1964 Chrysler 300 K Convertible on 2040-cars

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Chrysler 300 soldiers on for 2021 with pared-down range, higher price

Chrysler's last remaining sedan, the 300, will enter the 2021 model year with fewer trim levels and a higher price, according to a recent report. The 2021 model will be the second-generation 300's 10th year on the American market. Well-informed website CarsDirect received a dealer ordering guide, which reportedly confirms the Limited and 300C trims levels will not return for 2021. They're the two most expensive trims offered for 2020, and the publication added that removing them will likely mean upscale features like wood interior trim, Nappa leather upholstery, and quilted seats will no longer be available. It concluded the 2021 300 lineup will consist solely of the Touring and the 300S models, though it oddly made no mention of the Touring L. It doesn't sound like Chrysler will make any major visual or mechanical changes to the 300 — sorry, Hellcat fans. Available with rear- or all-wheel drive, the entry-level Touring model will be powered by the company's venerable 3.6-liter V6 tuned to make 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Marketed as a sportier sedan, the rear-wheel drive-only 300S will come standard with a 300-horse version of the V6, but buyers who want more power will be able to order a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 rated at 363 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque at extra cost. Pricing for the 2021 300 Touring will start at $31,940 including a $1,495 destination charge, a $405 increase over the 2020 model. Stepping up to the 300S will require spending $38,980, but the cost of the optional V8 will increase from $3,000 to $4,000, bringing its price to $42,890 once the aforementioned destination charge enters the equation. Keep in mind none of these figures are official, and Chrysler hasn't commented on the report. Most of the carmakers operating under the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) umbrella will announce the changes they're making for 2021 on September 1 — that's next Tuesday, so we won't have to wait long to find out what's in store for the 300. Chrysler has kept its lips sealed about what's next. Rumors claiming the sedan wouldn't live to see 2020 were evidently false, yet it can't remain in production for another decade. Sales fell by 37% to 29,213 units in 2019. Chrysler can either develop a third-generation model that will likely need to represent it in the sedan segment through the 2020s, or it can hike the path blazed by many of its rivals and throw in the towel.

Volkswagen is not cool with a Fiat Chrysler merger

Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller shot down Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne's overtures for a merger in blunt fashion this week. Mueller told Reuters at the Geneva Motor Show, "We are not ready for talks about anything ... we have other problems. I haven't seen Marchionne for months." The unusually candid – and icy – response from one chief executive to another comes after Marchionne similarly pursued General Motors (again) this week. The FCA boss suggested GM might be looking for a new European partner as it prepares to unload its troubled Opel and Vauxhall divisions to PSA. A GM spokesman told USA Today that the company is not interested. Marchionne has been openly suggesting a GM merger since at least 2015, despite GM never reciprocating interest. VW's "other problems," as Mueller notes, include legal proceedings, fines, recalls, and other issues related to its long-running diesel scandal. Marchionne has long sought industry consolidation, arguing that automakers don't get a proper return on their investments in technologies, some of which are relatively similar. He's suggested sharing chassis and powertrain components could be a benefit to the collective auto sector. Skeptics argue FCA, which is smaller than GM, VW, Toyota, and others, needs a partner to survive, while its rivals already have the necessary scale to remain competitive. Related Video:

Fiat Chrysler shares get a boost after revised Stellantis merger deal with PSA

MILAN — Shares in Fiat Chrysler (FCA) rose sharply in Milan on Tuesday after the car maker and French partner PSA revised the terms of their merger deal, with FCA's shareholders getting a smaller cash payout but a stake in another business. FCA and PSA, which last year agreed to merge to give birth to Stellantis, the world's fourth largest car manufacturer, said late on Monday they had amended the accord to conserve cash and better face the COVID-19 challenge to the auto sector. Milan-listed shares in Fiat Chrysler rose almost 8% by 1000 GMT, while PSA gained 1.5%. Under the revised terms, FCA will cut from 5.5 billion euros ($6.5 billion) to 2.9 billion euros the cash portion of a special dividend its shareholders are set to receive on conclusion of the merger. However, PSA will for its part delay the planned spinoff of its 46% stake in car parts maker Faurecia until after the deal is finalized. That means all Stellantis shareholders — and not just the current PSA investors - will get shares in a company which has a market value of 5.8 billion euros. Based on Stellantis' 50-50 ownership structure, FCA and PSA respective shareholders will each receive a 23% stake in Faurecia. Analysts welcomed the 2.6 billion euros in additional liquidity for Stellantis' balance sheet as well as the increase in projected synergies to more than 5 billion euros from 3.7 billion. There was also further reassurance as the two companies confirmed they expected the deal to close by the end of the first quarter of 2021. "All told, the two players emerge as winners," broker ODDO BHF said in a note. "Of the two, FCA might be a bit more of a winner in the short term given the structure of the deal and the numerous payouts to shareholders to come in the quarters ahead (potentially close to 5 billion euros versus the current capitalization of around 16 billion euros)." The special dividend for FCA shareholders had proved contentious after Italy offered state guarantees for a 6.3 billion euro loan to the company's Italian business. "These announcements should, at last, end the debate over the financial terms of the merger, which had become a big topic and was still penalizing the two groups' share performances," ODDO BHF said. PSA and FCA said they would consider paying out 500 million euros to shareholders in each firm before closing or else a 1 billion euro payout to Stellantis shareholders afterwards, depending on market conditions and company performance and outlook.