Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, LLC., GM, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions, Rumormill

In 1987, Chrysler purchased the American Motors Corporation from Renault, and all AMC models ceased to exist shortly thereafter. The only survivor was Jeep, which was really the only brand worth rescuing. Could something similar happen today if GM “merges” with Chrysler? Once again, Chrysler’s most desirable asset is the Jeep brand, along with its minivans - a segment that General Motors has completely abandoned in favor of three-row crossovers. In such a scenario, the Chrysler and Dodge brands would basically cease to exist, with General Motors phasing the products it wants into its own lineups. Newer, efficient plants could be converted to build GM vehicles, which would allow the General to close older plants and lose excess production capacity that isn’t needed. Any cash that Chrysler has on hand would allow GM to float its own operations that much longer before returning to profitability. This is a simplistic overview, but it is a possibility being floated around by analysts that would explain why GM has any interest in Chrysler at all. We imagine there would be huge opposition to the situation playing out like this, not the least of which would come from the United Auto Workers union, which makes us wonder how likely such a “merger” could possibly be.

[Source: The Detroit News]

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Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Chrysler, LLC., Renault, Rumormill

Hopes for Renault’s possible return to the American market were stymied when it became apparent that General Motors wasn’t interested in a far-reaching partnership with the brand and its Nissan ally a few years ago. It seems that the French automaker is still very interested in re-entering the U.S. and would consider other possible partnerships. One particular option that popped up at the Paris Motor Show is a purchase of the Chrysler brand if Cerberus were interested in parting ways with it. Interestingly, Chrysler was the automaker that Renault pawned its last U.S. efforts off on.

It wouldn’t be an easy time to enter the U.S. market, as every automaker is currently posting lower-than-hoped-for sales figures, including Chrysler, which reported numbers down by nearly a third. Still, Chrysler has plenty of dealerships in the U.S. and Renault would love to have access to some of them. Plus, Chrysler is rumored to be in search of a new mid-sized sedan platform to build off, something that Renault would be more than capable of providing. Another more costly option would be for Renault to go it alone, producing three brand-new vehicles just for the U.S. We’ll keep an eye on these rumors and report back if anything more substantial breaks.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, GEM, USA

We’ve taken a good look at each of the three electric vehicle concepts that Chrysler took the wraps off of last week, plus one extra for good measure. For various reasons, none of these vehicles really seems quite ready for prime time - one is based on a Lotus sportscar chassis, two require huge battery packs and the last is limited to 25 miles per hour. Tough bring those to market. Still, Chrysler says it plans to launch one of them by 2010 in the U.S. with European delivery scheduled a bit later. We’ll see. If that does happen, Chrysler’s EV would join the Chevy Volt as the first mainstream(-ish) cars in the States not powered by gasoline in a very, very long time.

If Chrysler’s predictions are accurate, though, don’t expect the market to stay petroleum-dependent for long. In fact, Chrysler’s executive vice president of product development, Frank Klegon, has said that half the cars sold here in 2020 will feature electric power. That’s a long way to go in just a decade. In any case, the future promises lots of interesting things for the domestic auto market.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req’d]

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Filed under: MPG, Chrysler

The unfortunate reality for Chrysler in North America is that aside from the new Ram, the Wrangler and the minivans, few of its products are considered desirable alternatives in their segments. At least part of that is due to what many consider - rightly or wrongly - to be outdated powertrains. That impression certainly won’t be helped by this latest release from Chrysler. When the Dodge Journey was launched in the European market this summer, it was offered with both a 2.0L turbodiesel engine and an optional 6-speed Getrag dual clutch transmission. Here in the home market we only have the option of four and six cylinder gas engines with automatic transmissions that have four and six ratios respectively.

To make matters worse, the Sebring and Avenger which were already available overseas with the diesel engine now also offer the dual clutch gearbox. The DCT uses a pair of wet clutches that are coupled to alternating ratios, one handling 1,3, 5 and the other taking care of 2,4 and 6. The electronic controls offer quick, seamless automatic shifting and a six percent reduction in fuel consumption than the four speed automatic. Over here we’re going to have to wait until 2010 to get DCT’s in Chryslers to go along with the new Phoenix engines. I’m generally a manual transmission kind of guy, but my experience with VW’s DSG has convinced me that DCTs can be OK. How come the Europeans get so much of the good stuff first?

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler expands dual clutch transmissions, we still can’t get one

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler, Dodge, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, USA

When Chrysler introduced us to its EV line-up the other day some of us were a little taken aback. Although they hadn’t explicitly said so prior to the unveiling, the fact that they had shown off two ER-EVs and an all-electric concept at the last Detroit Auto Show led some to assume that one or more of these might be involved in this new unveiling. Obviously this was not the case. Instead we we’re treated to the somewhat dowdy Chrysler mini-van mainstay, a Jeep of SUV-like proportions and a freshly painted Lotus Europa with a UQM electric set-up. Oh yeah, there was also the peculiar Peapod.

That got us to thinking, what if Chrysler had of reached into its closet and pulled out some of its previous concept vehicles and presented them with electric drivetrains installed instead. Recycling is pretty green, no? They must have something from the not-so-distant past that had decent aerodynamics or some other quality that might give it an advantage as an EV over the ones they actually chose. We decided to take a look for ourselves and humbly share our choices after the jump.

Continue reading Five concept cars Chrysler could have used for its electric debut

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, LLC.

Chrysler has been struggling with sales declines more than most automakers during this challenging economic environment, and the some of that pain will transfer to its salaried workforce. The Pentastar is laying off 300 workers today and Friday due to the automaker’s inability to reach its goal of 1,000 salary job reductions through retirements. All employees have been ordered to show up for work tomorrow regardless of any vacations or if they are scheduled to work or not.

Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli told dealers yesterday that the Pentastar has lost $400 million so far in 2008, which is likely very bad news for Cerberus investors. There are very few feelings that are worse than losing a bunch of money, but we think going into work tomorrow with a real chance of being handed a box and being told to pack your things would be worse.

[Source: Automotive News subs req’d]

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Chrysler makes a big jump into electric-hybrid technology with the announcement of three new production-intent vehicles that feature advanced electric-hybrid technology – one each for its brands Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. The automaker also launched a new enclosed GEM low-speed neighborhood car. The new vehicles are the Dodge EV, an all-electric performance sports car; the […]

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Filed under: Coupes, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Canada

The Dodge Challenger SE is a good-looking coupe that dealers say is selling very well. We liked the base Challenger SE because it carried most of the styling cues of its far more expensive and fast SRT8 sibling at a reasonable price, and we can’t wait to try out the mid-level HEMI-powered R/T. Chrysler is now looking to add still more visual bark for its bite-less V6 Challenger with an SXT trim package. Chrysler of Canada is researching what the SXT Challenger should look like, and the Pentastar recently displayed a mock-up of the coupe at the Georgian College Autoshow in Barrie, Ontario, Canada to gauge interest. Chrysler surveyed Canadians regarding whether the SXT Challenger should receive a racing stripe, and also gave onlookers a choice of an 18-inch Mopar rim, or some played-out chrome rims. Chrysler also asked how much the SXT package should cost, and we’re hoping our northern neighbors checked the “Less than $500″ box, if only because the other choices were more expensive. The Cheers and Gears forums suggest that the SXT model may be for Canada only, but we have no information either way. Check out pics in our gallery below and click through to Cheers and Gears for more.

[Source: Cheers and Gears]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler

Most of the rumors in recent months have indicated that LG Chem/CPI have the upper hand and are likely to be chosen by General Motors to supply the lithium ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt. However, there are plenty of electric drive vehicle projects out there and just because A123 systems may not get the Volt business, it doesn’t mean they are completely out. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Massachusetts based battery maker may be in the running to supply energy storage systems to Chrysler for that companies ER-EV. During a nationwide video conference today with dealers today, Chrysler is expected to show a preview of the challenger it is developing to the Volt. ABG asked Chrysler about attending the video conference which will be held in 100 movie theaters around the country but was told the event was for dealers only. However, a spokesman told ABG that we would see the new ER-EV “very, very soon.” We’ll be watching to see if the tortoise can come from behind and beat the hare, even though the long-eared one hasn’t been napping of late.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Jeep

Chrysler is again relying on employee pricing to move metal from its dealer lots, but this time the promotion comes with a catch. You have to be a returning lessee, Chrysler supplier or associate, or be in the military to take part in the offer. Chrysler employees will also receive one additional discount to dole out as part of the promotion, which ends September 30. The employee pricing incentive can be used on top of any current discounts, making for a very healthy rebate on any new Dodge, Jeep, or Chrysler product. For example, the slow selling 2008 Dodge Ram can be had with $9,000 on the hood. That’s enough money to partly make up for several years of bad fuel economy and rapidly depreciating value. The incentive program is also meant to help the automaker retain a greater portion of its lease customers who have been left out in the cold since Chrysler stopped leasing vehicles through Chrysler Financial on August 1, which has made already poor sales results even worse.

[Source: Chrysler, Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Continue reading Chrysler offers employee pricing for select few

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Filed under: Gadgets, Tech, Chrysler, LLC., Lifestyle

A man who purchased Chrysler’s uConnect in-car wi-fi recently gave his impressions… and he wasn’t exactly impressed. His three main issues were: it’s slow, there are no instructions for encryption, and you’re limited to 1 GB for downloads.

The Autonet site lists speeds as 600Kbps-800Kbps, and the reader didn’t give any idea of the speeds, but he said the router had a hard time keeping an EVDO connection and would go to 1x. Autonet says the “connection is secured with WEP encryption, MAC address restriction or WAN port restricton,” but according to the reader, it isn’t shipped with any encryption in place and the manual doesn’t tell you how to do it or even that you need to do it.

As for the 1 GB cap, that’s for the $29 plan. There’s a $50 plan that gets you 5 GB, which would be the way to go if you really are going to have the kids on YouTube in the back seat. Of all he writes about, it seems the biggest gripe is the speed — nothing like trying to watch a 30-second clip that takes eight minutes to download. That’s not a minor drawback, but for the convenience of using any wi-fi equipped device, and not having to listen to that American Girl DVD again, it could be worth it.

[Source: Gizmodo via Kicking Tires]

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Filed under: Coupes, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge

Big name designers often skip from one job to another in the automotive world. Chrysler seems to be losing more than its fair share of artistic types, as the Auburn Hills-based automaker has lost two top designers in recent weeks. First, long time design chief Trevor Creed retired. Now Dodge Challenger Concept designer Micheal Castiglione has left for a smaller, more diversified design house. Castiglione has joined Ken Okuyama Design as their chief designer where he will work on everything from eye glasses and furniture to trains and planes. Okuyama also has some automotive interests, including the K.O 7 open wheel and the interesting-looking K.O 8 coupe (above). During his 15-year tenure with the Pentastar, Castiglione’s best work came in the form of the Dodge Challenger Concept, but he also worked on the Jeep Compass concept and the Chrysler 300 production car.

[Source: Car Design News]

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Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, LLC.

The auto industry is in a bad sales slump, and while trucks and SUVs are being hurt particularly by fuel prices, the rest of the market has an even bigger problem. The tight credit market is making it much harder for dealers to sell you transportation, and the problem isn’t relegated to just those with poor credit. Banks want higher cash-to-debt ratios, larger down payments, and then they’re still charging higher interest rates on top of all that. GM’s Mark LaNeve estimates his company is losing between 10,000 and 12,000 sales per month due to the credit crunch, which is close to a full point of market share.

Chrysler dealers are likely struggling even more, as the Pentastar recently removed company-financed leasing as a fall back option for those who cannot afford to buy. Chrysler’s sales have been down 34% this year through August, and leasing went from 23.5% of the business to just 2%. With the latest rash of bad news hitting the banking industry in the U.S., we don’t expect this trend to reverse itself any time soon.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req’d, photo by BookMama | CC 2.0]

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Filed under: Car Buying, Minivans/MPVs, Green, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge

With moms now actually reading EPA fuel economy figures on the window sticker before trying out the dozen cup holders found in most modern minivans, Chrysler went back to the engineering lab and knocked out a few more miles per gallon for its 2009 minivan offerings. Bragging that no other minivan offers better fuel economy than the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, the automaker is boasting EPA figures of 17 city / 25 highway for the minivans when equipped with the automaker’s 4.0L six-cylinder engine and minivan-first 6-speed automatic. Considering that the original 1984 Chrysler Town and Country achieved 18 city / 21 highway with a 2.6L four-cylinder and three-speed transmission, we’ve clearly come a long way. To squeeze out the extra miles per gallon, Chrysler tweaked the large 4.0L V6 engine and then changed the ratios on the transmission. With a higher ratio first gear, and smaller steps between the new ratios, the minivans are quicker off the line and the engine doesn’t loose as much speed between shifts. The result is a fuel economy improvement of about 8 percent or about 2 mpg. Now, if the engineers could just do something about that minivan stigma…

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler ekes out additional 2 mpg on 2009 minivans

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

Chrysler’s co-president continued to talk up his employer’s plans for electrically-driven vehicles this week at a media luncheon in California. Press told the gathering that he had driven three different producible prototypes of plug-in hybrid vehicles recently. The vehicles have been developed by the new ENVI unit that was established in late 2007 specifically to work on electric vehicles. According to Press, the vehicles can accelerate from 0-60 mph in four seconds and have a range of over 300 miles. Press hasn’t said when these vehicles would be built, but earlier this summer, company officials indicated a 3-5 year timeline to produce such vehicles. If so that would put the company at least 1-2 years behind the expected launch of the Chevrolet Volt and a potential plug-in version of the Toyota Prius. For production, it’s likely that the performance of the cars would be dialed back significantly in order to increase electric range although a higher-performance Dodge vehicle is not out of the question.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Filed under: Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Jeep

There has been a lot of talk recently about whether Chrysler has the right products in the pipeline to compete in this brutally competitive automotive market. Company chairman Jim Press told a group of reporters in California that help is on the way in the form of seven new products coming in calendar year 2010. Chrysler top procurement officer John Campi stated recently that the number could be as high as nine, but we suspect the number disparity could be a result of Campi counting vehicle variations as separate models. Neither Campi or Press gave any details of upcoming models, but analysts think they know which products are coming our way.

