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Mopar teases four of 'nearly 20' SEMA Show concepts

Yesterday it was Chevrolet. Today, Mopar has dropped some SEMA knowledge, releasing a quartet of teaser images that give us some indication of what kind of cars, trucks, and crossovers Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram will be showing in Las Vegas. Like Chevy, Mopar's concepts utilize both production and concept accessories, although Fiat Chrysler has gone a bit more indepth on at least one of its concepts. Immediately, the most tantalizing teaser is the one shown above. Yes, that's the back of a Challenger, and aside from the bright orange accents on the gray body, you should take notice of the badge mounted on the spoiler – yes, that says "GT AWD." To be honest, such a vehicle wouldn't be a huge shock, as both the Challenger's LX platform-mates, the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, are offered with all-wheel-drive options. Still, adding such a vehicle to the production cycle would give Dodge a leg up on the rear-drive only Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Aside from that concept, FCA has also released teasers of a Ram-based concept, a 300-based concept, and what we're guessing is a Fiat 500X. We can't wait to see what the actual Fiat concept has to do with kiteboarding. As for the 300 and Ram, there's not a lot of hints on what sort of styling details they'll contain. The Chrysler has additional LED accents and what we're guessing is matte blue paint, while the Ram is based on a Hemi-powered 1500 with Rebel styling cues. This is just a very tiny sample of Mopar's final SEMA roster, which include "hundreds" of parts. There should also be a total of 20 vehicles covering all four former Chrysler Group brands, as well as Fiat. Naturally, we'll have plenty to report on each vehicle once the SEMA show kicks off in the next couple weeks.

US Postal Service going Ram ProMaster

Selling cars, vans, and trucks one at a time is business good enough to keep most automakers solvent, but fleet sales are where it's really at. Take this latest order placed by the United States Postal Service from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, for example. The order calls for a massive fleet of 9,113 units of the 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo van. That number may only be a drop in the bucket compared to the 190,000 vehicles the Postal Service operates across the country, but it's still a pretty large order to place all at once. "While each and every one of our fleet customers is important to us, none command our attention like USPS," said FCA's fleet operations director Tim Kuniskis. "I can't think of another more mission-critical service than literally delivering the goods of our nation on a daily basis, and we are honored that USPS chose the Ram ProMaster to help them meet their challenging duty." Naturally, each of the 9,113 Ram vans will be specially equipped for the purpose of collecting and delivering the mail and packages. They'll also be fitted with 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engines driving 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque through six-speed automatic transmissions to the front wheels. It's the latter feature which the post office may find the most compelling, helping the vans get traction regardless of the weather. You know, given the whole "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" thing that the service seeks to uphold. Related Video: FCA US LLC TO SUPPLY 9,113 NEW 2016 RAM PROMASTER VANS TO U.S. POSTAL SERVICE - Ram Commercial to supply 9,113 new 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo vans to U.S. Postal Service - Ram ProMaster 2500 is a highly customizable van designed to exceed the demands of commercial customers - Customized outfitting for national mail and package delivery service - Segment exclusive front-wheel-drive system enhances all-weather operation September 29, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC announced today that it will supply 9,113 new 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo vans to the United States Postal Service (USPS). The 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo van selected by USPS features the award-winning, gasoline-fueled 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine rated at 280-horsepower output with peak torque of 260 lb.-ft. The engine is paired with a proven, smooth-shifting, six-speed automatic transmission, upgraded to accommodate the ProMaster's exceptional cargo-hauling capability.

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.