2007 White Dodge Sprinter Van on 2040-cars

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FCA recalling Chrysler and Dodge minivans, Dodge Nitro SUVs for faulty airbag covers

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Friday it would recall about 925,239 of its older model vehicles in the United States to replace airbag covers on their steering wheels after 14 potentially related injuries. The recall is limited to 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro SUVs, 2008-2010 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, the Italian-American automaker said. The move follows an FCA investigation that found these vehicles were equipped with certain clips that may loosen and disengage over time, and in case of a driver-side airbag deployment the clips could act as projectiles. Fiat Chrysler said none of the potential injuries involved occupants of front-passenger or rear seats and that the airbags were not supplied by Takata. Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel. Related Video:   Recalls Chrysler Dodge Minivan/Van SUV

2019 Dodge Challenger, Charger get retro Sublime paint options

Editor's note: An FCA spokesman wrote to clarify that Sublime will be available on all 2019 Challenger and Charger models, including Hellcats. The story has been updated accordingly. Dodge's SRT performance division wants those of us who live in the nation's midsection to look past the current subarctic temps that are causing everything from "frost quakes" in Chicago to temporary shutdowns at auto plants in Michigan and envision the upcoming muscle car season with its balmier cruising weather. To help with that vision, SRT announced it's bringing back the heritage-inspired Sublime color and making it available for the first time on all 2019 Dodge Charger and Challenger models to help your metal pop. The lime-green Sublime color debuted way back during the 1970 model year on most Dodge vehicles, and it returned in 2007 for a limited number of Charger R/T Daytona models, then again across the Challenger lineup for 2015. It even made an appearance in 2017 on the limited-edition Ram 1500 Sublime Sport pickup truck. Sublime will be available for all models, including the 2019 Charger Scat Pack, with its 392 Hemi V8, the 707-horsepower Charger SRT Hellcat and the 797-hp Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. The color also makes its return to the Challenger T/A for the first time since 1970. It joins an extensive palette of color options for both models that include Go Mango orange, Plum Crazy purple and B5 Blue Orders start in February. The brand will have examples of both models on display next month at the Chicago Auto Show. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

China's Great Wall confirms its interest — in Jeep, or all of FCA

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI — Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor reiterated its interest in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday, but said it had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. China's largest sport utility vehicle manufacturer made a direct overture to Fiat Chrysler on Monday, with an official saying the company was interested in all or part of FCA, owner of the Jeep and Ram truck brands. Automotive News first reported the news, quoting Great Wall Motor President Wang Fengying as saying she planned to contact FCA to discuss acquiring the Jeep brand specifically. Those comments sent FCA shares higher but also raised questions over the ability of China's seventh-largest automaker by sales to buy larger Western rival FCA, or even Jeep, which some analysts value at as much as one-and-a-half times FCA. Great Wall sought to dampen speculation on Tuesday. It confirmed it had studied Fiat Chrysler, but said there was "no concrete progress so far" and "substantial uncertainty" over whether it would eventually bid. "The company has not built any relationship with the directors of FCA nor has the company entered into any discussion or signed any agreements with any officer of FCA so far," the company said in an English-language stock exchange filing. It did not give further detail. Fiat Chrysler stock dipped on the statement on Tuesday. Great Wall said trading in its Shanghai-listed shares would resume on Wednesday after having been suspended. Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on Great Wall's statement. On Monday, it said it had not been approached and was fully committed to implementing its current business plan. FLUSHING OUT RIVALS? Great Wall Motor, which was early to spot China's love of SUVs, had revenue of $14.8 billion last year and sold 1.07 million vehicles - but that compares with FCA's 2016 revenue of 111 billion euros ($130.6 billion). Analysts said Great Wall would need to raise both debt and equity to complete any deal, meaning its chairman Wei Jianjun could lose majority control. One possible scenario, according to analysts at Jefferies, would see Wei keeping a roughly 30 percent stake, while Great Wall would raise $10-$14 billion in debt and $10 billion in equity - hefty for a group currently worth just $16 billion. Ultimately, politics could be the clincher.