Ram top growth brand in changing van market

The upheaval in the commercial van market continued in 2014 as the Ram ProMaster hit its stride, Ford introduced the Transit and GM added a small van, courtesy of Nissan.

In November, Eurovans (ProMaster, Transit, Sprinter) outsold traditional American vans from Ford, GM and Nissan by 187 units. The gap will only grow going forward as the ProMaster gains ground and the Ford E-Series van, long the major player in the full-size van market, is relegated to chassis-cabs and similar applications. This leaves GM as the only one still making a traditional van and the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna are nearly two decades old and don’t offer the space or fuel economy of the newer vans.

Thanks to an unusually strong month for the Ram Cargo Van, Ram brand beat Chevrolet brand van sales in November and was just 219 behind the combined total of Chevy and GMC.

Ram brand took a 19.1% share of the commercial van market in November, up 12 percentage points from its 7.1% share in November 2013. Year-to-date share for the Ram brand rose 4.5 percentage points, to 8.2% of the market.

Both Ford and Chevrolet have lost market share this year.

While they account for only about two percent of total U.S. light vehicle sales, growth in the segment has been strong this year. Sales of full-size vans are up 16.2% as of the end of November; sales of compact vans, including the Ram Cargo Van, have grown 25.3%. Both figures are well above the 5.5% year-to-date growth of the light vehicle market.

The growth in sales of compact vans bodes well for the rollout of the Ram ProMaster City that’s currently underway. While it’s more expensive than the Nissan NV, Chevy City Express and base Transit Connect, the ProMaster City beats all of them when it comes to capacity, power and configurations.

As Read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/ram-top-growth-brand-in-changing-van-market

New York City sets start date of April 20 for Taxi of Tomorrow with Nissan

NEW YORK – New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) has set April 20, 2015, as the program start date for the Taxi of Tomorrow program, which calls for most retiring taxis to be replaced with the Nissan NV200 and will significantly increase the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis in the fleet.

Based on the TLC Taxi of Tomorrow guidelines, Nissan NV200 Taxi will be the sole option for Manhattan yellow taxis not being replaced by a hybrid or an alternate wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) where additional choice among competitors is maintained. Nissan is working with BraunAbility, the global leader in automotive mobility, to provide WAV Nissan NV200 Taxis, which now are available for purchase.

More than 500 Nissan NV200 Taxis already are in service in New York City. The Nissan NV200 Taxi has more content specifically tailored to use as a New York City cab than any vehicle prior to it including important safety features.

The Nissan NV200 taxi is the only taxi that leaves the factory with the installed partition, which has been specifically designed to ensure that no safety features are compromised by after-market installations. In fact, the Nissan NV200 Taxi was crash-tested with the partition and meets Federal safety standards, an attribute no other automaker provides for taxis. After-market installations in some taxis can render safety features such as airbags non-functional.

The Nissan NV200 also meets global pedestrian-protection standards aimed at softening the impact to a pedestrian if struck by a vehicle.

Following its selection as the exclusive Taxi of Tomorrow provider, Nissan engaged with organizations long at the forefront of the Taxi of Tomorrow program, including the Design Trust for Public Space, Smart Design and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

Nissan created its own “New York Ave.” at its Arizona proving grounds to replicate harsh conditions of NYC streets to rigorously test the Nissan NV200 taxi to tune the suspension specifically to NYC road conditions. Additionally, Nissan hired New York City cab drivers to test vehicles around the city, collecting data that was used to refine the vehicle. In total, these drivers logged enough miles to cover every street in Manhattan more than 300 times.

The Nissan NV200 taxi also offers passengers a variety of amenities to make their trip more pleasant, including ample cargo room for transporting luggage and USB charging ports in addition to a 12-volt electrical outlet.

The Nissan NV200 Taxi offers a functional and spacious interior housed in a compact exterior footprint; in fact, when the Nissan NV200 Taxi is deployed across the entire taxi fleet, the equivalent of five square-acres of space will be freed up on city streets.

Key safety features include:

- Front and rear-seat occupant curtain airbags specifically designed to deploy around the integrated partition and seat-mounted airbags for the front row
- Standard traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control
- Sliding doors to lessen risk of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists getting struck by doors opening unexpectedly
- Lights that alert other road users that taxi doors are opening

About Nissan NV200 Taxi

Drawing on insight from New York taxi drivers, medallion holders, fleets and passengers, the Nissan NV200 taxi features more content tailored specifically to the unique needs of metropolitan cab service than ever before. In addition to stunning views of the city, other new features include:

- Ample room for four passengers and their luggage, offering substantial improvements over current and recently-unveiled taxi models
- Breathable, antimicrobial, environment-friendly, durable and easy-to-clean seat fabric
- Sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, providing easy entry and exit
- Mobile charging ports for passengers, including a 12-volt electrical outlet and two USB ports
- Flat "no hump" passenger floor area for more comfortable ride and easy entry and exit
- Independently-controlled, rear air conditioning
- Active carbon-lined headliner to help neutralize interior odors
- Overhead reading lights for passengers and floor lighting to help locate belongings
- Opening side windows

Other notable NV200 taxi features focus on driver comfort, customer satisfaction and the environment:

- A low-annoyance horn with exterior lights that indicate when the vehicle is honking, so the horn is used less frequently
- Hearing Loop System for the hearing impaired
- Driver and passenger intercom system
- A 6-way adjustable driver's seat featuring both recline and lumbar adjustments, even with a partition installed
- Proven 2.0L 4-cylinder powertrain, engineered to enhance the emission performance and fuel efficiency of the taxi fleet
- 150,000-mile powertrain warranty
- Unique driver's seat material and stitching to promote improved airflow
- USB auxiliary audio input and charge port for driver
- Standard navigation system with integrated rearview backup monitor
- All necessary wiring and installation provisions

The NV200 taxi is now on sale at select Nissan dealerships in the greater New York City area. Total manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the vehicle is approximately $29,700.

As read on: http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/releases/new-york-city-sets-start-date-of-april-20-for-taxi-of-tomorrow-with-nissan

Lotz, Ford road project designs 'moving along' in Canton

Canton motorists weary of traffic congestion along Ford Road could get a glimpse as early as February of two projects officials believe will begin to ease the problem.

One project involves a $5 million effort to pave the pothole-riddled section of Lotz Road between Ford and Cherry Hill, giving motorists a north-south option to avoid heavily traveled roads such as Ford and Haggerty.

A second project centers on improvements such as lengthening turn lanes and improving ramps near the I-275/Ford area from Haggerty to Lotz. That comes as a precursor to longer-term effort to possibly convert Ford into a boulevard through much of Canton.

Canton is expected to host a public meeting as early as February to reveal plans for the Lotz paving and the initial phase of Ford Road work from Lotz to Haggerty, Municipal Services Director Tim Faas said.

Canton already has received from Wayne County a $274,015 payment that allowed the township to hire an engineering company, Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc., to design the Lotz Road paving, which Faas said is slated for completion in 2015.

Spalding DeDecker already has completed about 50 percent of the engineering work, Faas said. Lotz will be transformed from a dirt-and-gravel road into a three-lane paved thoroughfare.

Canton has worked with Wayne County on the Lotz Road project, funded through the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Township Supervisor Phil LaJoy said he is encouraged Spalding DeDecker's work is progressing and Wayne County has paid Canton for its role in hiring the engineering company.

"That's very good news," LaJoy said, adding the project "is moving along."

Moreover, Faas said MDOT's design of the initial improvements to Ford Road between Lotz and Haggerty has been 90 percent completed.

Local officials say the projects slated for the upcoming public meeting reflect the beginning of larger efforts, as money is allocated, to address Ford Road traffic congestion that has long troubled local officials and motorists alike.

As read on: http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/canton/2014/12/28/lotz-road-paving-canton/20904637/

2015 Nissan 370Z NISMO Automatic

We have a campaign here at Car and Driver called “Save the Manuals.” Among other things, it involves T-shirts and other festive tchotchkes (get yours today!), fastidious coverage of manual-equipped models whenever they’re offered, and a weekly Name that Shifter contest now on its 200-and-something-th episode. But we’re not unaware of the fact that, for reasons ranging from laziness to benchmark racing, many folks today opt for automatics. Yes, even in performance cars.

That very reality has prompted Nissan to introduce a new self-shifting version of its track-oriented Nissan 370Z NISMO for 2015. This comes as no surprise, as some 60 percent of non-NISMO 370Z buyers choose the optional, paddle-shifted seven-speed automatic. Still, we sort of savored the fact that the NISMO Z’s high-output, 350-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 heretofore was offered only with a pleasingly meaty, six-speed manual transmission. To top it off, that gearbox can make any driver feel like a superhero, thanks to SynchroRev technology that serves up rorty, automatically rev-matched downshifts every single time. So why would anyone want a NISMO Z with a slushbox? We spent a week with just such an example to find out whether any argument could be made in its favor.

BUSTING OUT WITH A QUICKNESS
Well, for one thing, the automatic is quicker. By our measure, the 370Z NISMO automatic shot to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 13.6 at 106 mph, 0.3- and 0.1-second quicker than the last manual-equipped 370Z NISMO we tested. We still haven’t been able to match what appears to have been a particularly quick, non-NISMO 370Z automatic we tested a few years back (and not for lack of trying). Even with 332 horsepower, that car hit 60 in 4.6 seconds and powered through the quarter in 13.1 seconds at 108 mph. It’s also worth noting that the manual-equipped NISMOs haven’t been able to beat their non-NISMO counterparts to 60 mph, either, with the quickest stick-shift Z hitting 60 in 4.8 seconds, 0.3 ahead of the NISMOs. This could be a matter of our NISMO test cars not being sufficiently broken in; this one had just 1500 miles on the odo, and we’ve observed that 370Zs tend to perform better with a few thousand miles on the clock. The NISMOs weigh marginally more, too—84 pounds more in the case of this 3453-pound NISMO-matic. Even considering those factors, it remains a bit puzzling.

Far more important than the numbers, though, is the character of the transmission itself, which leaves us feeling disconnected from the action. Yes, during throttle-blipped downshifts (actuated via the left, column-mounted paddle), the gearbox’s brain is unafraid to send the needle soaring near redline, but the shift quality can feel slurred. Furthermore, the automatic has only two operating modes: drive and manual, with no separate Sport shift setting. While the seven-speed may have impressed us in the standard Z back in 2009, it doesn’t hold a candle to the lightning-quick dual-clutch automatic gearboxes that have since become commonplace in cars like the Porsche Cayman and the Audi TTS. Nor, for that matter, is the Z’s autobox as well sorted as the excellent eight-speed torque-converter units found in, say, the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack and the Chevrolet Corvette.

PARSING THE NUMBERS
By other performance measures, the NISMO Z produces mixed results. The big brakes—with 14.0-inch rotors clamped by four-piston calipers in front, 13.8-inch discs squeezed by two-piston units out back—performed well, halting the car from 70 mph in an impressive 156 feet (matching other Zs we’ve tested), with crisp bite and impressive pedal feel. But a switch to Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires could be partially to blame for a precipitous drop in lateral grip from the 0.99 g of previous NISMOs to 0.92, although different skidpad surfaces (the previous tests were conducted in Michigan) could also have contributed to the delta.

Statistics aside, the NISMO Z’s chassis deserves unqualified praise for its ability to connect the driver to the road, with a tactile ride quality, crisp turn-in, pan-flat body control, and perfectly weighted steering that deserves an honorary degree in communication. This is a car that takes all guesswork out of its direction, position, and grip level in corners, as well as on winding two-lanes such as those that snake through the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles.

Back in L.A.’s legendary congestion, the automatic keeps the driver less busy, of course, although the stiff ride and noisy cabin don’t help the NISMO’s case as a daily driver. Indeed, the slower city speeds give you more time to reflect on the car’s cabin, which is seriously showing its age, no matter how much faux suede and red-stitched leather are wrapped around this or that. Some customers will certainly appreciate the newfound availability of a navigation system, but the dashboard’s presentation of information seems terribly unsophisticated compared to many of its competitors. And the manual seat adjustments, three blanking plates on the center console, and rife hard plastics are uncouth in a loaded, $47,740 car, no matter how ostensibly track-focused it may be. On the other hand, the two things your body contacts the most—the nicely contoured Recaro seats and the faux-suede portions of the steering wheel—are sheer perfection.

Not insignificantly, the NISMO Z looks awesome. Benefitting from a more-thorough exterior freshening than it received just a year before, all 2015 NISMO Zs feature a smooth, ducktail rear spoiler; recontoured fascias; and tasteful red accents along the lower body and the mirrors. Charcoal-color 19-inch Rays wheels and darkened headlamp surrounds add a sinister look to the car without taking it over the top. Happily, last year’s huge exhaust cans remain in their rightful place.

Nissan expects that some 20 percent of 2015 370Z buyers will choose the NISMO model (up from about 10 percent in previous years), with nearly a third of them plunking down the extra $1300 for the automatic. As for us, it’s going to take more than a couple of tenths to win us over.

As read on: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-nissan-370z-nismo-automatic-review

2018 Wrangler engines

With the help of former Jeep engineer Bob Sheaves and others, Allpar has posted an investigation of what Jeep could use to power the domestic 2018 Wrangler, due to arrive sometime in calendar-year 2017.

The choices are tough for the iconic Jeep, America’s heir to the famed military vehicles — which were far smaller and weighed half as much. On the one hand, higher fuel economy is likely to be needed if fuel prices rise, and if the government continues its demands for efficiency (for national security, balance-of-trade, and, ostensibly, for environmental reasons). On the other, the Jeep must still haul around over two tons of weight, while easily climbing difficult obstacles — and it can’t cheap out on torque.

With that in mind, Wrangler is likely to come with at least two engines, one for economy in Jeeps that will not be challenged much by off-road driving; and one for those who will immediately tackle tough terrain. Indeed, given the popularity of the Ram 1500 Diesel and long-time demands of hard-core Jeepers, a diesel might even be in the cards, and Fiat Chrysler has several options there, too.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/2018-wrangler-engines-surprises

2015 Chrysler 300 V-8

Quick! Name an American, rear-drive, V-8–powered, full-size sedan. If you said, “Chrysler 300,” you’re only 15 percent right, because that’s the proportion of 300 buyers who actually opt for the V-8. The rest decide that the V-6 will suffice, a strong indicator that while the model name may be rooted in a high-performance heritage, the car sells mostly on its styling, size, and value. All the same, the V-8 is key to the car’s image so that’s the version we sought out first—in both the 300C and sportier 300S trims—to sample on roads in and around Austin, Texas.

A decade after Ralph Gilles’s design for the 2005 model caused an industry sensation, the 300 has been revamped a second time, with new nose and tail treatments featuring redesigned lights and a 32-percent larger grille, a fresh interior, and an eight-speed automatic operated by a rotary dial on the console. The EPA combined fuel-economy rating goes up 1 mpg to 19 (16/25 mpg city/highway) with the new transmission, the quicker shifting of which Chrysler says will also improve performance even though the engine is unchanged.

The 300 got a thorough redo in 2011, but for 2015 it gets no new sheetmetal, unlike its platform-mate, the Dodge Charger. It does add another trim level, the 300C Platinum. The C, S, and C Platinum all offer the V-8 as an option but the engine is not available on the base Limited, adding a perhaps-unintended layer of meaning to that version’s name.

Checking the option box for the 5.7-liter V-8 costs $3000, which gets you not only the 363-hp Hemi, but also bigger brakes (with dual- rather than single-piston calipers up front and ventilated rather than solid rotors in back) and a 160-mph speedometer. The 300S also gains a decklid spoiler, while C and Platinum trim levels get the paddle shifters that come standard on any S. This year, the V-8 can no longer be paired with all-wheel drive, owing to that combo’s abysmal take rate; evidently, people who already commit $2500 extra for AWD are disinclined to throw another three grand at the lump under the hood.

DIAL A GEAR
Brand president and CEO Al Gardner’s marching orders for Chrysler are to square up more directly against the industry’s volume-sales leaders, including Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota. As Chrysler’s flagship, the 300 still has some near-luxury pretensions, but the sharpened focus gives Dodge precedence as the “performance” brand. This goes some way toward explaining the lack of a U.S.-market SRT8 version. The SRT8 will survive in some foreign markets, but its price point exceeds (and its sales volumes fall far short of) Chrysler’s targets for North America.

A pity perhaps, but mainstream buyers in search of a V-8’s bellowing torque still have the 5.7-liter and its 394 lb-ft to lust after. New mechanical elements are the eight-speed gearbox, electric-assist power steering, and a retuned suspension using aluminum components. Aside from the rotary-dial gear selector much like the one on the Chrysler 200, prominent changes inside include a handsome new steering wheel, a new instrument cluster, and a redesigned center stack. There’s a good division of labor between the 8.4-inch UConnect touch screen and the button interfaces, although we grew frustrated by a radio we couldn’t turn off—the volume can be muted, but it repeatedly reactivated itself without our bidding. Also, the heated-seat controls are buried in the touch-screen menu rather than given dedicated buttons; partially offsetting that annoyance, a seat-heat icon appears on-screen when you first start the car, so you can avoid the irritation if you’re quick.

Supplementing that screen is a new 7.0-inch driver-information display nestled between the tach and speedometer. As long as you’re okay with the dial-a-gear setup, the controls are all easier to figure out and use than in the previous model, even with the added indicators and buttons for the new electronic driver aids, which include adaptive cruise control with full-stop ability, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, forward-collision warning, and brake assist. These are contained in the SafetyTec 2 package, a $1695 option; SafetyTec 1, also at $1695 and required to get SafetyTec 2, brings parking assist, blind-spot and cross-traffic alerts, as well as forward-collision and adaptive cruise.

WHERE THE HEMI MEETS THE ROAD
The first V-8 we drove was a 300C optioned up to $47,170 with all the electronic assists, Touring suspension, and 20-inch wheels wearing 245/45 all-season performance tires. It’s a handsome car in the more traditional Detroit mold with plenty of chrome trim and, as configured, most of the driver-oriented hardware that comes on a 300S, excluding only that version’s tauter suspension. The 300C proved to be a comfortable, relaxed commuter through Austin’s dense urban traffic despite a bit of road noise from the performance-grade rubber; standard 18-inch wheels with touring-grade tires are a better choice for the comfort-seeker.

Once we got out into Texas Hill Country and the winding two-lane roads that make the region a driver’s delight, the latest 300 was eager to demonstrate that, like its predecessors, it can handle much better than you’d ever expect of a 4350-pound four-door. To get the best out of it, turn the gear selector to “S,” which delivers crisper shifts and allows the driver to take full control of the eight gears via the paddles—it lets you bump against the rev limiter rather than shifting itself at redline.

Our complaints of lazy shifting in previous 300s have been addressed, especially with the dial in S. Whether the driver calls for them or lets the transmission think for itself, gearchanges are crisp, taking only 250 microseconds, according to Chrysler, versus 400 for the previous model with its five-speed automatic. The only flaw is that Chrysler’s paddles are small, sharing back-of-the-wheel space with audio-system buttons, making it too easy to change radio stations rather than gears. There’s also a Sport button on the center stack that calls up more-aggressive programs for the throttle and steering response.

Speaking of the latter, Chrysler seems to have done its sums right with the electric-assist steering. You wouldn’t call it communicative, but at its worst the feel is as good as that delivered by the previous hydraulic unit, and sometimes it’s better as full electronic control allows for sharper reflexes when you’re going hard without imposing any burden in parking maneuvers. It’s also adjustable through three settings via the center screen. PLENTY OF GOODS TO BACK UP THE GOODNESS
While the Platinum layers on more luxury, the driver’s choice remains the 300S with the V-8. Our test example had the 300S Premium Group option pack ($3295), including a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, navigation, the big UConnect screen, the SafetyTec 1 features, satellite radio, and so on. Other notable options included a $895 Light Group with self-leveling HID headlamps, SafetyTec 2, and a roof painted black to contrast with the Redline red paint ($1500). Not all of that is essential gear, so it’s clear you can get the driving goodness of the 300S without spending the full $46,275 on this car’s sticker. That’s worth considering because at that price, you’re head-to-head with the Chevrolet SS, which comes fully loaded at its base price and now offers your choice of manual or automatic transmission. Also important, the Chevy is several hundred pounds lighter and a better performer overall.

The Chevy might not interest those into the 300 look and the Hemi heritage, but the keen drivers for whom that car might be an option should know that the tighter suspension in the 300S is worth having—with it, the car took a quicker set into a corner and was less inclined to pitch or roll than was the otherwise similar 300C when the back roads took on the contours of a stormy sea. The 300S’s attendant blacked-out trim and unique grille texture are more matters of taste.

Chrysler kept reminding us that the 300 model name turns 60 years old in 2015, harking back to the original C-300 of 1955. Sixty years ago, its 300 (gross) horsepower was a bunch of power and the C-300 was a bunch of car. It was also an early exemplar of a car company mating luxury and style with performance.

Even with the SRT8 version gone, the 2015 model combines respectable performance, elegant styling, useful technology, and surprising agility at a reasonable price. If it’s the V-8 configuration you want, this may be the time to step up. When FCA finally gets around to a clean-sheet redesign—expected for 2018—the V-8 will probably be even more rare, and more expensive, than it is now.

As read on: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-chrysler-300-v-8-first-drive-review

Ram ProMaster City: First Drive of the Small Commercial Van

The ProMaster City is derived from the Fiat Doblò, but it isn’t just a clone of the Fiat. Different powertrains and suspension changes are among the modifications made to adapt the small van to the preferences and needs of North American buyers. At a recent event in Texas, Bob Hegbloom, Ram CEO, Joe Benson, head of Ram Commercial, and Mike Cairns, Ram Chief Engineer, presented some of the differences and were on hand to answer questions.

First, contrary to what we have seen, the ProMaster City will have the new styling recently unveiled for the Doblò. This improves the appearance, especially from the front.

As Allpar has reported previously, the ProMaster City is not a direct competitor to the Nissan NV200, base-model Ford Transit Connect, or the Chevrolet City Express (which is just an NV200 with a higher price tag). It also doesn’t compete with the base Ford Transit Connect. Based on size, capacity, and capability, the ProMaster’s direct competition is the long wheelbase version of the Transit Connect, which retails for almost the same amount as the ProMaster City.

The ProMaster City has best-in-class cargo capability with a 1,883-pound maximum payload, a new 9-speed transmission, and best-in-class horsepower and torque. It can tow up to 2,000 pounds. It also has a bi-link coil rear suspension, giving the ProMaster City the only true independent rear in its class.

All of these add up to a pretty nice little van.

The ProMaster City is sold in both cargo and passenger (wagon) forms; Nissan and Chevy don’t have a passenger configuration, although Nissan does have a special taxi version. The Transit Connect is available in both van and wagon styles, but there’s a big difference: Ford is marketing the wagon as a family passenger vehicle, a mini-minivan that Ford calls a crossover to avoid the minivan stigma. The ProMaster City passenger van is not marketed to minivan customers, but is intended for commercial use as a shuttle or crew vehicle.

Early the following morning, it was time to take the ProMaster City out for a spin. Ram had provided both cargo and passenger versions and Allpar got a little red wagon to play with. Starting at the W Hotel in downtown Austin, we went out into the morning commuter traffic and immediately got a lot more experience than we wanted in driving the ProMaster in stop-and-go traffic. The small size and nimble handling were a real benefit when it came to changing lanes and the 2.4-liter Tigershark engine and 9-speed transmission worked well together, providing ample power to adjust to traffic and take advantage of opportunities to get around bottlenecks, something that’s important to van drivers with schedules to keep and deliveries to make – and I speak from experience.

Our route took us over city streets, suburban boulevards, county roads and even highways. The ProMaster City was comfortable and easy to drive the entire way.

At one point on our route, I was stopped next to a couple of fellow auto writers in another ProMaster City, and the passenger rolled down his window and challenged me to beat them to the next traffic light. Putting the shifter into manual mode, I am happy to say I shut them down.

The ProMaster City doesn’t provide the press-your-back-into-the-seat acceleration of a Challenger, or even a properly equipped Dart, but it does get up and go. I can think of a couple of medical labs and at least one blood bank that would appreciate that.

The rear suspension is a treat. Unloaded vans have light rear ends and they do tend to hop on poor pavement, but the ProMaster City was surefooted, even on a gravel road. A couple of the vans had 600-pound payloads on pallets in the back, and they were also well controlled and responsive. I took one of those through an obstacle course set up at our destination, the Troublemaker Studios in East Austin.

Cab comfort and convenience are important to a driver who might spend hours each day behind the wheel, and the ProMaster City doesn’t disappoint.

Entry and exit from the cabin is easy and effortless: no climbing involved. The seat is comfortable and the controls are intelligently laid out. There are also plenty of spaces for paperwork and small items that might be needed during the day.

As commercial vehicles, both the ProMaster City van and wagon aren’t long on frills; their target market doesn’t want them and isn’t going to pay for them. But the basics are covered: A/C is standard, the front seats have adjustable backs, the steering wheel is adjustable, and there’s an AM/FM radio. Uconnect (cellphone control) is an option, as is cruise control, though there’s really no reason for standard cruise control on this type of vehicle; the driver would almost never use it. One option that might get some traction is a rearview camera, but the mirrors on the ProMaster City do a pretty good job in aiding backing up the van.

The one area that may be an issue is the rear seating in the wagon: Unless the driver is fairly short, rear seat passengers are going to be a bit cramped and the seat back angle isn’t quite as comfortable as it should be. The seat really needs to be about three inches farther back if a driver wants his passengers to think kindly of him at the end of the trip.

According to Ram, the seat positioning enables the ProMaster City wagon to offer gobs of luggage, tool or cargo space, but the small amount of additional room a more comfortable rear seat would require wouldn’t have that much impact on the load space.

It’s my belief that no Chrysler (FCA US LLC) vehicle should ever be released unless Klaus Busse can sit comfortably in the back seat. At 6’7”, Busse is the ideal template for passenger space.

As mentioned earlier, Ram had set up an obstacle course at Troublemaker Studios. There were tight curves, a skid pad and other challenges. The ProMaster City had no trouble with any of these, including a panic stop on the skid pad.

Sales of small commercial vans are a niche. Through the end of November, total sales within the segment came to 50,071, with the well-established Ford Transit Connect taking the lion’s share of the action. It remains to be seen whether strong entries like the ProMaster City can grow the market by persuading van buyers to downsize, especially at today’s gas prices.

Ram has done its homework. The ProMaster City is a very good base and Ram has been working with aftermarket suppliers to develop commercial interiors with shelves, bins and other vocational necessities for a variety of applications.

After all was said and done, our day with the Ram ProMaster City was a day well spent with a dandy little van.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/reviews/15/pre-pmc.html

Jeep Compass mysteries

New mysteries are appearing around the next Jeep Compass, which one source claimed would be produced in Toluca, Mexico, rather than its home of Belvidere, Illinois.

Another source said that, rather than being a CUSW car like the new Cherokee, it would be based on the Jeep Renegade. This is on the same platform as the Fiat 500X, which allowed Fiat to put in more engineering time for both vehicles — but many changes were made to allow Renegade Trailhawk to have the torsional rigidity and clearance needed for the Jeep nameplate.

Either body could be justified as a choice, and in both cases, Jeep was able to overcome many of the problems of using a car platform for off-road use. Renegade did disappoint many by not laying a claim to crossing the Rubicon trail, or Chrysler’s replication of it; Compass might or might not be able to do this. Cherokee has, according to both official and unofficial sources, passed this bar.

The new Compass, regardless of underpinnings, is expected to be a four cylinder only vehicle, most likely with a nine-speed automatic in the United States, and Grand Cherokee-like styling (echoing the current model, shown above). We believe it will use the 2.0 liter Hurricane engine, most likely as an option, along with the current 2.4 four-cylinder. For markets outside the United States, the usual insanely wide range of Fiat engines is expected — Brazilian engines based on the old Neon 2.0, MultiJet diesels, and the 1.4 and 1.4 turbo Fiat gasoline motors.

At this time, Allpar has no firm indication of Compass’ platform or factory location. The launch appears to be around two years away.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/jeep-compass-mysteries

$2 Gas Is Back! Is That Good?

If you've been to a gas station in recent weeks, you know that fuel prices are low -- crazy low. That seems like a good thing, but is it?

Yes and no.

