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Ram brings two new special edition trucks to Chicago

The Chicago Auto Show has historically been a truck-heavy expo, and this year FCA is rolling out two new versions of its stalwart pickup: the limited edition Ram 1500 Copper Sport and the Ram Heavy Duty Night edition. While there are no changes under the skin, the pair of appearance packages add a host of unique touches inside and out to help truck buyers set their rides apart from the crowd. The Ram 1500 Copper Sport starts at $46,950 and will be limited to just 3,000 units. That's a drop in the bucket compared to number Ram pickups that the automaker sells every year, but at least it's a limited edition that's actually limited. All models will be Crew Cab V8s. Aside from the copper-colored paint on the body, grille, and bumpers, the Copper Sport adds contrasting black-decaled Sport performance hood, black Ram's head grille badge, black tailgate badge and black body-side badges. The Copper Sport also comes with unique wheels in either 20- or 22-inch diameters (depending on whether you get a 4x2 or 4x4). View 10 Photos Inside, the truck gets copper-colored accents on the seat, headrests, and minor trim pieces. The headliner and A-pillars are all black to match the copper and black mesh seats. The Copper Sport also comes with a nine-speaker Alpine audio system that includes a subwoofer. The Ram Heavy Duty Night edition package is available on both 2500 and 3500 models, expanding on from the half-ton Ram 1500 Night edition. Like the Copper Sport, the Night edition is a special appearance package that doesn't change anything underneath. Where the former adds copper touches inside and out, the Night edition is essentially a factory blackout kit. On the exterior, the chrome on the wheels, grille, headlight bezels, and badges are replaced with either a gloss or matte-black finish. Inside, the Night edition comes with black vinyl and cloth seats. View 7 Photos Like the Copper edition, the only body style available is the Crew Cab. The package also isn't available on dualie 3500s, though customers can choose from two Hemi V8s or a Cummins diesel inline-six. The Night edition starts at $46,840 for a two-wheel drive Ram 2500. Look for the pair to hit showrooms in the next few months. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ram Copper Sport and Heavy Duty Night Models View 12 Photos News Source: FCA Design/Style Chicago Auto Show RAM Truck

Fiat/PSA's dominance in small vans hangs up EU's merger approval

BRUSSELS — EU antitrust regulators are concerned about Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot / PSA's combined high market share in small vans and may require concessions to clear their $50 billion merger, people familiar with the matter said. The companies, which are seeking to create the world's fourth biggest carmaker, were told of the European Commission's concerns last week. If Fiat and PSA fail to dispel the European Commission's doubts in the next two days and subsequently decline to offer concessions by Wednesday, the deadline for doing so, the deal would face a four-month-long investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a June 17 deadline for its preliminary review, declined to comment. Fiat was not immediately available for comment while PSA had no immediate comment. Hiving off overlapping businesses, usually a regulatory demand to ensure more competition, could prove tricky for the carmakers because of the technicalities. Fiat and PSA are looking to merge to help offset slowing demand and shoulder the cost of making cleaner vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations. The deal puts under one roof the Italian carmaker's brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati and the French company's Peugeot, Opel and DS. Related Video: Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot

2016 Jeep Wrangler recalled over impact sensor wiring

Fiat Chrysler just announced a pair of recalls totaling nearly 311,000 units. The bigger recall affects certain 2016 and 2017 model year Jeep Wranglers. Although, since FCA claims all of the affected 2017s are in the company's hands, really, only 2016 owners should pay attention here. The affected Wranglers suffer from an issue where wiring disconnects from impact sensors in certain types of crashes, potentially preventing the airbags and pretensioners from activating. FCA uncovered the problem in what its press release calls "a routine, in-house crash test" and claims "service availability is imminent." The affected Jeeps require a simple rewiring. The other recall, announced Tuesday, is more of a fleet issue, affecting 2007 to 2013 model-year Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis cabs and 2011 to 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit police vehicles. There's a problem with "premature diode wear" in alternators that are subject to "frequent load cycling, at or near maximum amperage, [or] in hot ambient temperatures." Affected alternators could short out, causing a vehicle to stall or potentially catch fire. FCA lists 182,743 affected Wranglers in the US, 18,011 in Canada, 3,087 in Mexico, and 20,948 in global markets. The Ram/ Charger Pursuit recall lists 74,833 vehicles in the US, 10,077 in Canada, 1,088 in Mexico, and 134 outside the NAFTA region. Of all those vehicles, the Jeep recall hasn't caused any injuries or fatalities, while FCA says it's aware of one "potentially related injury" and no accidents due to its fleet vehicle recall. FCA says it will notify owners/operators of affected vehicles when service appointments are available. As per usual, all the work is free of charge. Related Video: