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UPDATED: ‘The auto industry has lost a true giant’

Former Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, one of the auto industry's most tenacious and respected auto chiefs, has died, succumbing to complications from surgery. Following are some of THE tributes paid to Marchionne:Apple CEO Tim Cook: "Sad to hear of the unexpected passing of Sergio Marchionne, an auto industry visionary and a remarkable leader. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone at Fiat Chrysler."U.S. President Donald Trump: "Sergio Marchionne, who passed away today, was one of the most brilliant & successful car executives since the days of the legendary Henry Ford. It was a great honor for me to get to know Sergio as POTUS, he loved the car industry, and fought hard for it. He will be truly missed!"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: "He was a giant in the auto industry, a friend of the Italian-Canadian community, and a visionary in the corporate world. Sergio Marchionne's death is a huge loss, and Sophie and I send our condolences to his family and friends."PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares: "I am extremely sorry to hear this very sad news and I extend my sincere condolences to the family of Sergio Marchionne. Marchionne's leadership will remain our benchmark in the automotive industry."Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sergio Marchionne. On behalf of all of us at Aston Martin Lagonda, I would like to extend our sincere sympathies and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles."Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche: "The auto industry has lost a real giant. And many of us have lost a very dear friend: Sergio Marchionne."Gary Jones, United Auto Workers President: "During the industry's dark days of the recession, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM were at a perilous point. Working with the UAW members, the FCA rebirth was born when many doubted it would come. As in all labor-management relationships, there were clashes and disagreements." "And when history looks back at his legacy, despite bumps and bruises along the way, in the end, the sun wasn't setting when he left the company, the sun was rising. That will long be remembered."Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula One motor racing: "He led with great passion, energy and insight, and inspired all around him. His contributions to Formula 1 are immeasurable.

500+ hp Stellantis 'Hurricane' I6 previews a world without Hemis

After years of rumored development, Stellantis has revealed its new six-cylinder engine family. The 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged "Hurricane" I6 will offer V8 power, forced induction torque and six-cylinder efficiency in a package designed to fit into any of the company's North American rear-wheel-drive platforms.  What is "V8 power," exactly? Well, in standard output guise, the new I6 cranks out more than 400 horsepower (the specific figure will vary by application) and 450 pound-feet of torque, while the high-output variant is good for more than 500 horses and 475 lb-ft. The final figures will be dependent on the application. We'll save you a little legwork: In current Ram, Jeep and Dodge products, the 5.7-liter Hemi tops out at about 395 hp and 410 lb-ft, give or take, and the 6.4-liter around 485 hp and 475 lb-ft.    This is a clean-sheet design that is only related to the company's turbocharged four-cylinder by some common measurements. The I6 is exclusively direct-injection (no hybrid/port-injection here) and the two I6 variants share 96 common parts, including the block and oil pan design. The differences are found in their internals, intake plumbing, valvetrain components and the turbochargers themselves. Stellantis is not yet ready to share specs or supplier info for the turbos but says announcements will come from its partners soon.  The standard-output I6 has a compression ratio of 10.4:1 and revs to 5,800 rpm. It will run on regular fuel, albeit with reduced performance; 91 octane is recommended for maximum output. The high-output variant has a compression ratio of 9.4:1 and will rev to 6,100 rpm. That one will require premium. The new I6's advantages go beyond basic power output. Every Hemi family engine currently in production is based on an iron block design, so they're heavy. The aluminum-block I6 shaves weight off the total engine package, even if some of that gets added back thanks to the turbos and their associated plumbing. The standard-output I6 weighs 430 pounds, Stellantis engineers told us; the high-output adds just another 11. Fully dressed 5.7-liter V8s are in the 550-560-pound ballpark, and 6.4-liters close in on 600 pounds.  You may be wondering, "Why a clean-sheet gasoline engine now, when the industry is moving toward battery-electrics?" A valid inquiry, and one Stellantis was prepared to address. While the company will be pivoting to electrification over the next decade, it won't be instantaneous.

Best car infotainment systems of 2022

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried them all what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. Some prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based with a simplistic user interface. Others may prefer a non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some folks prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best overall: UConnect — Various Stellantis products If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. Both UConnect 4 and the latest UConnect 5 software are included in this praise, too. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu. We like the radio/media interface — itÂ’s super easy to swap stations or sources. The menu structure is easy to grasp, and of course both Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are available if you want them. UConnect 5 is a big visual improvement over UConnect 4, but thankfully it retains the same ease of use as the outgoing system. WeÂ’ll also point out that Stellantis is able to adapt UConnect to different screen shapes and sizes with great success — it works stunningly well in the vertical 12-inch screen of the Ram.