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Jeep Grand Cherokee in headliner fire probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching an investigation into 146,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from the 2012 model year, The Detroit News reports. This comes as the result of the government safety agency receiving three complaints from owners who cited fires inside the Jeep's cabin.
According to the report, NHTSA says:
"The customers reported a burning odor and visible smoke coming from the headliner while the vehicle was being driven. This was followed by flames from the headliner itself. Customers lowered the windows in an effort to clear the smoke but this increased the fire's intensity. All three vehicles had to be extinguished with a fire extinguisher or by the fire department as they continued to burn after the vehicle was turned off."

It lives! Our first glimpse of the Jeep Wrangler pickup

Okay, it's real now. We've been hearing rumors for years, and Jeep officials have confirmed a pickup will be added to the next-gen Wrangler lineup, but now we have our first photographic evidence of the long-awaited variant. It looks huge, and we're totally okay with that. These photos show a very-long-wheelbase Wrangler with a decent-size pickup bed. It looks to be about the same overall size as the AEV Brute Double Cab Wrangler pickup conversion, which itself is about the length of a Suburban. The bed appears to be in the five-foot range, maybe slightly shorter than the standard box of a half-ton truck. And those taillights, or at lest the covers on them, recall the shape of the lights on a Ram. These overhead shots also give a better look at the next Wrangler's evolved seven-slot grille. We see bigger spacing between thinner ribs, which would seem antithetical to the goal of improving the Wrangler's traditionally poor aerodynamics. It's possible FCA is using an air shutter to manage airflow, as it does on the Ram pickups and some other products. Related Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Detailed Spy Photos View 18 Photos To recap what we know about the next Wrangler: It's expected to offer a gas V6 once again, as well as a turbocharged four-cylinder nicknamed Hurricane and an EcoDiesel-branded diesel engine. There have also been rumors of a hybrid powertrain. We don't yet know how many of those engines will make it to the pickup, but at least one gas engine and the diesel are safe bets. People love the idea of diesel Jeep pickups. We also know from interior spy photos that at least some of those new powertrains will use an eight-speed automatic. That, the modern engines, and improved aero will help the Wrangler be more efficient while still retaining much of its rugged, blocky look. The two- and four-door Wranglers are expected for the 2018 model year, with the pickup following for 2018 or 2019. Related Video:

Chevy, Kia and Jeep win 2020 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year

Although the Detroit Auto Show is moving to the summer, the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards were again announced in January. The car of the year is the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray. Utility of the year is the 2020 Kia Telluride. Truck of the year is the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. None of these choices was particularly surprising. All of these cars were major releases that delivered on style, performance and functionality. That being said, the runners-up in each category were noteworthy, too. You can see the full list of finalists below. Car Chevy Corvette (Winner) Toyota Supra Hyundai Sonata Utility Kia Telluride (Winner) Hyundai Palisade Lincoln Aviator Truck Jeep Gladiator (Winner) Ford Ranger Ram HD Follow any of the inline links above to read our reviews on the winners and finalists. Related Video: