2014 Chrysler Town & Country Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fiat Chrysler posts record Q3 profit thanks to U.S. trucks and Jeep

MILAN — A rebound in car production in Fiat Chrysler on Wednesday reported record third-quarter earnings as production returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels. The Italian-American automaker, which is finalizing its full merger with French rival PSA Peugeot, reported a net profit in the three months ending Sept. 30 of $1.4 billion (1.2 billion euros). That compares with a loss of 179 million euros a year earlier. The carmaker reported adjusted earnings before tax and interest in North America of 2.5 billion euros. That offset deepening losses in Europe, Asia and at its Maserati luxury marquee. Latin America, the only other region to post a profit, saw it narrow by two-thirds to 46 million euros. “Our record results were driven by our teamÂ’s tremendous performance in North America,” CEO Mike Manley said in a statement. Overall, the carmaker said global earnings before tax and interest were a record 2.3 billion euros despite a 6% fall in revenues to 26 billion euros. Global shipments were down 3%, due largely to plant retooling in North American to produce the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer in the luxury SUV segment and the discontinuation of the Dodge Grand Caravan classic minivan. Fiat Chrysler announced earlier Wednesday that its merger with PSA Peugeot is on track to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2021, as planned. To meet regulatory concerns, the French carmaker is selling a small stake in a components maker to get below 40% ownership. The new automaker, to be called Stellantis, will be the fourth biggest producer in the world. Earnings/Financials Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Peugeot

2020 Chrysler Voyager priced at $28,480

CarsDirect got eyes on early order guides for the 2020 Chrysler Voyager, revealing the minivan's MSRP in base L trim as $26,985 before a $1,495 destination charge, for a total of $28,480. The only other trim available to the public, the Voyager LX, rings up at $31,290. That means that not only will the Voyager L and LX replace the Pacifica L and LX trims, the Voyager will start out $250 cheaper than the 2019 Pacifica models before incentives. The Voyager LXi, reserved for fleet customers, charges $34,490, which is $500 less than the Pacifica Touring trim. The figures make the Voyager L $215 less expensive than the Kia Sedona, $3,205 less than the Honda Odyssey, and $4,430 less than the Toyota Sienna. The closest price competitor sits on the other side of the dealership, that being the Dodge Grand Caravan SE priced just $65 above the Voyager L. With Chrysler becoming the people-mover brand, many expect the Voyager to replace the hoary Grand Caravan, so buyers shouldn't need to suffer analysis paralysis for too long. We still aren't sure why Chrysler needed to create a new model to replace trim levels, but perhaps it was to break buyer perception that the Grand Caravan was the first and last stop for an inexpensive minivan. Transaction prices are so high on Pacificas — and frankly, the Pacifica looks so nice — that casual shoppers might have thought why bother investigating the Chrysler. Chrysler worked to keep things financially frugal on the Voyager by omitting splashier options from the menu. Infotainment begins and ends with the seven-inch Uconnect touchscreen, the larger 8.4-inch screen forbidden. Driver assistance tech will be limited to the cost-extra rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic detection; items like adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking aren't offered. And only the fleet model gets ritzy treats like leatherette seats, second-row Stow 'n Go chairs, and remote start. The LX only goes so far as second-row quad seats and in-floor storage bins. Yet with the same sheetmetal and the same 287-horsepower Pentastar V6 and nine-speed transmission under the hood, only the black door handles and badging will give Voyager owners away, and they can always buy one in black to help the illusion along.

Feds sue Fiat Chrysler, accuse it of cheating on diesel emissions

WASHINGTON - The US government has filed a civil lawsuit accusing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of using software to bypass emission controls in diesel vehicles. The Justice Department suit, filed in US district court in Detroit, is a procedural step that may ramp up pressure on Fiat Chrysler. The suit could ultimately help lead to a settlement, as in an earlier probe of rival Volkswagen AG that will cost VW up to $25 billion, but which affected a much larger number of vehicles. VW admitted to intentionally cheating while Fiat Chrysler denies wrongdoing. It did not immediately comment on Tuesday. US-listed Fiat Chrysler shares were down 2.9 percent at $10.44. The suit also names Fiat Chrysler's unit V.M. Motori SpA, which designed the engine in question. Reuters reported last week the Justice Department and EPA have obtained internal emails and other documents written in Italian that look at engine development and emissions issues that raise significant questions. The investigation has scrutinized VM Motori. FCA acquired a 50 percent stake in VM Motori in 2010 and the remainder in October 2013. The lawsuit asserts the Italian-American automaker placed undeclared "defeat devices," or auxiliary emissions controls, in 2014-2016 Fiat Chrysler diesel vehicles that led to "much higher" than allowable levels of nitrogen oxide, or NOx pollution, which is linked to smog formation and respiratory problems. The suit seeks injunctive relief and unspecified civil penalties. EPA said in January the maximum fine is about $4.6 billion. In January, EPA and California accused Fiat Chrysler of illegally using undisclosed software to allow excess diesel emissions in 104,000 U.S. 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks. Fiat Chrysler said on Friday it plans to update software that it expects will resolve the concerns of U.S. regulators about excess emissions in those vehicles. The January notice was the result of regulators' investigation of rival Volkswagen, which prompted the government to review emissions from all other passenger diesel vehicles. Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software allowing its cars to emit up to 40 times legal pollution levels. In total, VW has agreed to spend up to $25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers and offered to buy back about 500,000 polluting US vehicles.