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Stellantis not looking for further mergers, including with Renault

MILAN — Stellantis Chairman John Elkann on Monday denied the carmaker was hatching merger plans, responding to press speculation about a possible French-led tie-up with rival Renault. Elkann said that the Peugeot owner, the world's third largest carmaker by sales, was focused on the execution of its long-term business plan. "There is no plan under consideration regarding merger operations with other manufacturers," said Elkann, who also heads Exor, the Agnelli family holding company that is the largest single shareholder in Stellantis. After abandoning the Russian market, at the time its second largest after France, and reducing the scope of its global cooperation with Nissan, Renault has been seen as a potential M&A target. Speculation intensified after an electric vehicle market slowdown forced it last week to cancel IPO plans for its EV and software unit Ampere. Its market cap remains stubbornly low at little over 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) despite a financial recovery over the past few years. Stellantis, the product of a 2021 merger between France's PSA and Fiat Chrysler and one of the most profitable groups in the industry, has a market cap of more than 85 billion euros when unlisted shares are factored in. It has a 14 brand portfolio also including Citroen, Jeep, Opel and Alfa Romeo. NEWSPAPER REPORT Italian daily Il Messaggero had said on Sunday that the French government, which is Renault's largest shareholder and also has a stake in Stellantis, was studying plans for a merger between the two groups. A spokeswoman for Renault said on Monday the group did not comment on rumors. France's Finance Ministry had declined to comment on Sunday. Stellantis has crossed swords with the Italian government, which has accused it of acting against the national interest on occasions. Industry Minister Adolfo Urso last week raised the prospect of the Italian government taking a stake in Stellantis to help to balance the French influence. Renault shares pared gains after Elkann's comments to stand 1.2% higher by 1220 GMT, having initially risen more than 4%. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, a Portuguese-national, last week said in an interview with Bloomberg that the group was "ready for any kind of consolidation" and that its job was to make sure that it would be "one of the winners". Analysts, however, question the rationale of a Stellantis-Renault merger, which would also expand the group's excess capacity in Europe.

Ram introduces 33-mpg Tradesman HFE EcoDiesel

Ram announced Tuesday that its 2021 1500 Tradesman HFE EcoDiesel trim goes toe-to-toe (tow-to-tow?) with the segment's most efficient diesels, offering 23 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg combined. That's good enough for a first-place tie in the segment, as those numbers now match those of Chevy's Silverado 1500 with the 3.0-liter Duramax oil-burner.  "Ram is committed to innovation and powertrain leadership, and as the no-compromise benchmark for efficiency and performance, we continue to listen to customer input by offering unsurpassed fuel economy," said Ram boss Mike Koval Jr. "The Ram 1500 is America’s most powerful half-ton diesel pickup with 480 lb.-ft. of torque and the most capable light-duty diesel with towing capability up to 12,560 pounds, and delivers up to 1,000 miles of range on a single tank of fuel." From a glance at Ram's specs table, it appears the HFE EcoDiesel configuration (based on a Crew Cab Tradesman with the 5-foot 7-inch bed) is good for 8,210 pounds of trailering and 1,780 lbs of payload. It's worth noting that the Chevy matches the HFE's fuel economy while also providing more towing capability. You can trade the HFE's small fuel economy gain for a bit more towing capability by going to a 3.92:1 rear axle. That will buy you another 1,700 lbs of towing. Even more towing capacity (specifically, the 12,560 lbs maximum quoted above) comes with the Ram 1500 Quad Cab EcoDiesel.  Standard equipment for the HFE includes 20-inch aluminum wheels, a black grille and bumper cover, a tonneau cover, step rails and some perfectly decent cloth seats. The HFE EcoDiesel is available in one of a whopping two finishes: black or white. Exciting. Ram says the HFE will start to appear on dealer lots in the second quarter, and the truck will start at $43,935 (including $1,695 for destination). Related Video:

2019 Ram HD Chassis Cab trucks: tough on the outside, comfy on the inside

The past year or so has been big for Ram. FCA's truck division went from having some of the most dated (though still solid) pickups on the market to introducing the 2019 Ram 1500, arguably the new segment leader. A year later, at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, FCA revealed the new Ram Heavy Duty. Yesterday, Ram announced the 1500 was getting a trick tailgate to compete with the power tailgate on the Chevy Silverado and MultiPro tailgate on the GMC Sierra. Today, at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, FCA will present the new Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis cab models. Like the Ram 2500 and 3500, the new chassis cab trucks appear to share a lot with the current crop of Ram HD trucks. The cab itself appears to be unchanged from the outside, though the front fascia has been updated to reflect Ram's current design. As with most things, it's what's inside that counts. The chassis cab models get the fantastic interior from the 2019 Ram 1500. It's a handsome and well-appointed cabin. Even base Tradesman models benefit from the new design and packaging. There's new tech, too. The 12-inch infotainment screen is nice to look at, but customers are likely to enjoy features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking (with trailer brakes). The safety tech is available on all trim levels. The trucks also pack parking assist and a 270-degree camera view. There are also camera features to help hook up trailers (including fifth-wheel goosenecks). The Ram Chassis Cab 3500, 4500 and 5500 represent Class 3, 4 and 5 GVW ratings. As such they pack some punch under the hood. The standard engine is the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 making 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, though 4500 and 5500 models only make 370 horsepower. The Ram 3500 features cylinder deactivation to improve fuel economy. The three trucks are available with a 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six. The engine makes 360 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. An Aisin six-speed auto is available on V8 models and standard with the diesel. Both engines are available with dual alternators. The trucks are available in four industry-standard frame lengths measured in inches from the cab to the rear axle: 60, 84, 108 and 120. Upgraded brakes should shorten stopping distances and improve pedal feel. Thanks to high-strength steel and aluminum, the truck should weigh about 120 pounds less than before.