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Chrysler's Jefferson North plant builds 5-millionth SUV [w/video]

Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant opened in 1992 for production of the first Jeep Grand Cherokee, but in the subsequent years, the Detroit plant has gone on to produce some of the company's biggest SUVs including the Jeep Commander and Dodge Durango. Earlier this week, the plant produced its five-millionth SUV, which, fittingly, was a Grand Cherokee.
Celebrating the plant's five-millionth unit, the silver 2014 Grand Cherokee was promptly donated to the USO. In addition to this milestone SUV, Chrysler also had a near-perfect 1993-95 ZJ Grand Cherokee on hand for the photo op. Scroll down for the Chrysler press release as well as a video showing some of the speeches from the celebration.

Jeep hackers return to take over your steering wheel

Last year, security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek made headlines by remotely hacking a Jeep, killing the transmission and applying the brakes while Wired reporter Andy Greenberg was behind the wheel and driving in traffic. The hack led to a 1.4 million-vehicle recall for Fiat Chrysler and new jobs at Uber's Advanced Technology Center for Miller and Valasek. Despite the cushy new gigs, the two of them apparently aren't done hacking Jeep Cherokees for sport. In their latest exploit, the pair can gain even more control over a vehicle, but it would also be extremely difficult to pull off in a real-world setting. Here's the harrowing part first: Miller and Valasek can do more than just apply the brakes at low speed or cut the transmission this time around. Now they can turn on the parking brake, mess with the cruise control and hijack the auto-parking system to jerk the steering wheel a dangerous 180 degrees while the car is in motion. It looks about as frightening as it sounds: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Although it's not hard to see how that would make for a very terrifying drive, there's a big grain of salt that comes along with it: Miller and Valasek actually used the same model 2014 Jeep Cherokee as the original demonstration, but without the software patch applied. Or, as Wired put it, "imagine an alternate reality," where a fix had never been made. Unlike before, the latest hack requires a physical connection plugging their laptop into the Jeep's OBD-II diagnostic port under the dash. The team also had to update the Jeep with their own firmware to disable some of the car's built-in safety checks before they could get much control. In other words: In order to get hacked, Jeep owners would first need to roll back their car's firmware to an older version, invite someone to remove security features and then also let them ride shotgun with a computer. Or, as Engadget's resident security expert Violet Blue wrote on Twitter, it's sort of a non-threat. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. That said, The Verge points out that it may still be possible to exploit OBD-connected wireless dongles like the Metromile Tag, Automatic Link or other similar devices currently marketed by insurance companies.

2018 Jeep Wrangler four-cylinder could be incredibly potent

Update: We hear the 368-hp rating in the NHTSA documents isn't accurate. The story has been modified to reflect that. Update 2: The document has been removed from NHTSA's website. We already knew that the next-generation Jeep Wrangler would offer two engines this time around, a V6 and a new turbocharged four-cylinder. Documentation from FCA to NHTSA that JL Wrangler Forums discovered suggests the V6 will become the entry-level engine with the same 285 horsepower as the current one, while the turbo 2.0-liter inline-four takes the top spot with 368 horsepower. However, we're now hearing that figure isn't accurate. That's an all-around impressive four-cylinder – and obviously likely too good to be true. Besides making about 80 more horsepower than its bigger V6 cousin, it would also be the second most powerful four-cylinder available in the United States. It would only be 7 horsepower shy of the current four-pot power champ, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45, which makes 375 horsepower. It's also 18 horsepower ahead of the next closest engine, the turbo four in the Focus RS that makes 350 horsepower. If you do decide to pick up a 2018 Wrangler with the four-cylinder, you'll have to settle for an automatic transmission. Only the V6 will be available with both an automatic and manual transmission. Both engines should be available at launch, which we expect to come shortly after an expected reveal at the Los Angeles auto show. The FCA documentation also suggests that the four-door model will be the first body style available, with the two-door arriving slightly later. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeep Wrangler Spy Shots View 28 Photos News Source: JL Wrangler Forums / FCAImage Credit: KGP Photography Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles jeep wrangler unlimited