According to AAA, today's price for a gallon of unleaded regular averages $2.67. In some parts of the country, you can find it for $2.50, and even cheaper at discount stations. This time last month, the price was nearly 30 cents higher ($2.94), and a year ago, it was more than 75 cents higher ($3.27).

So, what's the deal? There are a range of factors keeping fuel prices low, but two stick out:

1. We're in the middle of "winter gas" season. "Winter gas" -- technically, just "gas" -- is easier to produce than "summer gas", which is required by law to contain more additives so that it burns more cleanly and efficiently in hot weather. That makes winter gas comparatively cheap, but that's just part of the explanation for today's low fuel prices.

When refineries switch from one type of gas to the other, they scale back on the outgoing version to ensure that they can sell all of the inventory they have. Those slowdowns in production cause artificial shortages, which cause prices to spike -- usually around May and September. Now, in December, we're well into the cheaper winter gas season, and the summer gas changeover is a long way off, so prices are very low.

2. Oil production in the U.S. is booming. Thanks to new extraction techniques, the U.S. is experiencing a golden age of oil production. While we still depend on imported oil for some of our supply, the country now produces enough gas and diesel to be a net exporter.

That sounds like good news -- and it is for some. For others, not so much.

WINNERS
Those who stand to benefit the most from low oil and gas prices are:
Consumers: As the U.S. economy continues to improve, inflation has begun creeping upward. Unfortunately, U.S. wages aren't keeping pace, meaning that the money workers earn doesn't go as far as it might. Low fuel prices give consumers a break, allowing them to focus their spending on food, mortgages, education, and the like. Some argue that cheap gas also slows auto sales by allowing owners of gas-guzzlers to keep their rides a bit longer, though there are people who disagree with that, including...

Makers of trucks and SUVs: Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and other makers of pickup trucks and large SUVs are doing bang-up business these days. That's in part because the truck-loving construction sector is humming along, but also because consumers aren't put off by the lackluster fuel economy most pickups and SUVs earn. (Though it bears mentioning that more fuel-efficient, car-based crossovers are also selling like hotcakes.)

LOSERS
Not everyone is happy about cheap gas, though:
Oil-producing states and countries: States that depends on oil for their revenue -- either from producing the stuff or refining it -- now find themselves in a bind. Soon, they're likely to be forced to make painful budget cuts, trimming funds for schools, hospitals, and other important community resources. Farther afield, in countries that derive most of their income from oil, the situation is much worse. If things don't change, low oil prices could destabilize entire nations, leading to humanitarian crises, mass emigrations, and in extreme cases, terrorism.

Eco-advocates: Campaigns for reduced auto pollution and greenhouse gas emissions work best when gas prices are on the upswing. With fuel prices so low, there's little incentive for consumers to shell out the extra dough needed to buy hybrids like the Toyota Prius, much less all-electric models like the Tesla Model S.

Automakers: The Environmental Protection Agency has set strict guidelines on fuel economy and auto emissions leading up to the year 2025, and automakers are working hard to create fleets that can meet those standards. All that new technology comes at a premium, though, and low fuel prices mean that customers may be more inclined to shell out for less fuel-efficient models while they can. (Then again, who knows?)

Mother Nature: Low fuel prices typically translate into upticks in travel, meaning greater auto emissions. That means more air pollution and more greenhouse gases, which at the very least make breathing more difficult and at worst, increase global warming.

WILL THESE PRICES STICK AROUND?
Like it or not, fuel prices aren't likely to stay this low for long. Even if OPEC changes its mind and decides to scale back production, sending crude prices higher, we'll soon reach the changeover to "summer gas", which should cause prices at the pump to climb.

In other words: get now while the getting is good.

As read on: http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1095806_2-gas-is-back-is-that-good/page-2

How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots

For the past few years, various carmakers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars’ side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published a paper in 1995 suggesting how outside mirrors could be adjusted to eliminate blind spots. The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car’s blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.

The only problem is getting used to the SAE-recommended mirror positions. The cabin’s rearview mirror is used to keep an eye on what is coming up from behind, while the outside mirrors reflect the area outside the view of the inside rearview mirror.

Those who have switched to the SAE’s approach swear by it, however, some drivers can’t adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. To them we say, “Have fun filling out those accident reports.”

As read on: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

Two Chrysler engines in Ward’s Top Ten

This year’s winners of the prestigious Ward’s Top Ten were (in alphabetical order) the BMW 5-series electric motor, the Corvette Stingray’s 6.2 liter V8, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat V8, the Ford Fiesta three-cylinder, one-liter turbo, Hyundai Tuscon fuel cell vehicle, Mini Cooper 1.5 turbo three cylinder, the Ram 3-liter VM diesel, Subaru WRX four-cylinder turbo, VW Golf 1.8 liter turbo four, and Volvo S60 with a four cylinder turbo.

Chrysler was the only company to have two engines on the list, though one of them was made by Fiat’s VM.

Ward’s noted that most of the 37 engines proposed for their top ten award were turbocharged fours, with just a handful of naturally aspirated V6 powerplants. There were five diesels in the competition, down from six. Four electrics were included, and three V8s, and three supercharged, two hybrids, three V8s, a fuel cell, and a scattering of other engine types.

On the Hellcat, Tom Murphy said: “Despite brute force, you drive it, not the other way around… it was life-changing, that much torque… crept in under the price cap by $5, that’s with the gas guzzler.” It may have been the first vehicle to make the list despite a gas guzzler tax. They noted it was extremely quiet.

The Ram diesel V6 was “stout-hearted, sturdy… cold starts are no problem.” They praised its technology and quietness. “The real story is diesels in the light duty pickups.” They said the diesel had a 20% share though it has a high price premium. “They dealt with the NVH [noise/vibration/harshness] issues.”

