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How good would this look as a Dodge? New Peugeot 408 is a cool EV crossover coupe

Americans have long lusted after the forbidden fruits of the automotive markets: Vehicles offered elsewhere but not sold here in the United States. When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, former parent to Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and others, joined forces with PSA (Peugeot and others), there was hope that Americans could get hold of some quirky French cars as part of the deal. That hasn’t happened, at least not yet. As it turns out, Europeans get just as many boring crossovers as we do, though Peugeot thinks it has a solution with the new 408, an aerodynamic compact crossover with style for days. While we seriously doubt a rebadged 408 would ever show up on our shores, it's easy to imagine how a vehicle looking something like this on the same electrified platform could spawn a viable product for the American market. Squint a bit and "new electric Dodge Intrepid" comes to mind.  Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that France would come out with a new vehicle that seems well-matched to the American market. Utility vehicles made up 46% of new vehicle sales in France in May, matching the sales numbers of sedans in the country. PeugeotÂ’s banking on the fact that many people want the space and usability of a compact SUV but tire of the styling and ubiquity of the vehicle type. The fastback shape provides a more dramatic design look without completely sacrificing the characteristics that make SUVs so popular.  Peugeot offers a traditional SUV in the 3008, but the 408 is sleeker and more aerodynamic. The automaker says that the 408 “offers a feline stance and unique allure, engineering excellence focused on efficiency and intelligent electrification, as well as the emotions provided by cutting-edge technologies dedicated to driving pleasure and instinctive use." Two plug-in hybrid powertrains will be offered first, producing 180 and 225 horsepower. A standard gas model will also be available with a 130-horsepower engine. All variants get an eight-speed gearbox, and Peugeot says an electric model will come later. No Stellantis brand in the United States currently offers a purely electric vehicle.  Peugeot will build the 408 at its plant in Mulhouse, France, for the European market. The vehicle will go on sale early in 2023 and will later become available in China. Related video: Featured Gallery 2023 Peugeot 408 Green Green Dodge Citroen Crossover Future Vehicles

Car that screams on the street of dreams: Cruising Woodward in a Hellcat | AutoblogVR

If you love cars, you've probably at least heard of the Woodward Dream Cruise. Millions of people make the pilgrimage to Woodward Avenue with thousands of cars every year. Obviously the Dream Cruise is amazing, but you don't need to wait for the official Cruise to experience Woodward. In this episode of AutoblogVR, join Greg Migliore as he drives up and down the street of Dreams in a Dodge Charger Hellcat. Greg starts the drive by talking about how epic his chariot is. The Dodge Charger Hellcat has a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a price tag of only $65,945. Of course the Hellcat's true power couldn't be unleashed driving along the historic road, but that didn't dampen Greg's spirits. After all, driving on one of the first patches of paved road in America is a pretty great experience no matter how fast you're going. After giving a bit of a history lesson and explaining the significance of Woodward to the Hellcat specifically, we get to one of the best ways to experience Woodward - tracking down some of the best food! Greg pops in to his favorite pub and gives us a tour, but one pub is just the tip of the iceberg. With all of the culture along the 27-mile span, this road is a must-drive for any car enthusiast. But if you can't make it out, experiencing it in 360° VR is the next best thing. Each month, new episodes will launch on the AutoblogVR App. We'll be posting them here on Autoblog, but for the best experience, head over to the app, which you can download for free from the App store and Google Play. Be sure to try it with a cardboard viewer, too! Dodge Coupe Performance Videos VR Original Video

Dodge, Jeep, Ram showcasing electric wares over the next four months

Mopar Insiders took notes on Stellantis' half-year earnings call. Seems three of the eight Stellantis brands operating in the U.S. will be making big announcements about coming electric offerings in the next few months. Dodge is up first. We've been writing about the house of the muscle car trying to put on an extra special show during its Speed Week in Detroit in August, the span between Roadkill Nights and the Woodward Dream Cruise. Seems that's confirmed with the presentation of a "Gateway" muscle car and a "Future" muscle car. The former is expected happen on August 16 and be the Hornet PHEV, Dodge's version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV. The plug-in hybrid Tonale Q4 uses the powertrain from the Euro-market Jeep Compass 4xe, but gets a larger battery pack and produces a total 275 hp. We're looking forward to finding out if brand overlords decided the Dodge should have more, less, or the same output as the Alfa, and the same battery pack or the smaller Compass pack. The latter "Future" vehicle is expected to bow the day after. This would be a concept version of the Challenge e-muscle car that we've been salivating over for too long. Given two of Stellantis' most powerful motors slotted into the STLA Large platform, output north of 800 horses seems to be the consensus. The production version isn't slated for sale until the end of 2023, so the model on showroom floors will likely differ slightly from what we see next week. It's Jeep's turn in September, the off-road brand shining light on the plug-in hybrid options headed to showroom floors here. That should mean news on the Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe anticipated in the U.S. in 2024, and a Gladiator 4xe the year after. Wagoneer and Cherokee electrification plans could be on the docket, too, as well as plans for wider global distribution of the Jeepster we've seen in Europe.  Finally, two months later, Ram takes the stage for updates on its electric Revolution. So far, that entails the Ram Promaster BEV, a van likely to combine years of experience from the Fiat Ducato Electric and the Peugeot E-Boxer that have been serving fleets in Europe. MI thinks November topics will include a 79-kWh battery, four drive modes, and the chance of the ProMaster getting a side door for delivery fleets like Amazon. Of course, the electric Ram pickup is the meat enthusiasts will have their forks out for.