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Fiat Chrysler picks Google, Samsung for global connected car system

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler said on Tuesday it will use technology from Alphabet Inc's Google and Samsung to connect all its vehicles by 2022, providing music and video and facilitating future car-sharing and self-driving capabilities. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) will use Google's Android operating system globally instead of a mixture of software that varies by region, a spokesman said. The automaker will also use a cloud-based digital platform from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Harman unit. Unlike its rivals General Motors and Ford, FCA has spent virtually nothing on developing self-driving vehicle technology. This saves the company large amounts of money, but makes it reliant on outside parties to provide technology and systems. FCA said it will launch the new capabilities in the second half of 2019. The company said the system will aid owners "by predicting maintenance needs, locating fuel and charging stations, receiving traffic prompts and restaurant offers and providing live customer-care assistance at the push of the button." Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Technology Emerging Technologies connected car

Jeep Wrangler to remain in Toledo, get a pickup version

Production of the Jeep Wrangler is staying in Toledo, OH, and it might be getting a pickup in the near future, according to Automotive News. Meanwhile, Cherokee production is leaving Ohio. The announcement was reportedly made to plant management earlier today. "We found a solution that accommodates a variety of other interests to us because of the way in which we can move some product around," CEO Sergio Marchionne said to Automotive News. A Jeep spokesman declined to comment to Autoblog. Right now the official details about FCA's production plans are still hazy. However, an official announcement is expected when the automaker has a deal with the UAW, which could be by Sept. 14. According to insiders speaking to AN, the Wrangler pickup would join the lineup in 2017 or 2018. While losing the Cherokee doesn't help the Toledo factory, the new pickup should take up some of the slack. It also keeps Wrangler production going in Ohio until the next-generation model launches in 2018. The Cherokee is expected to move to the Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Michigan or Belvidere Assembly in Illinois because they build vehicles on the same platform, AN reports. The future of Wrangler production has been a hot topic at the Toledo plant for the entire year. There was initial speculation that model might leave the factory if it moved to an aluminum body. However, the latest reports offered some hope of the Jeep remaining there. Last week, Autoblog's sources at FCA also said that the Wrangler pickup was coming but couldn't confirm a timeframe. Related Video:

Jeep Patriot replacement adopts tiny Grand Cherokee styling

After almost a year out of the spotlight, we've finally snagged our second set of images of Jeep's new CUV. Set to replace both the Patriot and Compass, these latest images reinforce what we originally thought about Jeep's newest model – it's a baby Grand Cherokee. These 15 images provide the best look yet at the new sheetmetal, details, and interior. Starting with the skin, it's like Jeep's designers scaled down the Grand Cherokee's profile to fit on the new crossover's stretched Renegade platform. The headlights, grille, and taillights looked like shrunken items from Jeep's flagship crossover, too. This is good news – even after its 2011 facelift the Compass was a homely little thing, and the Patriot was boxy at a time when CUVs were going for smoother, more aerodynamic lines. Jeep's new CUV is avoiding those mistakes by aping one of the company's most popular designs. Only the driver's seat, steering wheel, and center stack appear in the interior images, so we can't tell how the stretched chassis impacts rear-seat legroom compared to the Renegade/Fiat 500X. But in front, it looks like a Jeep – FCA's corporate steering wheel and HVAC controls are present and accounted for, but the usual touchscreen display looks bigger the expected 8.4-inch unit. That could just be the camera angle playing tricks on our eyes. We can't make any judgments about the material choices, but we'd expect quality to be on par with the larger Cherokee. Under hood, our spies report that FCA's nine-speed automatic will be the only transmission choice. FCA will call on its new 2.0-liter, Hurricane four-cylinder engine, the spies claim, but we also expect the less powerful 2.4-liter, four-cylinder from the Renegade and Cherokee. Apparently, production will begin by the end of the year. Short of a shotgun launch immediately after a Detroit debut, that virtually guarantees a debut in Los Angeles (or possibly Paris). Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeep C-Segment CUV: Spy Shots View 15 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Jeep Crossover Off-Road Vehicles jeep compass jeep patriot