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/two-mopar-engines-in-wards-top-ten

2015 Nissan Juke

I didn't always like the Nissan Juke. When it launched in 2010, I just couldn't get over the way it looked – it came across as super weird, and kind of hideous at first blush. But I slowly warmed up to the funky little crossover/hatchback/thing, and after spending some time behind the wheel, I really learned to love Nissan's small wonder. It's a genuine hoot to drive, offering hot hatch-like thrills in a package that doesn't look like anything else on the road. The Nismo and RS models that followed only increased my ardor for the turbocharged Juke, and now, I find myself smiling whenever I see one of these little guys bombing down the road.

Going into 2015, Nissan hasn't really made major changes, but there are a host of smaller improvements on hand to make it a more well-rounded vehicle than ever before. And to up the funk factor for the new year, there are a slew of customization options now available to customers through the Juke Color Studio – for better or worse

Following my first drive of the third-generation Nissan Murano in Napa Valley, I took the refreshed Juke for a spin to see if the 2015 model year improvements still make for a car that's good to drive and easy to use, while bursting with the same personality that slowly won me over in the first place.

Drive Notes
- Powering the Juke is the same turbocharged, 1.6-liter inline-four as last year, with 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque on tap. I've always liked this engine – it's punchy and feels good when being worked via the 2014 model's six-speed manual transmission. There's lots of power down low, with a nice bit of boost mid-range through each gear. Altering the drive modes between Normal and Sport heighten this, and honestly, the turbo/manual setup in this front-wheel-drive Juke was kind of hilarious – a real treat.

- Sadly, Nissan will no longer offer the manual transmission on non-Nismo Juke models for 2015, so you're stuck with the continuously variable transmission. Bummer. In sport mode, the usually good Xtronic CVT tends to rev high and hold itself there – a tendency of older such transmissions that's seriously off-putting, especially for enthusiasts.

- Still, the Juke is available with a choice of either front- or all-wheel drive. The FWD Juke is fun, offering decent amounts of grip with a hint of predictable understeer. But I've always liked the four-season factor of the AWD Juke. I've never driven the high-riding hatch in the snow, but I imagine with the proper tires, this thing would be excellent.

- The rest of the driving aspects haven't changed since the last time I left the Juke. The steering is nicely weighted and direct, the brakes feel a little mushy on first application but offer plenty of pedal feel after that, and the whole thing blasts down the road with a sort of fun that not many other small crossovers can match.

- What has changed about the Juke for 2015 is its styling, though I won't fault you for not being able to immediately spot the differences. Up front, the already busy schnoz has been slightly redesigned, with reshaped turn signals (the top tier of lights), and new projector-beam headlamps worked into their middle-tier housings. The side indicators have moved to the mirrors, where they have an angular shape to mimic the lamps out front and the swoopy taillamps around back. And finally, some new colors are available, including the Solar Yellow you see here, not to mention all of the odd choices on tap in the aforementioned Color Studio.

- Inside, it's more of the same – no big change here, aside from the addition of some NissanConnect tech and the inclusion of the company's excellent Around View Monitor. Cloth and leather seating surfaces are available, with glossy silver or red trim on the doors and transmission tunnel. (Side note: the red gloss on this test car matched with the yellow exterior paint created a sort of ketchup and mustard theme that I wouldn't recommend unless you're a hot dog enthusiast.)

Nissan's pricing for the 2015 Juke remains competitive, with the front-wheel-drive S starting at $20,250, not including $825 for destination. This represents an increase of $1,080 versus the 2014 model (the destination charge has increased by $15, too), but Nissan points out that the '15 Juke comes standard with a lot more kit, including a backup camera, Intelligent Key with pushbutton start, Bluetooth and more. Given its tiny size, the Juke has never felt inexpensive, but the price increase for such popular equipment seems fair to me, and with the new customization options on deck for 2015, it feels like Nissan's funky hatch is getting even more so – and judging by the model's continued strong sales, that's no bad thing.

As read on: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/10/2015-nissan-juke-quick-spin-review/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016

2015 Nissan Murano: First Drive

As we’re getting acquainted with the 2015 Nissan Murano for the first time, it’s eye-opening to note all that this mid-size crossover doesn’t have: There are no multiple drive modes here, no variable steering assist settings, and no steering-wheel shift paddles, no low range or towing mode either.

This is a vehicle that’s easy to figure out. You get in, and the driving interface is what most people are used to, yet with just the right gloss, gleam, blanketing, and buffeting.

And yet on the outside, it’s gloriously complex. It’s as much a rolling sculpture as some sports cars, and you’re turning heads, every step of the way. The Murano really is that good-looking—and something refreshingly different next to the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Edge, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

That aside, for the moment, the 2015 Nissan Murano feels like it was cleverly reverse-engineered to be exactly what it needed to be—stylish, comfortable, quiet transportation for empty-nesters, with plenty of capability to bring friends along.

There’s a lot more than a grain of truth to that. The second-generation Murano, which made its debut in 2009, never lived up to the sales numbers of the first-gen model—although in all fairness, the recession may have been more to blame.

Nevertheless, Nissan reached out to existing owners of the Murano and asked them what they wanted a future Murano to be. From that, “Provocative, Premium, Optimistic,” was the theme used to sum up the feedback. Owners wanted, above all, a vehicle that was visually striking yet sophisticated.

Straightforward in its mission, stunning in its presentation

And they sure did get it with the 2015 Nissan Murano. What makes this one of the most noteworthy new vehicles of the year from an otherwise straightforward, predictable template is the absolutely stunning exterior of this crossover.

In profile, in stance, and in the exterior details, the Murano follows very closely in the steps of the Resonance Concept that was shown at the Detroit Auto Show less than two years ago. And we can actually say we like the production car better, for its synergies in some of the design details, in the ‘boomerang’ design of the headlights and taillights, the ‘V-motion’ grille and hood sculpting, and in how the arched flare above its front wheelwell is echoed over the rear wheels, where the beltline pinches upward toward the ‘floating’ roofline in one of the most distinctive design cues.

