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Stellantis will give its brands 10 years to prove they deserve to live

Formed by the merger of PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, Stellantis has 14 brands under its roof, a number that makes it one of the largest groups in the industry. Rumors claimed not every brand would survive, with Chrysler often earmarked to get axed, but the firm said it will give them all a chance to shine. "We're giving each (brand) a chance, giving each a time window of 10 years and giving funding for 10 years to do a core model strategy. The CEOs need to be clear in brand promise, customers, targets, and brand communications," announced Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares during the Financial Times' Future of the Car event. His comments confirm Chrysler fans and dealers don't need to worry about the future — at least not yet. And, against all odds, Lancia enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief, too. Former FCA head Sergio Marchionne warned of the brand's demise on several occasions. Alfa Romeo is safe for now, too, as is Vauxhall, which are basically just Opels sold in the United Kingdom with a different badge. The engagement made by Tavares also means Stellantis won't divest any of its brands to raise capital until at least 2031. It's now up to each executive team to make a case for the brand they run, an unusual survival-of-the-fittest strategy in an era when cutting costs is more common than spending cash. Diving into the vast Stellantis parts bin should help even the most troubled brands turn their fortunes around on a relatively tight budget. It seems likely that survive Chrysler will need to look beyond the 300 and the Pacifica/Voyager, the only models in its range, and completely reinvent its image, which is currently nebulous at best. Lancia, once the champion of luxury, performance, and innovation, faces the same challenge. It's not starting quite from scratch, it's relatively popular in its home country of Italy, but it will need to think globally and expand outside of the city car segment to survive. Featured Gallery 2020 Chrysler 300 View 24 Photos Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

Here's why automakers roll out those Texas-themed pickup trucks

Every year, automakers with a full-size truck link make a big show of the Texas State Fair, usually involving a reveal of a new model. Sometimes they show a whole new truck, and other times a special edition centered on the Lone Star state. While some people might write this off as a quirk of the industry, others might be wondering, "What's the big deal with Texas?" As it turns out, part of the big deal with Texas is big truck sales. According to Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific, Texas buys more trucks than any other state in the country. It's not a small margin either. Edmunds.com, one in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. The state also accounts for 15 percent of the country's large truck sales, which is more than twice that of California, the second largest truck market in America. Even when you break down sales only in Texas, trucks are a huge piece of the pie - Sullivan says that a quarter of new vehicle sales in Texas are trucks. One in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. But it's not just sales that make truck builders give attention to Texas. As Sullivan explained, "Pickups are life in Texas." Both he and Hugh Milne, marketing and advertising manager for the Chevy Silverado line, said that trucks are key fixtures in Texas society, as both work trucks and luxury vehicles (or Texas Cadillacs as Milne called them). Milne said Texas is so important in the truck market that if you want to be successful in the rest of the country, "you've got to be successful in Texas." As for the State Fair, it has become a prime location for reveals in part because of the importance of the Texas market and because of how big the fair is. Milne also revealed that the State Fair also hosts its own auto show, so it's an ideal venue for a vehicle introduction. So there you have it. Why do truck builders obsess over Texas? It's because Texas obsesses over trucks. When you have one market that loves your product that much, you give it the attention it deserves. Related Video: Image Credit: Donovan Reese via Getty Images Auto News Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck f-150 texas state fair

Ram heavy-duty trucks look more conservative than new Ram 1500

We've had a pretty good peek at the 2019 Ram 1500 thanks to spy shots and renderings. (UPDATED January 2018: Here's the full reveal from the Detroit Auto Show.) And from what we've seen of it, it's a major departure from Rams of the past. We haven't seen as much of the Ram heavy-duty line, but these spy shots caught one out on the town, and it appears the Ram 2500 and 3500 will have a less controversial design. The big-rig tall grille is still the truck's focal point, but the design is a familiar one, featuring the same look featured on the current Ram's luxurious range-topping trims like the Ram Laramie Longhorn. We'll have to wait to see if the new heavy-duty trucks will continue to use this grille solely for range-topping trims and if the 1500's new look will venture up to its big brothers, and therefore banish the crosshairs for good. Regardless of the grille design, the headlights still sit fairly low next to it. That emphasizes the semi-truck design since the tops of the fenders are lower than the top of the hood, which cascades to meet said fenders. The headlights also look potentially carry-over. Really, there are so many similarities it leads us to believe the new heavy duty might be more of a refresh than a completely new design. Another interesting thing to note is that this Ram appears to use a similar drivetrain and suspension to the current heavy-duty trucks. Like the vast majority of trucks, it has a solid rear axle, but probably with coil springs as Ram currently does. Up front, though, it seems the solid front axle has also been retained. This should be good news for fans of the off-road-ready Power Wagon. We're probably still a ways away from seeing the heavy-duty Rams. Last year, we learned a rumor that the heavy-duty trucks were delayed for an unspecified amount of time. We wouldn't expect to see anything official about the truck until at least 2019, about a year after we expect to see the 2019 Ram 1500 revealed. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ram Heavy Duty spy shots View 16 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Spy Photos RAM Truck