lower energy costs, the development of a charging network for electric vehicles, and long-term subsidies for auto purchases. The move might help the automaker improve its relations with the Italian government, which has often criticized the group for its falling output in the country and for making some of its Fiat and Alfa Romeo models abroad. Stellantis — Italy's only major automaker — and the Rome government are in talks over a plan aimed at restoring the group's production in the country to 1 million vehicles by the end of this decade from around 750,000 last year. "The shared ambition with the Italian government to reach 1 million vehicles produced in Italy by 2030, will need a supportive business environment, currently impacted by electrification uncertainties and strong competition with new entrants to the market," the automaker said. FIM-Cisl union leader Ferdinando Uliano, who attended the meeting with Tavares, said Stellantis told him and others that production of the hybrid 500e would start in the first quarter of 2026 but did not give details about targeted output figures. Automotive News Europe, which first reported the hybrid 500 production earlier on Monday, said Stellantis was aiming for total annual output of 200,000 500s, including 125,000 hybrids, compared with fewer than 80,000 last year. The Franco-Italian carmaker also said it would build a hybrid version of the Jeep Compass SUV at the Melfi plant in southern Italy, and that production of the hybrid Fiat Panda city car made in Pomigliano near Naples could be extended.

Best places to get your car maintained and repaired

In this era of rampant inflation and high interest rates, the challenges of acquiring a car or SUV have been well documented. And so it has never been more important to protect that expensive investment by maintaining it. In recent months, Autoblog has shared Consumer Reports' evaluation of the least and most expensive car brands to keep running, as well as tips to prolong a car’s useful life. Especially since the pandemic, a number of factors have impacted these costs: more complex vehicles, new materials and manufacturing methods, a shortage of qualified technicians and replacement parts. Since 2022, repairs costs have jumped each year by about 10 percent. This month, Consumer Reports is offering a useful primer on keeping your ride in great shape, suggesting what might be the best options for searching out a repair shop, depending, as CR says, “on your car and your situation.” Author Ben Preston identifies three basic types of repair facilities: dealership service departments, independently owned repair shops, and chain repair shops. Building up trust with a specific shop and feeling comfortable going there is important. Preston quotes John Ibbotson, chief mechanic at Consumer ReportsÂ’ Auto Test Center: "You might be able to save a few bucks by going to whichever shop offers the cheapest prices, but if you want consistent, reliable service, itÂ’s best to find a repair shop you trust and stick with it,” Ibbotson says. The story goes on to evaluate each type of service facility. HereÂ’s a breakdown of CRÂ’s findings: Dealerships These work well for owners of newer cars, especially for covered warranty work. But the disadvantage is the high labor rates common to dealer service. Satisfaction ratings for dealer service departments range from very good (Acura, Lexus, Mazda, and Volvo) to not-so-good (Jeep and Kia). Dealers are best for: Fixing infotainment system glitches: "If the screen in the center of your dash has a habit of freezing up, or the touchscreen-activated climate controls arenÂ’t working, the dealership is the most likely place to find someone with the know-how to fix problems that maybe only a factory-authorized technician can access," Ibbotson says. Safety system recalibration: "Anything from a crack in your windshield to a minor fender dent can upset the calibration of the sensors that make features like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control work," says Ibbotson.

Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and pickup confirmed for production, all built in the US

Jeep has confirmed some much-anticipated future models: a new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer as well as a pickup truck, which we expect to be based on the Wrangler. FCA has also announced where these new vehicles be produced, the investment involved, and that adding the models will create 2,000 American jobs. The Wagoneers will be built at FCA's Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan, which currently produces the Ram 1500. The overhaul required to add the Jeeps will also set the plant up to build Ram Heavy Duty models, which are currently made in Mexico. (It's not clear whether this would be additional Heavy Duty capacity or a complete move of production of those trucks to the US.) The confirmed Jeep pickup will be built at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio as expected. This is the same plant that builds Wranglers today and will produce the new JL Wrangler that the pickup version is expected to use. View 30 Photos All of these factory upgrades are part of a $1 billion investment by FCA. The retooling is scheduled to be completed by 2020, which means these models are likely to come online for the 2021 model year, which jibes with the rumors that the Wagoneers have been delayed. That the large Jeeps will be built at the plant that currently produces Ram 1500s also leads us to believe that they will in fact use a version of the Ram truck platform instead of being built off the Grand Cherokee platform as originally planned. The timing of this announcement and its mention of Mexico and US jobs may have something to do with recent talk from President-elect Trump about US auto industry jobs and possible tariffs to be imposed on vehicles built across the border. Marchionne says these plans have been in discussion "for some time" but it's not clear what that timeframe was. Trump has targeted Ford, General Motors, and Toyota in recent tweets but has stayed quiet on FCA. While the announcement may have been political in nature, Jeep fans will no doubt welcome the news of the returning nameplates and the long-awaited pickup model. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Dealer Leak Spy Shots Jeep Crossover SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles jeep wrangler pickup