2006 Chrysler Pacifica Touring All Wheel Drive Crossover 3.5l V6 on 2040-cars

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Court ruling to delay Fiat's Chrysler buyout?

We've already reported on the attempts of Fiat to purchase the remaining 41.5-percent stake in Chrysler, currently owned by the United Auto Workers' VEBA healthcare trust. And while the issues still aren't resolved, Fiat has received both a bit of good news and a bit of bad news from a Delaware judge.
The good news is that the court ruled in favor on two key arguments of Fiat's, relating to what is a fair price for the Chrysler shares. The rulings essentially slash half a billion dollars off the price of the 54,000 shares owned by VEBA, according to a report from Reuters.
The bad news is that this makes the UAW an even more difficult opponent in negotiations. Its VEBA fund is meant to cover ever escalating retiree healthcare costs, so naturally, the UAW wants to get as much money as possible. Losing a big chunk of cash isn't likely to make the union more cooperative.

Marchionne recruiting activist investors to prompt GM merger

Sergio Marchionne may have been rebuffed in his previous advances at General Motors, but he's not about to give up that easily. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Fiat Chrysler chief is now turning to activist investors to help coax GM into joining forces. Marchionne has been a staunch and ceaseless advocate of the need for consolidation, arguing that the industry needs to amalgamate into larger groups that will share resources and reduce overhead. Under his leadership, the Fiat group consolidated its own operations, and officially merged with Chrysler last year. But he's also been pursuing additional mergers with the likes of Volkswagen, Peugeot, Ford, and Opel (to name just a few). Now he's pursuing a merger with GM, which has not shown much enthusiasm towards the idea. For one thing, GM is a much larger company, and probably doesn't need FCA as much as FCA needs it. For another, it has a troubled past with Marchionne, who in 2005 dissolved an agreed merger (of sorts) with GM, yet still managed to get the General to pay Fiat some $2 billion in the process. However, Marchionne is evidently hoping that the intervention of activist investors could compel GM CEO Mary Barra and company to proceed with a merger anyway. For precedent, he's looking at the recent negotiation between GM and some of its stakeholders that prompted the company to buy back $5 billion of its own shares, demonstrating Barra's willingness to deal with investors. The more compelling precedent, however, may have been set in 2006, when activist investor Kirk Kerkorian locked arms with Carlos Ghosn to get GM to consider joining the alliance between Renault and Nissan. GM ultimately declined, and Ghosn turned instead of Daimler (which of course has its own history of having merged with Chrysler). Only time will tell if this initiative will prove more successful, but one thing's for sure, and that's that Marchionne isn't about to relent in his pursuit of a major merger partner.

2022 Chrysler 300 gains a little, loses a little

Like an old player who will do anything to keep playing the game, the Chrysler 300 returns in 2022 to limp through another round in the sales arena. No one will be surprised to find out Chrysler doesn't have much in mind for the sedan that still stands out for being unlike segment competitors. The Touring, Touring L, and S trims carry over, and they all stick with Uconnect 4C on an 8.4-inch touchscreen, not the upgraded Uconnect 5 infotainment introduced this year that even the fleet-only 2022 Voyager gets. They are also fitted with the new air filtration system going into every Chrysler product, which removes 95% of particulates from the air. Otherwise, the entry-level model goes untouched. The Touring L gets the $995 Sport Appearance Package as standard equipment next year, which gussies the four-door up with a performance front fascia in body color with Black Noise badges, black pockets in the headlights, LED fog lamps, black LED taillights, black chrome moldings and 20-inch Black Noise wheels instead of the standard 18-inchers in polished aluminum.  Next year's 300S makes the Popular Equipment Group standard equipment, an option that costs $3,495 on the 2021 model. This includes navigation, a dual-pane sunroof, and nine-speaker Alpine audio with a 506-watt amplifier, surround sound and a sub in the trunk.   The $1,995 Comfort Group hold steady on the options list next year, its 15 features increased with the addition of a new alarm system.  Chrysler's trimmed other options that were available on the current model year before the order books closed this month. Amethyst and Canyon Sunset exterior colors are gone, so too is the Driver Convenience Group and its universal garage door opener. Mopar Insiders says the only interior choices next year will be Black, and Black with Linen, which would mean the retirement of Black Smoke and Radar Red. Production for the 2021 models will continue until December at the latest. The 2022 sedans are expected on dealer lots early next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.