2014 Ram 2500 Slt on 2040-cars

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Analysts wary over FCA lawsuit but say emissions not as bad as VW

MILAN - Any potential fines Fiat Chrysler (FCA) may need to pay to settle a US civil lawsuit over diesel emissions will unlikely top $1 billion, analysts said, adding the case appeared less serious than at larger rival Volkswagen. The US government filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday accusing FCA of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 vehicles sold since 2014, which it said led to higher than allowable levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) that are blamed for respiratory illnesses. FCA's shares dropped 16 percent in January when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first raised the accusations, adding the carmaker could face a maximum fine of about $4.6 billion. The stock has been under pressure since. Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers. FCA, which sits on net debt of 5.1 billion euros ($5.70 billion), lacks VW's cash pile but analysts said its case looked much less severe. While VW admitted to intentionally cheating, Fiat Chrysler denies any wrongdoing. Authorities will have to prove that FCA's software constitutes a so-called "defeat device" and that it was fitted in the vehicles purposefully to bypass emission controls. Even if found guilty, the number of FCA vehicles targeted by the lawsuit is less than a fifth of those in the VW case. Applying calculations used in the German settlement, analysts estimate potential civil and criminal charges for Fiat Chrysler of around $800 million at most. Barclays has already cut its target price on the stock to take such a figure into account. Analysts also noted that FCA's vehicles are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for cutting NOx emissions, so it is likely that any problem could be fixed through a software update. "Should this be the case, we estimate a total cost per vehicle of not more than around $100, i.e. around $10 million in aggregate," Evercore ISI analyst George Galliers said in a note. The estimates exclude any additional investments FCA may be asked to make in zero emissions vehicles infrastructure and awareness as was the case with VW. FCA said last week it would update the software in the vehicles in question, hoping it would alleviate the regulators' concern, but analysts said it may have been too little too late. The carmaker is also facing accusations over its diesel emissions in Europe.

Ram Laramie Longhorn becomes the most luxurious Ram around

Dallas, Texas - This year's Texas State Fair was all about the deluxe trucks. Ford introduced its super-plush Limited trim for the Super Duty trucks. Ram did the same with its new Laramie Longhorn Southfork trim level. It's the new top-level luxury option for Ram, and it's available on heavy-duty 2500 and 3500 Rams as well as the light-duty 1500. The Southfork builds upon the flashy Longhorn trim level, which we aren't particularly fond of, mainly due to the tacky leather filigree pattern stickers, the plastic, barbed wire accents, and strange rose gold finish. Those elements are all still present on the Southfork. It does retain good points, like leather everywhere. Ram touts the leather's presence on the fronts, backs, and sides of the seats, as well as on the door panels. Southfork-exclusive features include a new pale ivory leather called Light Frost Beige, which is accented by a dark brown leather. The roof and pillars are also now covered in suede, which certainly upgrades the feel of the interior. There's real walnut and ash wood trim on the steering wheel and elsewhere in the cabin. Since the Southfork is the top of the line Ram trim, it carries a high price. The 1500 model starts at $52,615, and the 2500 starts at $57,015. The trim is only available on crew cab and Mega Cab trucks, but can be had with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and with short or long beds. See it for yourself in the image gallery above. Related Video:

Do you like TRX? New Ram 1500 coming to rock the Raptor off-road

BOLOCCO, Italy — Since the brand was spun off in 2009, Ram sales have been on a roll. Although it had some of the oldest vehicles on the market, the automaker sold nearly 700,000 models in 2017, marking its eighth consecutive year of sales growth. At FCA's Italian proving grounds, Ram head Mike Manley talked loyalty, conquest and the brand's next five years. Look for models like the Ram 1500 TRX, new versions of the Ram Heavy Duty and increased electrification and autonomy. At FCA's last five-year extravaganza, we heard a lot of grand plans for Ram. Unlike a lot of things from other brands at that presentation, most of Ram's products hit the market, though not as soon as FCA would have liked. Still, things are looking positive for the automaker. While the product line isn't going to expand much in the North American market, FCA plans to expand the Ram nameplate to new markets worldwide. We'll see finally see new versions of the Ram Heavy Duty at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. FCA promises the new truck will have the segment's most powerful diesel engine. By 2022, we'll see the debut of the production version of the Ram TRX, a performance-focused truck that should go head-to-head with the Ford F-150 Raptor. Related Video: