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Trump tells Detroit 3 CEOs he wants more US jobs, calls environmentalists 'out of control'

As expected, President Donald J. Trump met with top executives from FCA, Ford, and General Motors this morning as part of a larger push to generate jobs in America. "I want new plants to be built here for cars sold here!", Trump said in a tweet ahead of the meeting. Not everything said in the meeting was made public, but the President later tweeted that he had a "Great meeting with automobile industry leaders." FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, Ford chief Mark Fields, and GM's Mary Barra all echoed the positive vibes after the meeting. In a statement, Barra called the discussion "very constructive and wide-ranging," adding that it focused on "policies that support a strong and competitive economy and auto industry," and "that supports the environment and safety." That's noteworthy, because Trump is reported to have said "I am to a large extent an environmentalist. I believe in it, but it's out of control." Fields, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said, "We're excited about working together with the president and his administration on tax policies, on regulation and on trade to really create a renaissance in American manufacturing." The Ford CEO was specifically talking about Trump's withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. "We've repeatedly said that the mother of all trade barriers is currency manipulation, and TPP failed in meaningfully dealing with that, and we appreciate the president's courage to walk away from a bad trade deal," he said. Marchionne focused on American manufacturing in his statement after the meeting. "I appreciate the President's focus on making the US a great place to do business. We look forward to working with President Trump and members of Congress to strengthen American manufacturing." Perhaps equally as interesting as what was said and who was invited are what wasn't said and who wasn't invited. Trump has been very vocal about his distaste for US automakers' plants in Mexico, but no mention was made of the North American Free Trade Agreement by Trump or any of the Detroit CEOs after the meeting. We also have to wonder if Trump plans to meet with representatives from German, Japanese, and Korean automakers that have made massive investments into American plants and produce a large number of cars in this country. Related Video: News Source: Reuters, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Donald J.

Ram's 700 mini-truck blends Fiat genes with 1500 styling cues

Ram's on-again, off-again sub-1500 pickup is allegedly on its way to production, but we haven't seen it yet. In the meantime, the company's Mexican division introduced a trucklet named 700 built on a unibody architecture. The 700's positioning suggests it picks up where the Dakota left off, but it's a completely different breed of truck. And, while its unibody bones are reminiscent of the Honda Ridgeline, it's a much smaller model that's essentially a badge-engineered version of the Fiat Strada. No, not the hatchback briefly sold in the United States from 1979 to 1982; we're talking about the little, economy car-derived pickup sold in dozens of global markets. Think of the 700 as the Dodge Rampage's distant heir. Visually, its front end borrows a handful of styling cues from the 1500, including an upright grille characterized by a bold Ram emblem and mesh inserts. Called SLT, the base model wears a decidedly downmarket look with black plastic bumpers and steel wheels covered by plastic hubcaps. The mid-range Big Horn blurs the line between a commercial vehicle and a crossover with a practical cargo box, while the range-topping Laramie variant is aimed at motorists who want an outdoorsy daily driver. Ram offers two- and four-door models, though only the SLT is available in the former configuration. The 700 boasts a usable 1,653-pound payload and an 880-pound towing capacity. Power comes from a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 84 horsepower to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Buyers can pay extra for a turbocharged, 1.3-liter four that delivers 98 horsepower. It doesn't appear that four-wheel drive is available, and there's no automatic transmission on the menu. Small and cheap doesn't necessarily mean basic. The 700 can be equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a rear-view camera, and electronic driving aids such as ABS brakes and traction control, plus LED headlights. Laramie models also benefit from partial leather upholstery. Ram will release the 2021 700 in the Mexican market this month, but we're not expecting the model to find its way north to the U.S. Drivers who want a small, unibody truck will need to wait until Ford releases the Maverick, which will ride on the same basic platform as the Escape and the Bronco Sport. It's tentatively due out in 2021 as a 2022 model.

FCA recalls 2 million Ram trucks over airbag issues

Airbag issues have prompted Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to issue another pair of recalls. The two separate issues both affect Ram pickups, one campaign stemming from oversensitive sensors, the other from a wiring harness. Between them, the problems affect an estimated combined total of some 2 million units. The first recall affects 2013-15 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks, specifically four-door models, manufactured between June 20, 2012, and January 26, 2015. The calibration of the side impact sensor in those affected units may to be too sensitive. As a result, if the door is slammed too hard, the side-curtain airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioner may inadvertently activate. FCA reports that this issue affects an estimated 667,406 units in the United States, plus 153,011 in Canada, a further 8,272 in Mexico, and another 14,847 in markets outside of North America, amounting (in Chrysler's estimation) to less than 0.005 percent of those vehicles produced. The automaker says it is aware of two minor injuries (but no accidents) that may have resulted from the glitch, and is taking action to have the Occupant Restraint Control module recalibrated in the affected units. The second issue also affects Ram pickups, including 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500-series models from the 2012 to 2014 model years, built between January 18, 2011, and October 7, 2014, and fitted with the optional Electronic Vehicle Information Center. The problem here stems from a wiring harness in the steering wheel that may rub against a retainer spring in the air bag control module, which in turn could cause an electrical short and deploy the driver's side air bag unexpectedly. In the United States alone, the issue is estimated to affect 1,060,531 units, which will need to be inspected and, where necessary, have their steering wheel wiring harnesses secured, with protective caps added to the ends of the airbag retainer spring. These do not represent the first issues we've seen from Fiat Chrysler in recent days. The automaker recently issued a recall for approximately 1.4 million vehicles to have their Uconnect software updated to prevent hacking. A few days ago it also announced a recall for 350,000 Dodge Journey (and Fiat Freemont) crossovers to secure loose engine covers. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to issue Fiat Chrysler Automobiles a $105-million fine for mishandling other recent recalls and safety issues.