2024 Ram 2500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Mopar updates owner apps to make car ownership easier

Owners of any Fiat Chrysler vehicle will want to head to the Apple App or Google Play store to download the latest version of their brand-specific smartphone app. Developed by Mopar, the new suite of FCA Owner apps specific to each brand pack a number of valuable features. For starters, the apps let owners access information like maintenance schedules, service history and recall notices. The apps also include an array of how-to information and instructional videos, offer push notification for important updates like maintenance offers and recall alerts, and allow customers to schedule test drives and receive quotes from their local dealers for new vehicles. But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The FCA Owner apps also feature an augmented reality function that helps drivers identify instrument-panel icons. There's a Parking Reminder feature that helps drivers remember where they parked their car, guides them back to their parking spot and tracks the time left on the meter. Finally, there's an Accident Assistant feature that helps drivers record the specifics of an accident, upload insurance information and take photos of the scene. It'll even help find the closest certified collision repair facility, schedule an appointment and access roadside assistance. The apps are available for any Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Fiat or Alfa Romeo built from 2011 till today, and are available for either iOS or Android. If you've got more than one FCA vehicle in your garage, you needn't download multiple versions of the app as they'll work on any model the Italian-American automaker offers. Mopar Enhances FCA Owner Apps - Redesigned FCA Owner apps offer a wide range of VIN-specific information - Owners can access maintenance schedules, service history, recall notices and more - "Augmented reality" function, beginning with 2015 models, allows owners to use camera feature on mobile devices to scan and identify instrument panel icons - Industry-first Accident Assistant feature helps owners easily document important accident information and quickly locate a certified repair facility - Individual brand versions of the app support all FCA brand vehicles - FCA Owner apps are free to download for both iOS and Android mobile devices May 29, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Mopar brand has redesigned and enhanced its suite of FCA Owner apps, putting more resources than ever at owners' fingertips with easier access to vehicle and lifestyle information.

2022 Ram 1500 Laramie now offers Front Lighting Value Package

Were Audi dealers onto something with their Semiconductor Shortage Package? A few days ago, we posted about the Ingolstadt brand's cars adorned by Monroneys featuring the aforementioned package. That line item summarized the vehicle's missing features thanks to global semiconductor woes, and how much money had been subtracted from the MSRP because of the exclusions. Now, Mopar Insiders reports that the Build & Price tool for the 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie includes a Front Lighting Value Package. Choosing the option swaps the Laramie's standard-fit LED headlights and fog lights for halogen headlights and fog lights, saving buyers $495. The image above is a side-by-side of trucks configured with the standard LEDs (left) and the halogens (right). Playing around with the configurator, it appears the change can't be ordered with the Laramie's standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. When attempting to add the value package, a dialogue box requires choosing one of the two optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engines or the 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel, and one of the 8HP75 eight-speed automatic transmissions fitted to those three engines. The Pentastar comes with the 850RE eight-speed auto.  Thankfully, the Front Lighting Value Package is an option; you can get all the way to the end without selecting it. Nevertheless, we're intrigued by the order constraints. Seems to us that a buyer happy with the entry-level engine might prefer to save some dosh on the headlights, as opposed to buyers spending either $2,795 for a V8 Hemi or $4,995 for the oil-burner. And that's before one considers the savings. The luxury-oriented Laramie trim sits in the lineup $9,000 above the Bighorn, $7,000 below the Limited Longhorn. Swapping the standard halogen headlights and fog lights on the Bighorn to LED units costs $995 for the Premium Lighting Group, the discount to take LEDs off the Laramie is half that. Getting aftermarket LED headlights for the Laramie would cost at least $300, and that's before the hassle of install and questions of quality. So where is the point in saving $500 for objectively worse lighting that will likely cost more to add later? As if it needed saying again: These are strange days. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon POV drive

Stellantis moves to set up its own lending unit

Stellantis is buying Houston-based auto lender First Investors Financial Services Group to set up its own finance arm in the U.S., a move that should support sales and eventually boost profit. The only major traditional automaker in the U.S. without its own finance company agreed to pay $285 million to a group of investors led by Gallatin Point Capital and Jacobs Asset Management, according to a statement. The transaction is expected to close by year-end. Stellantis was formed via the merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group early this year. Carlos Tavares, the PSA boss who became the combined company’s chief executive officer, called the deal to acquire First Investors a milestone that will increase earnings and enhance customer loyalty. “Direct ownership of a finance company in the U.S. is a white-space opportunity which will allow Stellantis to provide our customers and dealers a complete range of financing options,” Tavares said Wednesday in the statement.  Having an in-house finance company has helped rivals General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. pad profits, especially during the global semiconductor shortage that has limited production and crimped sales. GM bought subprime lender AmeriCredit Corp. in 2010 and renamed it GM Financial. The operation generated a $2.76 billion profit in the first half -- roughly a third of the companyÂ’s adjusted earnings before interest and taxes. Trouble for Santander? The First Investors acquisition could spell trouble for Chrysler Capital, the operation that Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. and Chrysler set up in 2013 before the U.S. automaker completed its merger with Fiat. In a statement, Santander Consumer said itÂ’s committed to supporting Stellantis through the term of their existing agreement and its transition. Santander Consumer will also have “ongoing conversations with Stellantis about long-term mutually beneficial opportunities beyond 2023,” the company said, adding that its consumer business remains strong and has “delivered solid results for our shareholders.” This, along with support from its parent company, will allow the lender to “pursue additional opportunities as they arise.” The lenderÂ’s U.S.-listed stock fell 1.5% in New York trading Wednesday after Bloomberg reported Stellantis was preparing to announce a new finance partner. Stellantis shares rose as much as 1.3% in Paris trading Thursday.