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FCA to recall nearly 900,000 vehicles that don't meet emissions standards

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will recall 862,520 gasoline-powered vehicles in the United States that do not meet U.S. emissions standards, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday. The recall was prompted by in-use emissions investigations conducted by the EPA and in-use testing conducted by Fiat Chrysler as required by U.S. regulations, the agency said. EPA said it will continue to investigate other Fiat Chrysler vehicles that are potentially noncompliant and may become the subject of future recalls. The recall includes 2011-2016 Dodge Journeys, 2011-2014 Chrysler 200s and Dodge Avengers, 2011-2012 Dodge Calibers and 2011-2016 Jeep Compass/Patriots. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement the EPA announcement "has no safety implications. Nor are there any associated fines." "The issue was discovered by FCA during routine in-use emissions testing and reported to the agency," the company said. "We began contacting affected customers last month to advise them of the needed repairs, which will be provided at no charge." Its U.S.-traded shares were down 1 percent. "EPA welcomes the action by Fiat Chrysler to voluntarily recall its vehicles that do not meet U.S. emissions standards," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. "We will provide assistance to consumers navigating the recall and continue to ensure that auto manufacturers abide by our nation's laws designed to protect human health and the environment." Fiat Chrysler owners can continue to drive their vehicles, the government said. Due to the "large number of vehicles involved and the need to supply replacement components — specifically to the vehicle's catalytic converter — this recall will be implemented in phases during the 2019," the EPA said In January, Fiat Chrysler agreed to a settlement worth about $800 million to resolve claims by the U.S. Justice Department and state of California that it used illegal software to produce false results on Ran and Jeep vehicles. But that incident involved diesel engines. It is awaiting the outcome of a criminal probe. The hefty penalty was the latest fallout from the U.S. government's stepped-up enforcement of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen AG admitted in September 2015 to intentionally evading emissions rules.

Chrysler readying Hellcat V8 with Viper-like power

A monstrous supercharged V8 engine could be in store for Chrysler and SRT products, if recent rumors are to be believed. Allpar is reporting that the forced-induction V8 - Chrysler's first, if this goes down - could make its debut this summer.
The story goes that the Hellcat would be based on a 6.2-liter Hemi engine, rather than on the existing 5.7- or 6.4-liter versions of the company's vaunted mill. In any case, the general consensus is that the motor will have gobs of power. Modest estimates call for between 500 to 570 horsepower, with some outliers predicting a figure as high as 600 hp. That figure would put the output would place the Hellcat awfully close to that of the 640-hp V10 in the SRT Viper, too. Allpar contends that a slightly lower powered version would allow Chrysler to keep costs below that of the more powerful Ford Shelby GT500, which might be a sweet spot.
The Hellcat could debut in a number of SRT products. SRT versions of the Charger, Challenger and 300 are all up for grabs, as is the rumored SRT Barracuda.

Dodge hoping Fast & Furious appearance gives Dart a sales jolt [w/video]

According to Automotive News, Chrysler is hoping Fast & Furious 6 will be kind to the Dodge Dart. While the compact sedan doesn't actually show up in the film, Dodge has partnered up with the movie franchise for a new ad featuring the Dart.
Chrysler hasn't exactly seen the high sales numbers it was originally hoping for with the new sedan, thanks in part to a couple of missteps. For starters, most early-production vehicles were only offered with a manual transmission. Analysts believe Chrysler squandered around 95 percent of potential Dart sales because automatic transmission options weren't immediately available.
Right now, the Dodge Dart rakes 19th among compact cars, pulling down 31,064 sales through April. Last month was the company's strongest, with 8,099 units moving off of dealer lots. Unfortunately, the model has also been handicapped by its older sister, the Avenger. With Chrysler throwing heavy incentives at the aging sedan, many consumers have taken advantage of a better deal with the slightly larger, more powerful Avenger.