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Why this could be the perfect time for Apple to make a car play

While the automotive and technology worlds have been pouring billions into autonomous vehicles (AVs) and preparing to bring them to market soon as shared robo-taxis, Apple has mostly sat on the sidelines. Of course, Apple is the last company to ever make its intentions known, and the super-secret tech cult giant hasn't been totally out of the AV game based on the clues that have slipped out of its Cupertino, Calif., citadel over the past few years. Related: Apple self-driving cars are real — one was just in an accident News first broke in 2015 that it had assembled an automotive development team, in part by poaching high-profile talent from car companies, to work on a top-secret self-driving vehicle project code-named Titan. (Thank you very much, Nissan.) Apple also subsequently broke cover by making inquiries into using a Northern California AV testing facility and receiving a permit to test AVs on public roads in California. But then as the AV race started to heat up in the last few years, Apple reportedly began scaling back its car activities by downsizing team Titan. More recently, Apple's car project has shown signs of life with the hiring a high-level engineer away from Waymo and luring one Tesla's top engineers and a former employee back to Apple. It also inked a deal with Volkswagen to provide a technology platform and software to convert the automaker's new T6 Transporter vans into autonomous shuttles for employees at tech company's new campus. That is a far cry from giving rides to Wal-Mart shoppers, like Waymo is doing as part of its AV testing in Phoenix. But this could be the perfect time for Apple to enter the AV market now that ride-sharing is reaching critical mass and automakers and others are planning to deploy fleets of robo-taxis. Apple could easily establish a niche as a high-end ride-sharing service – and charge a premium – given its cult-like brand loyalty and design savvy. The growth of car subscription models could also play in Apple's favor since is already has many people hooked on paying for phones in monthly installments – and eager to upgrade when a new and better model becomes available. To achieve this, some believe Apple will fulfill co-founder and CEO Steve Job's dream of building a car. And as the world's first and only $1 trillion company it's sitting on a mountain of cash that certainly gives it the means. But other tech darlings like Tesla and Google have discovered how difficult it can be to build cars at scale.

Peugeot's American future looks dead, but Stellantis intends to keep all brands alive

The years-old promise of a Peugeot return in the U.S. is looking bleaker by the second. Peugeot said the French brand would come back to sell cars in the U.S. five years ago, but now that FCA and PSA have transitioned to one Stellantis, that promise is looking a lot shakier. This news comes via a report from Car and Driver. When queried about Peugeot, Carlos Tavares, Stellantic CEO, offered this in response: “For the time being, I don't think that is part of the things that we want to prioritize for the next time window," Tavares said. "I think it's better that we funnel the talent, the capital, and the engineering capability of our Stellantis company to the existing brands to improve what needs to be improved and to accelerate where we need to accelerate, because we already have a very strong presence in this market." Tavares hasnÂ’t ruled it out entirely, but any kind of a Peugeot American renaissance is being pushed onto the backburner.  In good news for American brands, though, Tavares expressed great interest in keeping them all. Chrysler was the most worrisome of the bunch, as it only sells the aging 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan variants. Nevertheless, Tavares sees Chrysler as one of the “three historical pillars of Stellantis” and is eager “to give this brand a future.” Specifically, Tavares sees a high-tech future for the once-great American car company. Motor Trend reported on what Tavares spoke about in a call with the media. "It needs to rebound,” Tavares said. “We could think about what could be the next technologies in the automotive industry.” The obvious hint here is electrification and greater autonomy. Chrysler could theoretically become StellantisÂ’ electric showcase brand. ItÂ’s partway there with the Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan, but thereÂ’s still a long way to go for it to become the conglomerate's tech pillar. And then thereÂ’s Dodge and its powerful but emissions-heavy lineup. "We have the technology to deliver the torque, dynamics, and acceleration feeling, while also dramatically reducing the emissions," Tavares said. The Hellcat canÂ’t have a window-shattering 6.2-liter supercharged V8 forever, but it looks like Stellantis is at least committed to keeping the performance of DodgeÂ’s current lineup. Related video:

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.