1998 Jeep Wrangler on 2040-cars

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FCA and Peugeot reportedly agree on merger

Citing a Wall Street Journal report, the Detroit Free Press says "Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe have agreed to merge." The Journal reported on talks between the two car companies only yesterday. It's said that Peugeot's board met yesterday to approve the deal, FCA's board met today, and an announcement could come as soon as tomorrow, Thursday. Both automakers have released statements, but neither company has released any information beyond admitting to ongoing talks. If the merger happens, the combined entity would become the world's fourth-largest carmaker with a $50 billion valuation, slotting in behind Toyota, the Volkswagen Group, and the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance. Among the merger options possible, "an all-stock merger of equals" is the one analysts and Moody's seem to give the best grade. The reported merger would come about four months after FCA walked away from merger talks with Renault. FCA said the French government scuppered those talks over the role of Nissan in a reformed entity, but there were also brewing issues with French unions, and ongoing turmoil among Renault and Nissan leadership thanks to continuing fallout from ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn's arrest last year. FCA makes most of its revenue in the U.S. and rules Italy, while Peugeot is the second-best-selling automaker in Europe with its own brand in France and Opel in Germany. The two companies already have a partnership in Europe making vans, one that FCA CEO Mike Manley has spoken highly of. Among the list of obvious benefits in a potential merger, FCA would get access to Peugeot's small, modern platforms, $10.2 billion in cash, and electrified and hybrid architecture developments, the latter especially important to FCA as those are fields where it lags. Peugeot would get much easier access to the U.S. market, and the money-printing brands Jeep and Ram. A merged carmaker would have combined sales of nearly 9 million a year, based on 2018 results. By comparison, both Volkswagen and Toyota sell over 10 million cars a year, while the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance almost 11 million. Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares has proved he knows how to do turnarounds and mergers. After leaving a position as Carlos Ghosn's right-hand man in 2012, Tavares took over Peugeot in 2014, navigated a bailout from the French government and China's Dongfeng Motors in 2015, and turned PSA into a regional powerhouse.

Jeep's new Chip Away commercial has us hunting Al Pacino's back catalog

Chrysler has done a pretty good job as of late turning its television commercials into pep talks or rallying cries, but for its first ad for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, it turned to Al Pacino's inspirational speech from the movie Any Given Sunday. In the movie, Pacino's character talks about how football is a game of inches, but the commercial, titled Chip Away, focuses more on the attention to detail that Jeep has exhibited on its updated flagship SUV.
Centering around the newest Grand Cherokee model, the luxurious $47,995 Summit trim level, the commercial shows off some of the hand-stitched leathers and real metal and wood accents found inside the cabin. Check out the new 60-second spot by scrolling below.

Here's our first look at the next-gen Jeep Wrangler interior

After 10 years on the road, the current Jeep Wrangler JK is finally being put out to pasture. As expected, the new Wrangler is going to look a hell of a lot like the current model. Surprise, surprise. Until now, all we've been able to do is glimpse the occasional spy shot or well-done rendering. Our spy photographers finally managed to capture photos of the much-needed update to the interior. Like the exterior, the new interior isn't a huge departure. The overall design, unsurprisingly, is a mix of Jeep Renegade and outgoing Wrangler. All the switches and knobs are still on the center stack, necessary when the doors aren't permanently attached. There are four auxiliary buttons in the bottom-right corner and what looks like electronic controls for the four-wheel-drive system and detachable sway bar on the left. The materials look to be a higher quality than the one in the current model, but a full judgment will have to wait until we literally get our hands on it. A presumably body-colored panel runs the width of the dash, with big, round vents flanking the latest version of FCA's wonderful UConnect infotainment system. The steering wheel appears to be an even newer design than what's currently inside Jeep products, with a large, thick rim and the usual smattering of buttons. A tight close-up shot gives us a glimpse of the removable roof, though it's not enough to show how it works. There isn't much new to see on the exterior. The Wrangler's front and rear are still heavily camouflaged, and the entire body is covered in a detail-hiding wrap. The debut is drawing ever closer, so look for a full debut sometime in the next few months. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler interior View 13 Photos Image Credit: Spied Bilde Spy Photos Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles