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Stellantis will give its brands 10 years to prove they deserve to live

Formed by the merger of PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, Stellantis has 14 brands under its roof, a number that makes it one of the largest groups in the industry. Rumors claimed not every brand would survive, with Chrysler often earmarked to get axed, but the firm said it will give them all a chance to shine. "We're giving each (brand) a chance, giving each a time window of 10 years and giving funding for 10 years to do a core model strategy. The CEOs need to be clear in brand promise, customers, targets, and brand communications," announced Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares during the Financial Times' Future of the Car event. His comments confirm Chrysler fans and dealers don't need to worry about the future — at least not yet. And, against all odds, Lancia enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief, too. Former FCA head Sergio Marchionne warned of the brand's demise on several occasions. Alfa Romeo is safe for now, too, as is Vauxhall, which are basically just Opels sold in the United Kingdom with a different badge. The engagement made by Tavares also means Stellantis won't divest any of its brands to raise capital until at least 2031. It's now up to each executive team to make a case for the brand they run, an unusual survival-of-the-fittest strategy in an era when cutting costs is more common than spending cash. Diving into the vast Stellantis parts bin should help even the most troubled brands turn their fortunes around on a relatively tight budget. It seems likely that survive Chrysler will need to look beyond the 300 and the Pacifica/Voyager, the only models in its range, and completely reinvent its image, which is currently nebulous at best. Lancia, once the champion of luxury, performance, and innovation, faces the same challenge. It's not starting quite from scratch, it's relatively popular in its home country of Italy, but it will need to think globally and expand outside of the city car segment to survive. Featured Gallery 2020 Chrysler 300 View 24 Photos Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

Some Jeep Cherokees and Chrysler 200s to get standard stop-start in 2015

Automakers the world over are striving to find ways to make their models more efficient, and Chrysler has a solution for some versions of the 2015 Chrysler 200 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee (2014 model shown). The Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the 200 and the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 in the Cherokee are getting a slight boost later this year thanks to the addition of Chrysler's Engine Stop-Start system as standard equipment. The company predicts modest gains - a three-percent improvement in fuel economy and a three percent reduction in CO2 emissions with the new tech compared to without it. While it's not much, those who sit in traffic a lot may see a difference.
Chrysler's stop/start system uses a high-speed starter motor to restart the vehicle in a claimed a third of a second. It works by detecting when the vehicle comes to a stop and turning off the engine. A more powerful battery maintains all of the model's accessories while it sits. When the driver lets off the brake, the car starts up again to drive away. There is even a button in the cabin to turn the ESS off, if desired.
The Jeep will be the first to receive ESS in the third quarter of this year to coincide with the start of production of the 2015 model-year version. The 200 will follow in the fourth quarter as a rolling change in production.

Why the 2020 Jeep Gladiator isn't called a Scrambler

After years of development and constant digging by spy photographers and forum users alike, there wasn't a whole lot surprising about the 2020 Jeep Gladiator reveal. But one thing that was a bit unexpected was the name. While never officially announced, the Internet had accepted the name Scrambler for the Jeep pickup and it was referred to as such until just before the reveal. There are reasons for the Gladiator name choice. Jeep representatives explained that one of the reasons for the choice of Gladiator is because of the Jeep Gladiator concept truck from 2005. That concept led to many rumors of a Wrangler-related pickup truck, and you can see some design influence from it on the current truck. Of course the concept was just a two-door extended-cab pickup. Also, besides the concept heritage, the Gladiator name was shared with the longest-running Jeep pickup truck line, the Gladiator and J-Series. The Jeep folks also noted that they wanted to avoid the Scrambler name because they felt the old Scrambler wasn't enough of a full-on truck, and the company wanted to emphasize that the new Gladiator is a true truck designed to be a truck. The original '80s Scrambler was effectively a stretched CJ-7, and practically called CJ-8, with a longer cargo area. It was mainly a truck because it was available with a half-cab top. But it was also available for a full-length wagon top eventually. So the Scrambler was more related to the first Wrangler Unlimited, which was a stretched two-door Wrangler, than to the new Gladiator, which has a unique frame, unique rear suspension and a separate bed and cab. If we're being honest, we don't think the Scrambler name would have been a problem. It's clear that Jeep fans are very fond of the name, and it would fit the idea of a Wrangler truck. But we also certainly don't have a problem with the Gladiator name either. It's equally historic, and even if it wasn't, it sure sounds great, evoking toughness and capability. Perhaps if people are really bothered by the truck not being called Scrambler, Jeep can roll out a graphics package as a tribute to the old models. Related Video: