2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4-door on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jeep pickup confirmed, will be built in Toledo

Finally. In 2011 Jeep CEO Mike Manley said, "It is too late in Wrangler's product cycle to add a pickup. The 2015 or 2016 time frame makes more sense," when the next-generation Wrangler is due. A year later, Manley told an Australian outlet that a decision on a Jeep with a bed would come "pretty soon." Now, The Detroit News reports that the decision has been made, and it's a "Yes."A Wrangler-based truck is expected to arrive in 2017, sometime after the launch of the next Wrangler. And it'll be built in Toledo next to its sibling. Those desperate for a carry-all Wrangler have been able to buy Mopar's JK8 conversion kit for the past four years. Frankly, even though the Jeep Gladiator concept (pictured) is now 11 years old and the JT concept is nine years old, we think either one of them could roll off the line in a year and be welcomed with hosannas. This year's New York Auto Show will also be the site of the reveal of the compact SUV that will slot in between the Renegade and the Cherokee, built on the Renegade/Fiat 500X platform and replacing both the Compass and Patriot. Derided by many, in the US the two aging CUVs still sell terrifically well - they both hit records here last year. One of them will live on in name, the new SUV to be called either Compass or Patriot; the former name is bigger in international markets, the latter name gets more recognition here. That show is when we'll also get Fiat Chrysler's updated five-year plan that will take us through the presumed end of CEO Sergio Marchionne's tenure at FCA. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept News Source: The Detroit News Jeep Truck Off-Road Vehicles jeep compass jeep patriot jeep wrangler pickup

Are future vehicular hacks inevitable?

Before the hack of the Uconnect system in a Jeep Cherokee resulted in a 1.4-million vehicle recall, the potential software vulnerabilities in vehicles were already a hot topic with Congressional inquiries and even proposed legislation in the US. As cars' interconnected systems gain the ability to go online, they become open to a host of new threats. Automakers are trying to stop this, but it might be too late to put the genie back into the bottle. Throughout 2015, the issue of software security in vehicles has become increasingly vital. For example, the recent Jeep case wasn't even the biggest hack this year. In February, a major flaw was discovered in the BMW Connected Drive service that allowed researchers to remotely lock and unlock the doors and potentially affected 2.2 million cars. The fix was an over-the-air patch for the problem. Automakers are actively working to fix the issues. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi reportedly are using encrypted connections and firewalls in their vehicles to prevent hacking. "Absolute, 100-percent safety isn't possible," Daimler spokesperson Benjamin Oberkersch said to Automotive News Europe. "But we develop our systems, tested by internal and external experts, so they're up to date." These vulnerabilities seem to be popping up more often. A successful hack took $14 in parts from Radio Shack in one case. There was also a 60 Minutes report earlier in the year about DARPA's ability to hack into OnStar to take control of a Chevrolet Impala. Experts aren't so sure companies can contend with hackers' advancement. "The difficulty for the carmakers at the moment is the question whether they can keep pace with advances in technology, and especially hacking technology," Rainer Scholz, executive director for telematics consultant EY, said to Automotive News Europe. "We seriously doubt they can." At this point, vehicle hacks are coming more from researchers looking for holes than from those with malicious intent. Still, the vulnerabilities are definitely there. It's up to automakers to keep patching the problems before they become dangerous to drivers. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post via Getty Images Audi BMW Jeep Mercedes-Benz Safety Technology Emerging Technologies hacking cyber security

Woman throws coffee at man over handicapped parking spot

A Toronto area busybody started a decidedly un-Canadian altercation over a woman illegally parking in a handicapped parking spot this week. He now regrets his decision to film it. On March 21, Ryan Favro confronted a young woman outside the Tim Hortons in Toronto as she approached her jeep with two cups of iced coffee. The situation quickly escalated, and ended with the woman hurling obscenities and both of her coffees at Favro before driving off. Favro quickly uploaded his video to Facebook where it quickly became viral, garnering more than a million views and spreading as far as New Zealand. Toronto Police caught wind of the video, which clearly shows the woman's face and the license plates of her Jeep, and issued her a warning. "We've cautioned her for assault and parking in a disabled spot, which is really what we can do under the circumstances," said Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash. Favro changed his mind about the public shaming by mid-week and, in a futile attempt to put the genie back in the bottle, he removed the video from his Facebook page. "I don't want to grind this woman into the ground," he said. "There has to be a way for her to recover." His attempt to walk back his video and make the situation go away have not been particularly successful, however. Although he took the original video down, it has been copied and posted so often by now that it has become impossible to completely erase it. His attempts to do so, and his post about it on Facebook, have received some mixed feedback. "If the guy was feeling remorse for publishing it [the video], perhaps he should not have posted it online and just go to police," said Facebook user Laura Dixon. Repeated requests by the Toronto Star to interview Favro have gone unanswered News Source: TheStar.com Chrysler Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles Videos parking toronto coffee parking lot handicapped parking