For nearly four decades, the minivan has been a factor for families considering their mode of transportation. These models might not be style winners, but they’re highly versatile, comfortable, and even efficient. The Chrysler Pacifica builds on that tradition by delivering a modern model that is anything but mini. SUVs … Read more
You’re forgiven if you don’t remember that the Chrysler brand still markets a full-size sedan. We will also forgive you if you did not realize that the Chrysler brand itself was still around. Such is life for the marque that once comprised the top-tier models for the Chrysler Corporation. Now … Read more
Like every other major auto show, the New York International Auto Show allows manufacturers to showcase concept vehicles. Concepts are just that – an idea that may or may not become a production model. Even in cases where the concept is never built, design elements and other features often do. … Read more
The Chrysler marque has fallen on hard times lately, obscured under Fiat Chrysler and seemingly threatened with the emergence of Stellantis in 2021. With just two models left – the Pacifica minivan and the aged 300 sedan – its future seemed in doubt. While Stellantis was consolidating Fiat Chrysler with … Read more
The Jeep brand continues to capture market share. One of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the world is Jeep, an all-SUV marque that is now available in most countries. From its humble Post World War II thrust into the passenger vehicle segment to today, Jeep has emerged as one of … Read more
Ram, Dodge, Fiat, and other Stellatis brands will field all-electric models starting in 2024. Nearly every major manufacturer has revealed their plans to electrify their fleets. With governments pushing for the end of or the severe restriction of the internal combustion engine, that transition is underway. In the U.S., the … Read more
Stellantis is here, which represents the new name for the newly merged Fiat Chrysler – PSA Groupe entity. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with regional headquarters in Michigan, Italy, and France, this automaker controls 14 brands. That’s two more than the Volkswagen Group, which previously had the largest portfolio. Although just … Read more
An all-new automotive brand is here and we can’t wait to learn what Stellantis will do as it manages 14 brands from two previously separate automakers. Stellantis, which roughly translates as “to brighten with stars,” is the fusion of Groupe PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The now-active company is trading … Read more
Stellantis unites American, French, and Italian automakers. “To brighten with stars” is the meaning of the sobriquet chosen by French automaker Peugeot Groupe (PSA) and Italian-American manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) as they plan to merge their companies under the “Stellantis” banner next year. When done, the combined entity will … Read more
The Chrysler Voyager is back, a model name first used by the long-defunct Plymouth brand. When Plymouth was discontinued in 2001, the then Plymouth Voyager minivan became a Chrysler model for a few years and was sold alongside the Chrysler Town & Country. Fast forward to today and few consumers … Read more
A blockbuster merger of automotive manufacturers may produce the world’s largest automaker, especially if two outside automakers are also brought in. Fiat Chrysler, itself the result of a 2014 merger between European and North American manufacturers may soon tie in with Renault, the French automaker. Renault is currently reviewing an … Read more
Partnerships, recalls, financial problems, and scandals…oh my! I wrote this article several days before leaving on a business trip, so please forgive me if the Mitsubishi narrative has changed drastically over the past few days. That a change would occur is understandable — after Nissan exposed Mitsubishi for exaggerating the … Read more
The Fiat brand has this 500X crossover in its portfolio. It must be tough sitting in a meeting of Fiat Chrysler brand heads, especially if your brand is underperforming. Sixty-eight straight months of year-over-year sales improvements puts an enormous pressure on executives to succeed. Sure, the streak will someday … Read more
Updated: Mitsubishi announced on Oct.5, 2015, that it would produce 1,600 copies of a 2015 Lancer Final Edition model, making 303 horsepower and 305 foot-pounds of torque. Mitsubishi carries the dubious “honor” of possessing the smallest market share amongst mainstream manufacturers in the ultra-competitive US market. With Suzuki, Isuzu, and … Read more
The Chrysler 200S supplies premium features to the product line. Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne did in 2014 to the Chrysler marque something that should have been accomplished decades earlier: he officially reassigned Chrysler to mainstream brand status, moving it away from its previous premium standing as a one-time direct … Read more
In the latest Kogod study, the Corvette Stringray slipped by several percentage points. The General Motors Company has taken its share of lumps, some of it deserved. But in one area it excels, what has everything to do with where many of its vehicles are produced. And that location is … Read more
Pentastar is the name of Fiat Chrsyler’s modern V-6 engine family. The engines are found in more than a dozen models, and power a variety of vehicles. To date, more than 5 million of these engines have been deployed worldwide. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the first FCA model with … Read more
GM, Ford and Chrysler Embrace Fuel Saving Innovation. Fuel prices are continuing to fall, dropping below $2.50 per gallon for regular grade gasoline in some areas. That’s just the kind of move that has some shoppers looking at larger and less efficient vehicles, perhaps advancing certain auto trends not yet … Read more
Imagining Fiat Chrysler as part of the Volkswagen Collective. Speculation about a possible blockbuster Volkswagen Fiat Chrysler merger has come up again. Last summer, Volkswagen and Fiat flatly denied that they were discussing a merger, despite a high-level meeting between key executives. This week, former Hyundai CEO John Krafcik speculated … Read more
October 2014 sales remain in positive territory. The US auto industry continues to record strong sales even as the overall economy shows only modest gains. Sales this year should top 16.5 million units with analysts forecasting at least 17 million units sold for 2015. And if October 2014 auto sales … Read more
Diminutive truck enhances Ram’s Mexican product line. Considering that car manufacturers may push for product unity across different markets, the truth is that these very same companies know that certain products will only sell in specific places. Full-size pickup truck sales are largely confined to the United States and Canada, … Read more
Making a case for federal auto industry bailouts. The U.S. auto industry was careening toward disaster when the executives of the General Motors Company, the Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler met with legislators in Washington, DC, in late 2008 to ask for federal assistance. Barack Obama had just been elected … Read more
Fiat’s return to the US market in 2011 came by way of its smallest model, the 2012 Fiat 500 hatchback. This mini car line also includes a convertible and a performance Abarth edition, giving Fiat the most model choices in its segment. The segment is a small one and includes … Read more
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a leading crossover sport utility vehicle, a five-passenger model sold in 4×2 and 4×4 configurations. Laredo, Laredo E, Limited, Overland and Summit models are available plus a special edition SRT8 equipped with a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8. I’ve had a chance to drive both the SRT8 … Read more
Domestic car manufacturers score well in latest TQI study. About Strategic Vision Strategic Vision, the California consultancy group that measures consumer buying behaviors and trends, has released the results of its 18th annual Total Quality Index™ (TQI) study. This years study has revealed that domestic car manufacturers the General Motors … Read more
Do you like diesels? This writer admits that he does although his experience with and brief ownership of a 1978 Rabbit Diesel does little to uphold his position that diesel technology is the way to go. For fuel savings. For reduced emissions. For less of a dependency on foreign oil. … Read more
It is Mexican labor that has made it possible for Fiat to sell its first model in North America in more than a generation. A Toluca, Mexico manufacturing plant has been handling Fiat 500 production since it began in 2010 and is also responsible for building the Dodge Journey. However, … Read more
Durango model makes three police cruisers from Chrysler. Auto Trends has been keeping a sharp eye on the police pursuit market lately as several important changes have been made. Police Cruiser News Earlier this month we reported on the fortunes of Carbon Motors, a would-be developer of police-spec sedans. That Indiana-based … Read more
Sibling to the Jeep Liberty, the Dodge Nitro was introduced for the model year 2007, a five-passenger unibody sport utility vehicle designed for on- and off-road use. Like the Liberty, the Nitro goes places most modern SUVs cannot go; unlike the Liberty, this Nitro has an edgy, retro look representing … Read more
We automotive writers will sometimes use language most everyday folks don’t understand. That’s a problem, because when you’re attempting to explain something in simple language, automotive jargon can creep in and leave the reader wondering what you are talking about. Big Six Auto Trends Magazine attempts to keep the language … Read more