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FCA-Renault merger talks: France wants job guarantees and Nissan on board

PARIS — France will seek protection of local jobs and other guarantees in exchange for supporting a merger between carmakers Renault and Fiat Chrysler, its finance minister said on Tuesday, underscoring the challenges facing the plan. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard arrived in Japan to discuss the proposed tie-up with the French company's existing partner Nissan — another potential obstacle to the $35 billion-plus merger of equals. Renault and Italian-American rival Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) are in talks to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes by creating the world's third-biggest automaker. Nissan found out about Renault's merger talks with Fiat Chrysler only days before they became public, four sources told Reuters, stoking fears at the Japanese carmaker that a deal could further weaken its position in a 20-year alliance with Renault. A deal between Renault and FCA would create a player ranked behind only Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen and target 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) a year in savings. Some analysts, however, say the companies face a challenge to win over powerful stakeholders ranging from the French and Italian governments to trade unions and Nissan. Patrick Pelata, a former Renault chief operating officer, also criticized the deal plan for undervaluing Renault and threatening to overstretch its engineering resources. By valuing Renault at its market price, the all-share offer attributes a negative 6 billion euro value to Renault operations after deduction of its 43.4% stake in Nissan and 3.1% Daimler holding, Pelata told BFM radio. "That's hardly reasonable," he said. "And I think that shareholders, including the French state, are bound to take issue with this sooner or later." Pelata added: "FCA has big problem because they haven't invested for the future — they have no electric vehicle platform and they've done nothing in autonomous cars." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire told RTL radio on Tuesday that the plan was a good opportunity for both Renault and the European car industry, which has been struggling for years with overcapacity and subdued demand. France sets conditions Le Maire also said the French government would seek four guarantees in exchange for backing a deal that would reduce its 15% stake in Renault to 7.5% of the combined entity. "The first: industrial jobs and industrial sites.

2019 Fiat 500X First Drive Review | Anchor's away!

MALIBU, Calif. — We lived with the Fiat 500X for a year and were pleasantly surprised by everything it had to offer but — and this is a big but, a but worthy of Sir Mix-a-LotÂ’s affection — the entire powertrain.  ItÂ’s no small feat that the small crossover was able to charm us despite our distaste for the very thing that makes it move. For 2019Â’s mid-cycle facelift, Fiat has addressed that exact issue. Gone is the old, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four that Fiat called the Tigershark, but we called a boat anchor. It was noisy, unresponsive, and an insult to tiger sharks. We preferred the lower-spec 1.4-liter turbo to the higher-spec 2.4, and suggested that it should be offered on all trims. Now the sole engine on all trim levels is a turbocharged 1.3-liter with stop-start and Multiair III, FiatÂ’s third-generation cam-less variable intake valve system. Fiat also eliminated the front-wheel-drive option for 2019, making all 500Xs all-wheel drive. Though the motor is down three horsepower overall — 177 versus the TigersharkÂ’s 180 — it more than makes up for it in torque. The outgoing engine produced 175 lb-ft at a lofty 3,900 rpm, which wasnÂ’t really useful in real-world driving. The 2019 comes with 210 lb-ft at a mere 2,200 rpm, giving drivers significantly more grunt at the low end. Beyond that, Fiat says the engine is less thirsty than the 2.4-liter — the only engine available in 2018 all-wheel-drive models — returning 24 city and 30 highway mpg. ThatÂ’s 3 mpg better in the city and 1 on the highway, made possible with more efficient technologies like needle roller bearings around the exhaust cam, a variable displacement oil pump, and an integrated charge-air cooler and exhaust manifold. We'll note that the 2018 500X equipped with front-wheel drive, the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission is still the most efficient of them all, returning 25 city and 33 highway mpg. “The engine is about 80 pounds lighter than the 2.4,” chief engineer Adam Remesz told us, putting total curb weight for the AWD model with 17-inch alloys at 3,305 pounds. Improved efficiency also means reduced CO2 emissions, down from 264 grams per mile to 242. According to Remesz, thatÂ’s “about the amount expelled by an average adult male running a 10k race.” Sure. The new mill mostly addresses our biggest gripe with the 500X. The throttle feels peppier, and rolling acceleration is much improved.

Chrysler banks $507 million in Q2, trims 2013 earnings forecast

Chrysler has some good news and some bad news. First, profits were up 16 percent over the second quarter of 2012, bringing the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer $507 million on the back of strong demand for trucks and SUVs (a recurring theme this quarter, particularly in the US). Q2 revenue was up as well, from $16.8 billion in 2012 to $18 billion in 2013. The bad news is that the Pentastar's overall earnings forecast for net income in 2013 has been trimmed from $2.2 billion to between $1.7 and $2.2 billion, according to Automotive News.
In addition to the adjusted net income forecast, Chrysler tweaked its operating profit from $3.8 billion to between $3.3 and $3.8 billion. This has gone largely unexplained by Chrysler, perhaps hoping the news of a three-percent increase in its transaction prices for Q2 will allow it to sweep this adjustment under the rug.
The star of the show for Chrysler has been its US sales, which saw a 10-percent jump, both bettering the industry average of eight percent and improving over the same stretch of 2012. As with the increase in transaction prices, Chrysler has the new Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee to thank. Perhaps most worrying from this report, though, is that every brand in the automaker's stable saw an increase in sales... except for the Chrysler brand itself.