Jeep: Wrangler Islander Sport on 2040-cars

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Stellantis ready to kill brands and fix U.S. problems, CEO Tavares says

  MILAN — Stellantis is taking steps to fix weak margins and high inventory at its U.S. operations and will not hesitate to axe underperforming brands in its sprawling portfolio, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said on Thursday. The warning for lossmaking brands is a turnaround for Tavares, who has maintained since Stellantis was created in 2021 from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA that all of its 14 brands including Maserati, Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep have a future. "If they don't make money, we'll shut them down," Carlos Tavares told reporters after the world's No. 4 automaker delivered worse-than-expected first-half results, sending its shares down as much as 10%. "We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money." The automaker now also considers China's Leapmotor as its 15th brand, after it agreed to a broad cooperation with the group. Stellantis does not release figures for individual brands, except for Maserati which reported an 82 million euro adjusted operating loss in the first half. Some analysts say Maserati could possibly be a target for a sale by Stellantis, while other brands such as Lancia or DS might be at risk of being scrapped given their marginal contribution to the group's overall sales. Stellantis' Milan-listed shares were down as much as 12.5% on Thursday, hitting their lowest since August 2023. That brings the loss for the year so far to 22%, making them the worst performer among the major European automakers. Few automotive brands have been killed off since General Motors ditched the unprofitable Saturn and Pontiac during a U.S. government-led bankruptcy in the global financial crisis in 2008. Tavares is under pressure to revive flagging margins and sales and cut inventory in the United States as Stellantis bets on the launch of 20 new models this year which it hopes will boost profitability. Recent poor results from global carmakers have heightened worries about a weakening outlook for sales across major markets such as the U.S., whilst they also juggle an expensive transition to electric vehicles and growing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals. Japan's Nissan Motor saw first-quarter profit almost completely wiped out on Thursday and slashed its annual outlook, as deep discounting in the United States shredded its margins. Tavares said he would be working through the summer with his U.S. team on how to improve performance and cut inventory.

How to update and secure a vulnerable Chrysler Uconnect system

If you own one of the 1.4 million vehicles affected by the recent Chrysler software recall, you may want to watch this video. In it, we explain how to get the latest infotainment software loaded onto the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. The recall was a response to the findings of researchers who were able to hack into and remotely control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee through its cellular connection. Although Fiat Chrysler has worked with Sprint to plug most of the holes on the carrier side, there are still some vulnerabilities that only this latest software version can patch. Owners have three options to get the update: download it now, wait for a USB stick in the mail, or take the vehicle to an FCA dealer. Chrysler will be sending USB sticks loaded with the software update to customers. Anyone with an internet connection and a USB stick of their own with at least 4 GB capacity can speed things up by downloading the patch from the Uconnect website. We cover that process from start to finish in the video, with the final portion still applicable to those using the FCA-supplied USB stick. If after watching this you still don't want to tackle the patch yourself, you can take your vehicle to the dealer to have it done. Also note that this process is the same for all Uconnect updates, not just the one patching the exploits. Our demonstrator vehicle is a 2015 Ram 1500 pickup. The procedure should be very similar on other products with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system, with only the location of the USB port varying. Once you have the USB stick with the software on it – either after having downloaded it yourself or receiving it in the mail from Chrysler – the installation process is relatively simple. It takes about 15 minutes to perform the update; we edited out the wait in the video. To check whether or not your car's 8.4-inch Uconnect system is running the latest software, go to System Information on the touch screen's Settings page and look at Software Version. The update related to the recall is version 15.17.5. Related Video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Safety Technology Infotainment Videos Original Video hacking

Jeep Wrangler production in Toledo to nearly double by 2018

The Jeep Wrangler's future in Toledo, OH, is officially secure. FCA US announced plans on Thursday to spend $1.05 billion to retool the Wrangler factory and another site in Illinois to build Jeeps. The investment could add up to 1,000 jobs, and, according to The Detroit Free Press, allow Jeep to build as many as 450,000 Wrangler models in Toledo. FCA is investing $700 million to make over the Toledo North factory to build the next-generation Wrangler – a vehicle that's hotly anticipated by enthusiasts. FCA said this will add about 700 new jobs. The Wrangler factory is part of a multi-site complex in Ohio, and FCA said an announcement about the South factory will come later. Nearly two years ago, FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne touched off a firestorm by suggesting the Wrangler could leave Toledo, though plans to keep the iconic Jeep there quickly proceeded. Automotive News reports the new Wrangler will use some aluminum elements, run a turbo four-cylinder engine, and offer a diesel variant. Designers will also pay increased attention to aerodynamics, though maintain the Wrangler's familiar appearance. Additionally, FCA reportedly plans to build a Wrangler pickup in Toledo. That 450,000-vehicle threshold could potentially break down into 350,000 traditional Wrangler models, along with another 100,000 Wrangler-based pickup trucks. When the current Toledo plant was opened in 2005, Chrysler said its capacity was about 150,000 vehicles per year. Since then, that figure has increased to about 240,000 Wranglers yearly, and Jeep has no problem selling that many. FCA's factory in Belvidere, IL, gets $350 million for upgrades to produce the Jeep Cherokee, which moves there in 2017 from Toledo as part of a product shuffle. FCA builds the Dodge Dart and Jeep's Patriot and Compass in Belvidere. The automaker is killing the Dart and will replace the compact Jeeps with a single model next year. The moves are part of FCA's strategy to fortify the Jeep brand, which has posted healthy sales and enjoys a strong reputation around the world. Related Video: