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Millionth Jeep Wrangler JK to roll off line this morning

According to a report on the Chrysler Communications Facebook page and one fairly grainy image of the production line, at around 11:00AM Eastern this morning, the one-millionth Jeep Wrangler JK will roll out of the company's Toledo assembly plant.
The third-generation or "JK" Jeep Wrangler has been around since the 2007 model year, and has obviously been more popular than ever. With a greater than ever number of trim levels, two-door and four-door Unlimited models and hardy off-roading Rubicon packages, the JK offers more to choose from than ever for those looking for something in a traditional Jeep. In fact, with the modern 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 powering it, the 2012 model year saw more than 140k Wrangers sold here in the US; the best-ever figure for the model.
With a model refresh due out for the Wrangler in 2015 (along with the likely addition of a diesel engine option), we expect that sales will continue to roll right along, too.

Stellantis expects to hit emissions target without Tesla's help

Franco-Italian carmaker Stellantis expects to achieve its European carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets this year without environmental credits bought from Tesla, its CEO said in an interview published on Tuesday. Stellantis was formed through the merger of France's PSA and Italy's FCA, which spent about 2 billion euros ($2.40 billion) to buy European and U.S. CO2 credits from electric vehicle maker Tesla over the 2019-2021 period. "With the electrical technology that PSA brought to Stellantis, we will autonomously meet carbon dioxide emission regulations as early as this year," Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares said in the interview with French weekly Le Point. "Thus, we will not need to call on European CO2 credits and FCA will no longer have to pool with Tesla or anyone." California-based Tesla earns credits for exceeding emissions and fuel economy standards and sells them to other automakers that fall short. European regulations require all car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions for private vehicles to an average of 95 grams per kilometer this year. A Stellantis spokesman said the company is in discussions with Tesla about the financial implications of the decision to stop the pooling agreement. "As a result of the combination of Groupe PSA and FCA, Stellantis will be in a position to achieve CO2 targets in Europe for 2021 without open passenger car pooling arrangements with other automakers," he added. Tesla's sales of environmental credits to rival automakers helped it to announce slightly better than expected first-quarter revenue this week. The next tightening of European regulations will soon be the subject of proposals from the European Commission. The 2030 target could be lowered to less than 43 grams/km. Related Video: Government/Legal Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Tesla Citroen Peugeot Emissions Stellantis

10 Facts about the 2018 Jeep Wrangler

The 2018 Jeep Wrangler is here. It debuts this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show and it's going on sale in January. After years of anticipation, it's finally reality. Here's our complete First Look, but to break it down further, here's things you'll find curious, cool, absolutely necessary, or just plain interesting. – The 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) will be sold concurrently during 2018 as inventory is moved out. This means you might be able to get a decent deal on the outgoing model, the JK. It gets a little confusing since the JK and the JL will both be 2018 models, which suggests the JK sell-down might take awhile. Mike Manley, Jeep boss, defended the strategy during a briefing in Auburn Hills, and noted it's somewhat common across the industry. – The doors: They lift out and have handles so you don't drop them. There's also half-doors that will be offered in 2019. Doors weren't standard on Wranglers until the early 1980s. – There are multiple trims. The two-door comes in Sport, Sport S or Rubicon. The Unlimited is Sport, Sport S, Sahara or Rubicon. Expect more to come. – The EcoDiesel arrives in 2019. This could be interesting. Jeep says it's in response to consumer demand, and it could be a differentiator from the Ford Bronco or other utes looming on the horizon. The V6 is the same engine from the Ram and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel models. In the Wrangler, it pumps out 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. – The Sky One-Touch power top is cool. With a touch of a button, the canopy of the roof scrolls back. Perfect for the urban or actual jungle. It's offered on Rubicon and Sahara four-door variants. – What they didn't do: The speculation surrounding the Wrangler's future hit a fever pitch in 2015, and most of rumors didn't pan out. It's still built in Toledo, Ohio and it's still body on frame. – Some of the rumors were (kinda) on point. Aluminum was used, fairly extensively. The doors, door hinges and front fenders are aluminum. The rear swing gate is magnesium. No one was speculating on that one. – The badges are cool, and Wrangler enthusiasts will love them. There's one on the swing gate that harks back to the Willys predecessors and offers cool stats, like the fording depth of 30 inches. There's also a silhouette on the shifter and the steering wheel is meant to conjure the image of the Y-shaped ones on military vehicles. You kind of need to squint for that one, but there's plenty of other Easter Eggs.