1980 Jeep Cj-7; V8; T18 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

FCA nears plea deal in diesel emissions fraud probe

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to criminal conduct to resolve a multiyear emissions fraud probe surrounding Ram pickup trucks and Jeep sport-utility vehicles with diesel engines, people familiar with the matter said. FCA lawyers and U.S. Justice Department officials are brokering a plea deal that could be unveiled in coming weeks and include financial penalties totaling between $250 million and $300 million, the people said. Such a resolution with FCA, which is now part of Stellantis NV, would come more than four years after Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty to criminal charges  to resolve its own diesel-emissions scandal involving nearly 600,000 vehicles.It would also mark the final significant chapter in the government crackdown on automakers' emissions practices that was precipitated by Volkswagen's deception, which became known as "Dieselgate." The FCA investigation focuses on roughly 100,000 diesel-powered vehicles that allegedly evaded emissions requirements. The plea negotiations are fluid and some terms, including the size of any financial penalties, could change as discussions continue, the people said. Justice Department officials are preparing paperwork that will likely be negotiated with FCA to finalize the plea deal, which could result in changes and also present an outside chance for the agreement to fall apart, the people said. A plea agreement would cap a series of investigations dating back to 2015 surrounding diesel-powered vehicles in FCA's U.S. lineup. The current criminal investigation targets the U.S unit of the Italian-American automaker. The affected vehicles span model years 2014 to 2016. Representatives for FCA parent Stellantis and the Justice Department declined to comment. The scandals over emissions cheating tarnished diesel technology and accelerated the industry's shift to electric vehicles. The European automakers had promoted "clean diesel" technology as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ease a transition to an all-electric future. When regulators on both sides of the Atlantic uncovered evidence that diesel vehicles polluted far more in real world driving, the argument for a slower transition to battery electric vehicles was shredded. Now, automakers are accelerating battery electric vehicle development to comply with tougher, post-Dieselgate pollution standards.

Jeep patent filing in China show plans for 3-row Grand Commander

Back in October, we brought you spy shots of a Jeep crossover mule driving around Fiat-Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. They appeared to show a prototype version of the Yuntu Concept, a three-row utility vehicle unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show and designed for China. Now, new patent filings submitted to China's trademark office and originally reported by Chinese-language website AutoHome appear to back that up. They suggest that Jeep will call the model the Grand Commander, add a seventh seat (the Yuntu had six) and will debut it next April in Beijing. While the Yuntu was a plug-in hybrid, the Grand Commander will reportedly be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that makes 270 horsepower, which sounds like the same four-cylinder engine that powers the 2018 Wrangler. But since Jeep has confirmed a plug-in hybrid version of the Wrangler coming for 2020, it's not unreasonable to expect that configuration could come later for the Grand Commander, too, especially considering the Chinese government's push to ramp up production of electric vehicles. The patent filings also list names for other Jeep models in China, including the concept-sounding names Portal and Hyperspace. The Portal was the name Chrysler gave to a pretty nifty electric minivan concept with double sliding bay doors at this year's CES in Las Vegas.Related Video:

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is more expensive than the Dodge Demon

Jeep has finally released pricing for its crazy, all-wheel-drive, Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee, and it's seriously expensive. It starts at $86,995. That's a full $2,000 more than the limited-production, 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. For 140 fewer horses, and a quarter-mile time that's 2seconds slower (11.6 seconds vs. 9.6), you'll spend more money. Then again, the Grand Cherokee can do things the Demon and the Hellcats can't. It's got more space than any of them, meaning you can carry quite a bit more. It's capable of towing up to 7,200 pounds of stuff. It also has all-wheel drive, which means you have a little extra traction in bad weather, and you have the opportunity to do spectacular four-wheel burnouts. And of course, the Trackhawk is still fast and capable by any measure. It's only a tenth of a second slower to 60 mph than the Challenger Hellcat Widebody. It also comes with massive Brembo brakes, with the largest front rotors fitted to a Jeep, to haul it down from 60 mph in a claimed 114 feet. Each corner features 295-mm tires that Jeep claims let the Trackhawk generate 0.88g circling a skid pad. If the Trackhawk sounds like just the absurd performance machine you've been waiting for, you'll be able to put your order in soon. Dealers will accept orders starting Aug. 10, and the vehicles will start arriving at dealer lots toward the end of the year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk View 45 Photos Image Credit: Jeep Jeep SUV Performance