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Chrysler earns $1.7B in 2012, revises product plans for US

Hot on the heels of Ford's earnings announcement for the year that was, Chrysler today reported a 2012 net income of $1.7 billion, up substantially from the comparatively minuscule $183 million profit earned in 2011 when it repaid its US government loans.
Chrysler's good year ended with an excellent fourth quarter that saw net income rise 68 percent from $225 million in 2011 to $378 million. Where are all those extra earnings coming from? Market share, which Chrysler saw increase to 11.4% last year on sales of 1.65 million vehicles. In fact, the Auburn Hills, MI-based automaker out-paced the industry's market growth of 13 percent last year with sales up 21 percent for the year.
The company also revealed an updated product plan for its Chrysler Group and Fiat brands that looks all the way out to 2016. It's an updated version of the plan introduced in 2009 shortly after Fiat took control of the American automaker, and includes such new additions as an Alfa Romeo model, likely the 4C, to be introduced in the US this year, as well five more Alfa models by 2016. Likewise, Fiat will be growing by an additional seven models in the coming few years.

UAW papers reveal release dates for new Dodge, Jeep and Ram models

Documents published by the United Auto Workers union reveal key information about some of the products Dodge, Jeep and Ram will release during the early 2020s. All three brands will try to capitalize on the growing demand for trucks and SUVs in the United States. The agreement between the UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) outlines what the period between 2019 and 2023 will look like from an employee's vantage point. The $4.5 billion factory the automaker is building in Detroit will begin manufacturing a three-row Jeep model in 2020, and it will add the next-generation Grand Cherokee to its roster the following year, according to CarScoops. The new Grand Cherokee will also roll out of the Jefferson North facility that makes the current model scheduled to retire shortly before its successor arrives. The Dodge Durango will continue to be built there, and the UAW papers mention a mild-hybrid variant of the SUV due out before the end of 2020. Two body-on-frame Jeep models tentatively scheduled to revive the heritage-laced Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates will break cover in 2021. They will be built alongside Ram pickups at the Warren Truck plant, and odds are the three models will share several components under the sheetmetal. Adding the two Jeep models is expected to create 1,400 jobs, FCA predicted. Speaking of Ram, the high-performance TRX model (pictured) aimed at the Ford F-150 Raptor's jugular is penciled in for a 2020 launch. The concept that previewed the model made its debut in 2016, so it's reasonable to assume it will have changed considerably by the time it reaches showrooms. It will be based on the newest variant of the 1500, not on the last-generation model still sold as the Classic. What won't change is the supercharged, 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 between its fenders. The plug-in hybrid Wrangler remains on track for a 2020 launch. The Cherokee will continue to come out of Belvedere Assembly in Illinois, but the UAW's documents mention "fresh models / features" off of its unibody platform. Whether that means new trim levels or additional body styles remains to be seen, but it sounds like something new and Cherokee-related is around the corner. The ancient Dodge Journey shares at least one thing with the beater you drove in high school: a four-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox is finally on its way out, according to the UAW, and the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that powers the entry-level model isn't long for this world, either.

2018 Ram ProMaster Quick Spin Review | Big van, big fan

I've moved a lot over the past decade or so. Since the beginning of 2008, I've held nine different addresses: five in Alabama, two in California and two in Michigan. I've had a lot of experience moving, sometimes multiple times to multiple states in a single year. Simply put, I get around. And f or most of these moves, I made do with SUVs, hatchbacks, borrowed pickups or rented box trucks. After putting more than 2,000 miles on a GMC Savana during my (second) move to from Alabama to California, I was fed up with the headache of it all. The GMC had no cruise control, no sound deadening and a V8 that downed fuel with the gusto of a drunk at an open bar. It was an almost entirely unpleasant experience. Yes, I know that's how trucks used to be, but when there's an alternative, I'll take it. This latest move — all of 2.2 miles — was the shortest I'd had in years. While our long-term 2018 Honda Ridgeline would have sufficed for 90-percent of the move, it isn't quite long enough to move two couches, a shelf and a king-size bed. Sure, I could have gone to U-Haul, but why bother there was a Ram ProMaster in the local fleet that I could put to good use? I wanted to really see how far things have come in recent years. My chariot was a long-wheelbase high-roof van in work-site white. It's as inoffensive and anonymous as they come. The ProMaster is based on the Fiat Ducato, and it's an unfortunate looking machine, though I doubt many people in the market for a good work van give much thought to the van's design. There are a lot of variations of the ProMaster when it comes to wheelbase and cab configurations, but all models have the same standard drivetrains. Power from the 280 horsepower V6, like the one in the van I drove, is sent to the front through a six-speed automatic. A 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 is optional, boosting torque from 260 pound-feet to 300 pound feet, but it's paired with a less-than-stellar automated manual transmission that's not nearly as smooth or refined as its torque-converter counterpart. The seating position was high and commanding. It's a bit of a climb to get into, but once you're seated it's actually quite comfortable. Since you're nearly on top of the front wheels, forward visibility is excellent. The passenger area is spartan but packs tons of little cubbies, pockets and cup holders. I found perfect spots to stick extra bungee cords, gaffers tape and ratchet straps. Compared to the old vans I was used to, it was a revelation.