1995 Jeep Wrangler Rio Grande Sport Utility 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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FCA nears plea deal in diesel emissions fraud probe

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to criminal conduct to resolve a multiyear emissions fraud probe surrounding Ram pickup trucks and Jeep sport-utility vehicles with diesel engines, people familiar with the matter said. FCA lawyers and U.S. Justice Department officials are brokering a plea deal that could be unveiled in coming weeks and include financial penalties totaling between $250 million and $300 million, the people said. Such a resolution with FCA, which is now part of Stellantis NV, would come more than four years after Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty to criminal charges  to resolve its own diesel-emissions scandal involving nearly 600,000 vehicles.It would also mark the final significant chapter in the government crackdown on automakers' emissions practices that was precipitated by Volkswagen's deception, which became known as "Dieselgate." The FCA investigation focuses on roughly 100,000 diesel-powered vehicles that allegedly evaded emissions requirements. The plea negotiations are fluid and some terms, including the size of any financial penalties, could change as discussions continue, the people said. Justice Department officials are preparing paperwork that will likely be negotiated with FCA to finalize the plea deal, which could result in changes and also present an outside chance for the agreement to fall apart, the people said. A plea agreement would cap a series of investigations dating back to 2015 surrounding diesel-powered vehicles in FCA's U.S. lineup. The current criminal investigation targets the U.S unit of the Italian-American automaker. The affected vehicles span model years 2014 to 2016. Representatives for FCA parent Stellantis and the Justice Department declined to comment. The scandals over emissions cheating tarnished diesel technology and accelerated the industry's shift to electric vehicles. The European automakers had promoted "clean diesel" technology as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ease a transition to an all-electric future. When regulators on both sides of the Atlantic uncovered evidence that diesel vehicles polluted far more in real world driving, the argument for a slower transition to battery electric vehicles was shredded. Now, automakers are accelerating battery electric vehicle development to comply with tougher, post-Dieselgate pollution standards.

Woman who survived plunge off Big Sur cliff posts pics of wrecked Jeep

The woman who survived seven days on a remote beach after plunging off a cliff on California's Highway 1 has posted photos of her wrecked Jeep Patriot on the beach at low tide. Along with details of the story Angela Hernandez has previously shared, the photos suggest she's lucky to be alive. Hernandez's ordeal began around midday on July 6, when she was driving southbound through Big Sur and an animal suddenly appeared in the road in front of her. She swerved to avoid hitting it and lost control. "I don't really remember much of the fall," she says. "They say I fell somewhere around 250 feet." Hernandez, 23, had been reported missing in the Big Sur area on her journey from Portland, Ore., to Southern California, but heavy fog had complicated search efforts. She was eventually found by a couple hiking the coastline in search of a fishing spot and was hoisted up the cliff by rescuers and taken to a hospital. She suffered a brain hemorrhage, collapsed lung, ruptured blood vessels in both eyes and four broken ribs and broken collarbone, plus an intense sunburn. She says she remembers only waking up in her car and feeling the Pacific Ocean rising over her knees. She used a multitool to break the window, then jumped into the water and made her way to shore, where she promptly passed out. In the coming days she used a piece of hose that broke off her Jeep to collect fresh water dripping off mounds of moss for drinking. "The next few days kind of became a blur," she wrote on Facebook. "I'd walk up and down the beach in search of another human being. I'd climb on rocks to avoid the sharp sand, walk along the shore to avoid the hot rocks, and air wrestle tiny crabs. I found a high spot I was able to climb up to and found myself there almost every day. I could see cars driving across the cliff and felt like if I could yell just loud enough, that one could hear me or see me. That's all it would take to make it back to my family. Just one person noticing me. I'd usually stay there until the sun became unbearable and then would find a way to slide myself back down to the shore." It sounds like the accident has given her a new lease on life. Her most recent Facebook update is a short video of her playing a guitar. "Wasn't sure if I'd still be able to play after my accident, so this makes me so happy," she writes. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jeep CEO promises Grand Cherokee Hellcat 'before the end of 2017' [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Video of Mike Manley confirming the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat has been added. In one of the worst kept secrets in the auto industry, Jeep has confirmed that the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat is coming. The news comes from Vvuzz, which has Jeep CEO Mike Manley on camera confirming the monstrous SUV. Manley confirmed that the Jeep, which we hope will offer the same 707-horsepower version of Chrysler's 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 as the Dodge Challenger and Charger, will arrive before the end of 2017. This, friends, is grand news. By the time the Grand Cherokee Hellcat arrives, it'll be faced with an array of high-performance challengers from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, and Porsche. But, if things stay the way they are with the competition and SRT engineers can bring the Hellcat engine's full output to bear on an all-wheel-drive platform, the Grand Cherokee will have a power advantage ranging from 130 to 157 hp. It's one thing to best the competition by a dozen horsepower, it's entirely different to outgun them by an entire Toyota Corolla. Expect much more on the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat in the coming months. Scroll on to see Manley confirm the news. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.