2021 Ram 1500 Limited on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: The next five years

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you've no doubt read about all of the big future product news coming out of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles today. We had individual brand reports from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati and even Ferrari, but in the interest of simplifying and summarizing, we're going to list out the hard facts once more. Of course, with all of this still off in the future, there's still the possibility that a few changes will be made. But as of what we know right now, here's what's coming, and what's going away.
Chrysler
2014: Refreshed 300/300C, debuting at Los Angeles Auto Show

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico

2021 Ram 1500 TRX | How we'd build our Hellcat-powered pickup

That didn’t take long. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX was only revealed yesterday, but the configurator is already up and running. HereÂ’s the link. We surveyed the room to see how all of us would spec out their supercharged pickup. For a truck that starts above $70,000, there are a surprising number of option boxes available to check. If money doesnÂ’t matter, you can spec out a TRX thatÂ’s over $90,000. Even reasonably-equipped trucks will crest $80,000 quickly. There isn't unanimous agreement about whether we like the truck or not either. Spoiler alert: Green Editor John Snyder isnÂ’t a fan. Fuel economy in Challenger and Charger Hellcats can easily dip into the single digits when driven aggressively, and we can guarantee that the truck will only be worse. Others adore its silliness and FCAÂ’s current strategy of shoving its supercharged V8 into any vehicle that will accommodate one. We could go for a Pacificat next. The Previa canÂ’t have all the supercharged minivan fun. Read on to see our builds, and let us know how youÂ’d spec a TRX out in the comments below. Road Test Editor Zac Palmer: ThereÂ’s no making this truck cheap. The TRX is extremely expensive, and anybody buying one will just have to accept it. ThatÂ’s why IÂ’ve decided to go nearly all out with my build. After all, if youÂ’re paying luxury car money for a vehicle, you might as well enjoy a luxury experience. My TRX costs $88,665. It has $16,975 worth of options on it, which isnÂ’t entirely out of the ordinary for trucks these days. On the outside, I chose the bright Hydro-Blue Pearl paint. For only $100, I couldnÂ’t say no to a color. The TRX would look menacing in black or gray, but I think a bright color is much more fitting for an off-road play truck. I also went with the all-black non-beadlock wheels, because I prefer the look and probably donÂ’t need the capability. Rock rails and the bed-mounted tire carrier were also on my list. ItÂ’s not like I want to carry a tire around in my bed, but it sure does look the part. Again, this is a silly truck. Optioning it with silly add-ons is what it deserves. The interior options are boring, but I was able to spruce it up a smidge with TRX red interior accents. My biggest purchase was the TR2 trim package, though. You get Â… well, pretty much everything for $7,920.