1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Sport Utility 4-door 5.2l on 2040-cars

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Chrysler reports $166M net income for Q1, down $307M vs. 2012

Preliminary first-quarter results from 2013 have been announced by Chrysler, and the company is reporting a net income of $166 million on revenue of $15.4 billion. Compared to this period last year, net income is down $307 million and revenue has dropped $1 billion.
Chrysler says that its quarter was negatively affected by the costs associated with launching its 2013 Ram Heavy Duty, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and preparation for the return of the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee pictured above. The launches should provide a strong second half of 2013, says the automaker. "We remain on track to achieve our business targets, even as the first-quarter results were affected by an aggressive product launch schedule," said Chrysler Group LLC Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne.
On a positive note, the automaker says worldwide vehicle sales are up 8 percent from one year ago, a number pushed by a 12 percent bump in U.S. retail sales. In addition, domestic market share has risen slightly, up to 11.4 percent from 11.2 percent last year. Read more in the official statement below.

Mahindra fights FCA's Jeep infringement claims

The Indian manufacturer Mahindra is fighting tooth and nail to keep building its Roxor off-road vehicle to sell in the United States. In early August, Jeep mother company FCA filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission to stop Roxor sales in the U.S. FCA claims the Roxor design is an intellectual property infringement on Jeep design, meant to undercut FCA's own Jeep products on the market. Now Mahindra has released a statement to the commission saying that FCA's complaint is without merit. While FCA stated in its claim that the Roxor is "an imported low-quality knock-off kit car," Mahindra points out that the vehicle took several years to develop and is manufactured in Michigan. Mahindra intends the Roxor to be an off-road vehicle only, and says it does not compete with Jeeps. The Roxor isn't road legal, only comes with a diesel engine and reaches a top speed of only 45 mph. However, it has to be said that the uncomplicated Roxor is far closer to the original ethos of WWII-era Jeeps than the Jeeps FCA currently manufactures. Mahindra also states that FCA agreed in 2009 not to bring about infringement claims as long as Mahindra used a grille design that FCA approved — going with a grille design that clearly differs from the classic Jeep trademark grille. The matter might partially muddled by the fact that the grille agreement was made with 2009's Chrysler instead of today's FCA. Looking back several decades, the entire Mahindra Roxor appearance is at its core based on a 1940s license agreement made with Willys, the original Jeep manufacturer. Mahindra's statement addresses FCA as "Fiat," and it should not be forgotten that Fiat itself manufactured a Jeep lookalike, the Campagnola, from 1951 to 1973 — also with a different grille. Fiat Industrial subsidiary Iveco's history page says the 1951 Campagnola was constructed "according to the Willys mould". Mahindra claims that FCA is using the complaint to create negative publicity to damage Mahindra's reputation. The Indian manufacturer reminds us that it is the first automotive OEM to set up a new manufacturing operation in southeast Michigan in over 25 years — in Auburn Hills, not far from FCA's U.S. headquarters. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mahindra Roxor Image Credit: Mahindra Design/Style Government/Legal Fiat Jeep Automotive History SUV Diesel Vehicles Off-Road Vehicles FCA mahindra

Best cars for snow and ice in 2023 and 2024

What's the best car for snow? The real answer is "the one with winter tires." What do we mean by that? You could have the finest, most advanced all-wheel-drive system or four-wheel drive in the world, but if you're running all-seasons (the spork of tires), your fancy four-wheeler won't matter much. The odds are, any vehicle on the road running good winter tires will probably perform adequately in slippery, slushy and/or snowy road conditions. (Here's a more complete explanation of why winter tires are totally worth it). In other words, you don't really need any of the cars on this list. With a set of winter tires, countless others will do the job, and even these will be at their best with proper rubber. You can find a variety of winter tires for your car here at Tire Rack. Keep in mind that you will need a full set of four snow tires for safety and performance, no matter what you're driving. The days of your dad putting just two snows on the family truckster to get it moving in a straight line are long gone. Don't get us wrong, getting a car that performs well in snow and ice is still a worthy criteria for car buyers. According to the U.S. Transportation Department, 70% of Americans live in places that get snow and ice. And much of the country has been blasted with arctic air for much of the new year. So let's look at the cars. First, we're highlighting choices for a variety of buyers and price points. Second, we're not just considering snow; we're considering general wintery conditions people will experience driving to work or school. As such, these are all choices with advanced all-wheel-drive systems, usually with "torque-vectoring" systems that not only automatically shunt power front and back, but side to side between the rear axles. Most have extra ground clearance for getting through deep snow, and we prefer those vehicles with more responsive steering, throttles and transmissions that provide a greater sense of vehicle control in slippery conditions.    Acura RDX Read our Acura RDX Review Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system was one of the first to offer torque-vectoring, and besides often being touted for its ability to greatly enhanced dry-road handling, its benefits in the slick stuff can be profound. It's actually surprising that Acura hasn't leaned into this capability further by offering more rugged versions of its vehicles.