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Infiniti looking for a new boss after Christian Meunier leaves to lead Jeep

Nissan's premium division Infiniti is expected to announce a new acting global chief for the brand, the company said, after its current head, Christian Meunier, left to lead the Jeep unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Nissan's chief quality officer Christian Vandenhende will oversee Infiniti's global operations effective immediately, until a new brand chief is named, Infiniti said in the statement on Tuesday. Meunier, 51, was named Infinit's global chief in early January after its previous boss Roland Krueger left the Hong Kong-based brand. Meunier will take over as global president for SUV-focused Jeep effective immediately, Fiat Chrysler said in a separate statement. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley had been running Jeep until he was elevated to the top job in July after the death of Sergio Marchionne. Meunier has international experience from his years with Ford, Land Rover, Nissan and Infiniti, which may prove valuable as Jeep attempts to expand overseas with a lineup of new products including the Gladiator pickup, a Wrangler plug-in hybrid, and the revived Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates. He's worked mostly in sales and marketing roles, including as senior vice president of sales, marketing and operations for Nissan North America; chairman of Nissan Canada; and his recent role heading up Infiniti. An Infiniti spokesman said Meunier's resignation was not related to Nissan's internal investigation into its former leader Carlos Ghosn.

Marchionne: Midsize pickup still not in the cards; Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler could use aluminum

During the Fiat-Chrysler briefings on Tuesday, Reid Bigland, head of Ram Trucks, outlined the new product plans for his brand, including confirmation that an all-new light-duty Ram 1500 will launch in 2017. From there, discussions spun off in two directions, with the main questions being: will Ram build a midsize pickup? And, following Ford's move to extensively use aluminum in its new 2015 F-150, will Chrysler be using this weight-saving material for the next round of its fullsize truck, as well?
"I think there is room for a Ram 1000," Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne (pictured above) told members of the media, saying this is a conversation the automaker has been having internally for several years now. "We've tried this ... we've actually taken it to clinics," Marchionne stated, adding that the "response has been lukewarm."
"I have better use of aluminum in this house than a pickup truck." - Sergio Marchionne

Jeep Renegade gets Riptide and Frostbite customs at SEMA

The cute little Jeep Renegade isn't even on sale yet, but here at SEMA, the Mopar folks are giving us a taste of what's possible for the little CUV in the big wide world of customization. Part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' massive SEMA spread, the Renegade shows up in fresh Riptide and and Frostbite guises.
First up, the Riptide arrives in Vibrance Grandeur Blue with black wheels and a big ol' Jeep Performance Parts logo on the rear pillar. There are a few black accents elsewhere on the exterior, and a surfboard carrier rides up on the roof. The blue color scheme also finds its way inside the Renegade, on the instrument cluster and side panels, with contrasting white accents.
By contrast, the Frostbite Renegade reverses the Riptide's color scheme, with white being the main paint of choice, with blue accents abound. And inside, Katzkin seats wear blue upholstery. The Frostbite is a pretty functional creation, as well, with a Mopar ski/snowboard roof rack and a Jeep Performance Parts rock rail guard.