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Samsung might buy Magneti Marelli, FCA's parts supplier

Automotive manufacturing is quickly changing as companies like Google and Apple move into the sector with new products and services. It should be no surprise that other tech companies are making moves to grab a piece of the pie. According to Bloomberg, Korean tech conglomerate Samsung is in talks to purchase major automotive parts supplier Magneti Marelli from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Bloomberg reports that the deal could be worth more than $3 billion. It seems that Samsung is interested in Magneti Marelli's lighting, in-car entertainment, and telematics businesses, but a full purchase of the company isn't off the table. The move would be Samsung's largest-ever purchase outside of South Korea. FCA has already started to branch out and partner with tech firms. The automaker is working with Google to build an autonomous version of the new Pacifica minivan. They hope to have the first batch on the road by the end of the year. Magneti Marelli currently supplies everything from lighting and instrument clusters for passenger vehicles to high-end electronic components for Formula One and MotoGP teams. The company, founded in Italy in 1919, employs around 38,000 workers. Although it's currently owned by FCA, in the past Magneti Marelli has worked with companies like Ford and Microsoft. The purchase could help further diversify Samsung and reduce its dependence on consumer electronics like phones and televisions. Samsung is the world's largest supplier of memory chips and TVs, but the company has taken a hit lately as sales of its smartphones have faltered. In order to keep up with rivals like Apple, the company will need to venture into new markets. Perhaps Samsung's phone expertise would translate to improved vehicle infotainment systems. FCA, on the other hand, is on an aggressive five-year plan aimed at doubling net income. CEO Sergio Marchionne is attempting to eliminate the company's debt, and selling off a major subsidiary could greatly help. A recent attempt at a merger with General Motors failed and further hurt the company's finances. FCA's stock price rose in response to the rumors of the Magneti Marelli sale. Both Samsung and FCA have declined to comment on the move. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg Technology Rumormill Chrysler Fiat Technology FCA Samsung magnetti marelli

The minivan, reinvented | 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid First Drive

In the 1980s, minivans succeeded station wagons as the vehicle of choice to move families. The Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, and Plymouth Voyager broke that ground, and Chrysler has owned the segment for most of its existence. Though still popular with practical types, minivans have been ceding ground to crossovers for a while, and after 30 years, minivan evolution has slowed, with only the occasional noteworthy feature like a built-in vacuum making headlines. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the next big idea in the segment. In fact, we think its plug-in hybrid powertrain is the biggest minivan idea since the original. Yes, we're excited about a hybrid people mover. For 2017, Chrysler has reworked, refocused, and renamed its minivan effort, ditching the Town & Country moniker in lieu of the Pacifica nameplate. The odd recycled name aside, it's not only far superior to Chrysler's outgoing minivan, but, with most of the competition several years old, the new Pacifica is easily the current class leader. But while the minivan's practicality is undeniable, they're not always the most efficient. It's a wonder, then, that no competitor has packaged a hybrid system into a minivan before – especially Toyota, given its dominance in hybrid everything else. Toyota does offer a hybrid minivan in its home market, but the Sienna's only calling card is that it's now the sole American van to offer all-wheel drive, something Chrysler gave up when it started hiding the seats in the floor years ago. Owing in part to its newness, the non-hybrid Pacifica was already one of the most fuel-efficient minivans on the market, with ratings of 28 miles per gallon highway, 18 city, and 22 combined. Add in the hybrid equipment, with its 16-kWh battery pack providing 30 miles of electric-only range, and the new Pacifica Hybrid achieves an astounding 84 MPGe, trouncing everything else in the segment (because, again, it's the only hybrid van). When working as a hybrid and not in EV mode, the Pacifica Hybrid nets a combined rating of 32 mpg. On a full tank and a full charge, it has a range of 566 miles. The hybridized version weighs 650 pounds more than a standard Pacifica. That's after some of the added weight from batteries and motors has been offset by a hood, sliding doors, and liftgate made from aluminum instead of steel. The suspension has been adjusted well enough that you don't really notice the added mass driving down the road.

Conan releases extended cut of Chrysler's Super Bowl ad

Chrysler's latest Super Bowl ad follows in the footsteps of its classic Imported From Detroit spot starring rapper Eminem and Half-Time in America ad starring Clint Eastwood. Featuring Bob Dylan's gravely voice asking, "Is there anything more American... than America?" the spot has been somewhat controversial, thanks to a few lines informing viewers that Germany can brew beer, Switzerland can make watches and Asia can assemble phones. The US, though, will build your car, Dylan tells us. When the ad aired, Shinola-wearing Detroiters simultaneously spit out their Atwater beer over the perceived slight.
Naturally, that controversy has spawned more than a few parodies, one of which comes from Conan O'Brien. Coco expands on the list of things that aren't made in the US, like French water, Danish cheese and Japanese animated, um, adult films. Beyond those examples, there are a number of other things that should be left to countries that aren't the United States. It's a chuckle-worthy parody, so scroll down and have a look, and compare it to the original Super Bowl ad below that.