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FCA reportedly joins the crowd skipping this year's Paris Motor Show

It's likely FCA vehicles will not be seen at the Paris Motor Show this year. Automotive News is reporting that Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Jeeps and Abarths will not be a part at the show, based on information circulating in the French media. There's a possibility that Maseratis will be displayed at a special section dedicated to upscale cars, but Maserati too will not have a show stand of its own. Ferrari will have a stand, but as it happens, the supercar maker has been a standalone brand since 2015. Skipping the Paris show follows FCA's decision not to take part in the Frankfurt show last year, and the two shows alternate as the biggest autumnal automotive show in Europe. Volkswagen will also not attend the event, and neither will Ford, Nissan or Infiniti. This has become a problem for car shows worldwide, including Detroit's North American International Auto Show. FCA has not released a formal statement about the matter, but a FCA spokesman, quoted by the French magazine L'Argus, reportedly said that the sales and publicity brought in by the show stand would not justify the costs of attending. The news mirrors Volvo's newly announced plan to not take part at the next Geneva Motor Show, but to arrange "bespoke activities" to introduce its cars instead. Related Video:

Chrysler expecting up to 200,000 9-speed transmissions for 3 models this year

Striving for improved fuel economy, we already knew that Chrysler will begin using a nine-speed automatic transmission in some of its new products this year, but what we haven't known is that volume at which this gearbox will be used. According to Bloomberg, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has been quoted as saying that the automaker expects to sell close to 200,000 units equipped with this new transmission in 2013. Those gear-rich trannies will be spread out across three models, consisting of the redesigned Chrysler 200, the still-unnamed Jeep Liberty replacement and the Dodge Dart.
This transmission should play a pivotal role in making Chrysler vehicles more competitive in their respective segments. Just for comparison, one of the Dart's key competitors, the Toyota Corolla, still uses a four-speed automatic, and a previous report indicates that the next-generation 200 could get up to 38 miles per gallon on the highway, which is better than most non-hybrid midsize sedans on the market. Marchionne says that the new Jeep model is expected during the second quarter of this year, but there is no word as to when the new 200 or nine-speed Dart will debut, but clearly Dodge would like to have the transmission in its compact yesterday. As for that volume figure, it definitely doesn't seem out of reach since the Dart, Liberty and 200 combined for a total of more than 225,000 units in 2012.
How many more gears can we expect in future cars? Probably not many more, since the CEO of transmission-builder ZF, Stefan Sommer, previously stated that nine speeds was the "natural limit" for transmissions.

2021 Chrysler Pacifica gets fresh face and brings back all-wheel drive

The rumors were true, the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica has brought back all-wheel drive as an option after it disappeared from Chrysler minivans in 2004. Not only that, buyers don't have to choose between having more traction or more cargo flexibility, as both features can coexist on one van. And to herald the changes, Chrysler has also updated the styling, features and trim line. Of course the all-wheel drive is the biggest change, and according to Chrysler representatives we talked to, it was something that was planned for since the launch of this generation of Pacifica. When the platform was developed, they wanted to make sure that if demand called for bringing it back (and it did, more on that later), that it wouldn't be difficult to implement, and that the fold-into-the-floor Stow 'N' Go second-row seats would still fit. Some changes were necessary, such as rerouting the exhaust and tweaking the design of the gas tank, which retains the same volume as a front-drive van. The all-wheel-drive system itself is capable of routing power completely to the rear if necessary, and the driveshaft and power takeoff unit can disengage for fuel savings. It's controlled entirely automatically, taking into account the severity of driver steering and throttle inputs, outside temperature, use of windshield wipers and detection of wheel slip. Besides the extra drive wheels, the 2021 Pacifica gets a reworked nose and hatch. The fascia is much more aggressive with its taller, frowning main grille. The headlights have new LED running light designs. Around at the back, the taillights are new full-width units. The interior has more subtle but still noteworthy changes. All Pacificas now have a 10.1-inch infotainment display as standard, and they're the first FCA products to use the Uconnect 5 operating system. The system brings several upgrades including full Amazon Alexa integration, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, multiple driver profiles, and more, which you can read about here. Pacificas are also available with a new center console that offers more covered storage space, but also gives the front seats a more cosseted feel like in a car or a crossover. They all differ on overall length toward the back and what kind of arm support they provide. Chrysler also offers something called the FamCam, which gives the driver and front passenger the ability to keep an eye on the kids with cameras controlled from the touchscreen.