1972 Chrysler Town & Country Station Wagon Rust Free! on 2040-cars

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2020 Chrysler Pacifica Red S Edition demands plenty of green

Chrysler has added a Red S Edition package to the Pacifica range for the 2020 model year. The equipment group is available on the gasoline-powered and hybrid variants of the minivan, and the package punts Chrysler's family-hauler into luxury-car territory. On sale now, the Pacifica Red S Edition commands a $3,995 premium over the Limited trim it's based on. In other words, buyers need to spend at least $49,935 once a mandatory $1,495 destination charge enters the equation, while selecting the hybrid powertrain likely pushes the bottom line beyond the $50,000 threshold (the package has not yet been priced for the hybrid model). This figure makes the Pacifica Red S Edition one of the most expensive minivans available in the United States. Chrysler rewards buyers willing to spend luxury-car money on one of its minivans with two-tone, Rodeo Red and black Nappa leather upholstery with Light Diesel Grey contrast stitching and piping (diesel fuel is not grey, if you're wondering), S logos stitched into the seat backs, and silver trim on the dashboard and the door panels. Outside, the Red S Edition builds on the S Appearance package with black and red emblems, a red S logo on the tailgate, and 20-inch alloy wheels finished in black, though note the Pacifica Hybrid settles for 18-inchers in the name of maximizing fuel economy. Buyers have six colors to choose from, including one called Ceramic Grey Clear Coat that joins the range for 2020. The Red S-spec Pacifica also comes standard with a Harman Kardon sound system that plays through 20 speakers, KeySense (which is essentially a teen driver key), and Advanced SafetyTec, which includes features such as a 360-degree-view camera, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, automatic high beams, park assist, and rain-sensing wipers, among other items. There are no mechanical changes to report, nor does the Pacifica Red S channel its inner Testarossa with a red valve cover. It carries on with Chrysler's venerable 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 rated at a stout 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. The six spins the front wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Trump is pleased with FCA's investment in Michigan and Ohio, but it wasn't done for him

Fiat Chrysler announced yesterday that it would be spending $1 billion on vehicle production in both Michigan and Ohio. The company estimates that its investment will yield about 2,000 jobs between both states. In addition to attracting our attention, it caught the gaze of President-elect Donald Trump, who tweeted praise to both FCA and the Ford Motor Company. He praised the latter for the company's move to cancel a new factory in Mexico. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Trump's writing also seems to imply he deserves a certain amount of credit for these shifts to American production. However, as Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, explained to the press in a conference today, Trump and his impending administration had nothing to do with the decision. He said the decision to invest in the plants in Michigan and Ohio were in place well before Trump was going to be the President of the United States. In addition, he said that FCA has not been in contact with Trump or any of his colleagues regarding the decision. Marchionne also stated that neither he nor the company was making any preemptive plans for manufacturing locations the light of the upcoming Trump presidency. Rather, he said that the company will change to address regulations that are actually passed, and the only way the company could change plans ahead of new laws or taxes would be with more information and clarity. We assume that a "big border tax" isn't specific enough. Still, the fact that automakers are going out of their way to make and clarify announcements about manufacturing illustrates the massive attention Trump brings with every Tweet. Related Video: Government/Legal Plants/Manufacturing Detroit Auto Show Chrysler Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA 2017 Detroit Auto Show

Fiat Chrysler open to mergers, and PSA is looking for one

GENEVA — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is open to pursuing alliances and merger opportunities if they make sense, but a sale of its luxury brand Maserati is not an option, Chief Executive Mike Manley said on Tuesday. "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that," Manley told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show. Asked whether he would consider selling Maserati to China's Geely Automobile Holdings, as suggested by recent media reports, Manley said: "Maserati is one of our really beautiful brands and it has an incredibly bright future. ... No." FCA is often cited as a possible merger candidate. Bloomberg said this week that the Italian-American carmaker was attractive to France's PSA Group given its exposure to the U.S. market and its popular Jeep brand. The Detroit News' headline on the situation Friday read, "Fiat Chrysler CEO open to a deal as PSA circles" and stated that Manley's open-to-just-about-anything comments were aimed directly at PSA. Bloomberg said talks between the two were preliminary and said PSA chief Carlos Tavares has also contemplated mergers with General Motors or Jaguar Land Rover, which is losing money for Indian owner Tata. PSA has enjoyed a decade of turnaround and has $10.2 billion in net cash available. The maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, acquired Opel and Vauxhall in 2017 and made them almost instantly profitable. Manley, who took over after the death of Sergio Marchionne, said he currently had no news on possible deals. Manley also said the world's seventh-largest carmaker, which is lagging rivals in developing hybrid and electric vehicles, would take the least costly approach to comply with increasingly more stringent European emissions regulations. "There are three options. You can sell enough electrified vehicles to balance your fleet. Two: You can be part of a pooling scheme. Three is to pay the fines," he said. "I don't see a scenario when (carmakers) continue to subsidize technologies ... indefinitely." The carmaker had said last June it would invest 9 billion euros ($10.19 billion) over the next five years to introduce hybrid and electric cars across all regions to be fully compliant with emissions regulations. Asked about a 5-billion-euro investment plan for Italy FCA announced in November but then put under review, Manley said the plan had been confirmed as originally presented.