2020 Jeep Wrangler on 2040-cars

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Chrysler registers Trackhawk trademark

There may not be many ways to forecast what an automaker is planning for the future, but there are some. Trademark applications are one of them, and Chrysler has just applied with the US Patent and Trademark Office to protect the name "Trackhawk." The question is, what's it planning on using it for? We don't know for sure, but we can put together an educated guess or two. And one guess is that Jeep will use the name to replace the letters SRT on the performance version of the Grand Cherokee.
How do we figure, you ask? From a number of developments. For starters, the SRT division has been reintegrated into the Dodge brand. Those letters currently appear on only two vehicles from outside the Dodge lineup: one is the Grand Cherokee SRT, and the other is the Chrysler 300 SRT. We've heard ruminations (however unconfirmed) that the latter could be either discontinued or possibly relabeled, and if the same proves true of the GC, the Trackhawk name could serve as a on-road performance counterpart to the Trailhawk label applied to off-road versions of models like the Cherokee and Renegade.
Logical it may be, but it's hardly a foregone conclusion. The Trackhawk name could just as easily be used for a new concept (like the Trailhawk name was in 2007), for another kind of trim level or for something else entirely. In fact we don't even know for sure it'll be used by the Jeep brand specifically, or used at all for that matter. Automakers have been known, after all, to register names they don't end up using.

2018 Jeep Wrangler revealed: First photos released before L.A. Auto Show debut

All the guessing and speculation on the look of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler can finally end. Jeep has released a trio of photos showing off the new off-roader in both two- and four-door configurations. Sadly, this is all we get to see at the moment, as the company won't be releasing any more photos or info until the truck's official debut at the Los Angeles auto show Nov. 29. But Wrangler fans can rest easy about a number of key features. For one thing, there isn't a single aspect of open air motoring left out of the new truck. As one of the images clearly shows, the doors come off, the top comes off, and the windshield still folds down. Other interesting notes include that the gas filler is hidden behind a door now. The hood still has the traditional external clips. Interestingly, the roll bar doesn't reach as close to the edge of the body as it has in past Wranglers. It will be interesting to learn the reason for this. It could have something to do with safety, or perhaps it helps accommodate thicker, quieter hardtops and/or a more elegantly lowered soft top. There are no engine, transmission, or other specifications yet. Those will all come at the aforementioned reveal in LA. However, we expect it to be initially offered with a V6 with either manual or automatic transmissions, followed by a turbocharged four-cylinder with just an automatic. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Image Credit: Jeep LA Auto Show Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles

Sergio rethinks FCA-GM merger idea, dismisses critics

After many public overtures, Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Sergio Marchionne has claimed his company won't be making a hostile takeover bid for General Motors. This is despite widespread speculation that FCA's desire to merge was motivated by its allegedly dire situation. As one unnamed GM exec who spoke to Automotive News earlier this year put it, "Why should [GM] bail out FCA?" "We are not choking. We are in relatively decent shape," Marchionne told journalists attending an FCA shareholder meeting in Amsterdam, AN reports. "We have been publicly rebuffed, we have been rejected and you cannot force these things. I don't want to. At the moment, we have no intention to do anything hostile." Instead of focusing on merging with GM, or any other partners for that matter, FCA will refocus on implementing its ambitious five-year investment plan, which would see it dump $52 billion into its various brands, with a particular focus on Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Jeep. So far the attempt has largely been unsuccessful, especially as it relates to the Italian brands. Earlier this week, additional reports emerged that claimed Alfa was pushing back the Giulia and an unnamed CUV while reassigning resources to updated versions of the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks. This is not the first time we've heard about trouble for the Giulia, of course. For Masearti, though, it was the first we'd heard of delays for Alfieri sports car, which allegedly won't appear in 2016, as promised. We can expect a proper breakdown of FCA's adjusted plans when Marchionne and Company reveal an updated product slate next month. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Alfa Romeo Chrysler Fiat GM Jeep Maserati Sergio Marchionne FCA