Erich Merkle of Crowe Chizek and Co. sees only five vehicles arriving in 2010, including the next generation 300, Durango, Grand Cherokee, Charger, and the Nissan-based Dodge Hornet (or other small car). The Pentastar may also be counting separately hybrid versions of some of the models, but there is also a chance there’s an all-new model or two based on collaborations Chrysler has with other automakers that analysts don’t know about.

Press and Campi aren’t the only executives talking about future product, either. Chrysler top dog Bob Nardelli said last month that a new fuel efficient vehicle may coming as soon as next year as well, and we suspect that model could be the Hornet. Press stressed that it took years for Chrysler to end up where it is today, and that it will take at least three years to pull the privately owned company out of the abyss. It’s good to hear Chrysler is still alive an kicking, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the Auburn Hills, MI automaker has up its sleeve.

[Source: Free Press]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chrysler

Click the Dodge Zeo for a high-res gallery

As has become the custom in recent years, Chrysler unveiled a trio of concept vehicles at last January’s Detroit Auto Show. This years designs all had one thing in common: electric drive. The Jeep Renegade and Chrysler EcoVoyager were both range extended EVs while the Dodge Zeo was a pure battery electric design. This month, Chrysler is finally launching sales of its first hybrids but co-president Jim Press told a media gathering on Tuesday that three new electric drive prototypes would be shown to dealers at a meeting later in September. Press didn’t give any indication of when the vehicles would go on sale but did say that plug-in hybrid vehicles are the first priority with new platforms being developed with electrification in mind. Press also told the Motor Press Guild meeting that Chrysler still has access to the Daimler’s technology and that the company is working with several different battery suppliers.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Coupes, Chrysler

The interweb is atwitter today thanks to a piece published by the Detroit News that hints Chrysler may revive the storied Cuda nameplate. Such a car would obviously share a platform with the upcoming Challenger, though would be sold as a Chrysler model since its original parent brand, Plymouth, is long since shuttered. The rumor was started by an interview given by famed hot rod tuner Chip Foose at the 2007 New York Auto Show earlier this month in which he mentioned the possibility of such a car.

We think the rumor has pretty weak legs to stand on, considering it originated from a guy who doesn’t even work for Chrysler. Though Foose has partnered with DCX on a number of projects, there’s no reason they would release such sensitive information to him. It could be the case that Foose wants a Chrysler Cuda to be developed and sold, but that’s an entirely different story.

Plus, the New York Auto Show has been done and over for about three weeks. The possibility of a new Cuda is pretty hot info, so as a fellow publisher we’re boggled why The Detroit News would sit on it for so long. As for the rendering that appears with the source article, while tastefully done by our friend George Achorn, is clearly just a tweaked version of a Challenger pic with a new color and different wheels. If Chrysler ever did decide to build the Cuda again, hopefully it would be differentiated by more than that.

The rendering we chose to use (above) is one done by the excellent Doug Schramm of www.creatingthelie.com fame. We found his pics of a Chrysler Cuda hanging out on ChryslerCuda.com. Cleary the Cuda’s return became the wish of many Mopar enthusiasts as soon as the Challenger Concept first took the stage at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: The Detroit News]

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GM Owned XM Radio and Chrysler Sirius Radio announcing they want to merge. This goes almost hand in hand with the stirring news of GM wanting to buy Chrysler. GM struggling to stay #1 and Chrysler slipping to #4 in the US. I believe the Satelite radi…

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Chrysler

Click image for a high-resolution photo gallery

With a press conference set to the percussion of the Drum Cafe, Chrysler rolled out the Nassau “shooting brake” concept this afternoon to hint at the future styling direction for the brand and especially its RWD line-up.

Based on the LX platform and stuffed with the SRT8 powertrain (that’s a 425 HP 6.1L Hemi and 5-speed A580 automatic), the Nassau strikes a far different pose than its 300C predecessor. Viewed from a low front 3/4 perspective, the rear cargo area disappears and the silhouette takes on the popular “four-door coupe” appearance. Viewed from behind, well, it has a rather boat-tailed look.

The impossibly white interior features a center stack that brings a cell phone-like appearance, along with console-mounted multimedia controllers for the front and rear passengers. The driver gets to select gearbox position via pushbuttons on the instrument panel and a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel; the gauge package is said to be inspired by “expensive” watches.

Plenty of high-res shots from the press conference are included in our gallery.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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