The overall result is a vehicle that plays a multitude of visual tricks—appearing lower and far more sport-wagon-like than its predecessor. It’s unlike any other crossover, whether with a luxury badge or a mainstream one.

Murano owners wanted a vehicle that was even more daring in appearance, without giving up comfort. And they wanted even more refinement and features inside—with an interior that they could happily use to take other couples out on a date, or for a weekend-afternoon trip to Wine Country, for instance.

‘Jet Age’ interior inspiration—and no woodgrain, thank you

So Nissan reached out for something new, and sculpted the interior after the early jet age of the 1960s, “when travelers were pampered with luxury and flew with style,” elucidated Ken Lee, the senior creative manager with Nissan Design America, where the Murano was designed.

In short, we love the result. The wraparound look doesn’t limit interior space, and there are plenty of fresh details. For instance, there’s no woodgrain anywhere inside—no fake woodgrain either. Instead, there’s a brushed-metal style trim used for the interior beltline and door and console inserts; but even better, we’d choose the light-colored material that looks a bit like Mid Century Modern linoleum.

All the while, there’s a simple layout to the interior. Nissan has reduced the number of physical buttons from 25 down to 10, but used them where they make sense—like for the climate control—and there’s a straightforward infotainment system that responds well to navigation and infotainment needs.

In California’s Napa Valley region, during the #rainpocalypse this past week, we piloted several different front- and all-wheel drive versions of the Murano, finding it confident and surefooted—and perhaps more notably, finding the interior sublimely quiet and isolated from the gales and pouring rain.

Familiar goods under the hood

The Murano doesn’t have anything groundbreaking under the hood, but its familiar 3.5-liter V-6, making 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, feels quick, smooth, and relatively responsive with the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which is essentially a version of what’s used in the Pathfinder.

The Murano also doesn’t have the issue that affects a lot of its other CVT-equipped vehicles—sluggishness at lower speeds when you need a quick burst of power. Thanks to plentiful low-rev torque from this engine, it gathers speed quickly as the CVT lowers the ratio. And if you accelerate at more than half throttle (but not quite full throttle) you’ll find the transmission now follows some pronounced ‘gears’ along the way—as part of a so-called ‘D-step’ strategy.

The way the Murano rides and handles is very carlike, and much like that of a large sedan—albeit maybe with a little more body lean. The electrohydraulic rack-and-pinion steering has a good, relaxed feel on center, and it loads up nicely. One thing to keep in mind is that models with the 18-inch wheels handle just as well as those with the 20-inch wheels—except for a slight bit more precision in quick transitions. With the larger wheels, you do introduce more road harshness as well.

Composed ride, comfortable seats, conversation alley

In any case, the ride is composed and very comfortable. So is the seating, which has been conceived to be just as accommodating to those in back as in front. The so-called Zero Gravity design—for more back support—not only applies to the front seats but to the outboard seats in back. And while the front seats didn’t entirely win us over, those back seats we’d venture to say are best-in-class.

With a wide center console and those impressive seats, Nissan terms the middle area of the vehicle conversation alley; considering the quiet interior, you should have no problem catching up with back-seat passengers while cruising along.

Thanks to reduced weight and improved aerodynamics, the Murano is about 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the outgoing model, Nissan says. That leads to new EPA ratings of 20 mpg city, 28 highway for the entire model line—and our 24-mpg average over a mix of road conditions suggests you might see about that or better in real-world driving.

The Murano has always fit into a different place in the market than most of Nissan’s other vehicles. Like the Maxima, it’s more of a gateway to luxury-brand models; and in its best-equipped models, it’s a full-fledged luxury vehicle in all but the badge.

Top-of-the-line Platinum breaks into luxury territory

This year that’s underscored with the introduction of a new, top-of-the-line Platinum model that adds things like ventilated front seats, heated back seats, LED headlamps, and power-folding rear seatbacks. Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert is included, and on the Platinum and the next-highest SL you can opt for a Tech Package that adds Blind Spot Warning, Forward Emergency Braking, and Predictive Forward Collision Warning.

How does the Murano add up for value? That’s one we’re still pondering. In all, the top Murano SL and Platinum models feel like true rivals to the Lexus RX 350 or Acura MDX. But at about $46k for a loaded Platinum they’re not priced much higher.

We tend to think that the Murano S and SV models, with their low-to-mid-30s price tags, offer the strongest value of the lineup. That’s where you can actually stop focusing on what the Murano doesn’t have and instead relish what it does have: stunning good looks, an ease about the driving experience, and a true four-adult interior that might just remind you how much fun road-tripping can be.

As read on: http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1095800_2015-nissan-murano-first-drive

US fuel economy average down for the first time in four years

It's almost impossible not to notice that it's a lot cheaper to fill up at the gas station in the latter portion of this year. As of December 1, the US Energy Information Administration said the average cost of a gallon of gas was $2.778, down almost 50 cents from a year ago. In general, fuel prices have been on the decline for much of 2014, and the effects have started showing themselves with people seemingly more willing to buy lower efficiency vehicles.

The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in November was 24.8 miles per gallon, according to the Wards Auto Fuel Economy Index. That was down 0.1 percent from November 2013. While a tenth of a percent was hardly a mammoth change, it still represented the first decrease in the figure in the last four years. Wards Auto said that improvements have been diminishing over the past six months, but this was the first actual decline.

That statistic also represents just one month. Through the first 11 months of the year, the index shows an average of 25.1 mpg, a 1.8 percent improvement over 2013.

Gas prices in the US have been predicted to fall since last year, in part because people were buying more fuel-efficient vehicles. However, this much of a decline was bit of a surprise. At least one expert earlier in 2014 thought it would take a financial collapse to get the average below $3.00. However, a fight in the OPEC cartel over which country would reduce production first has also been also a contributing factor in making gasoline cheaper.

The effects of the price drop are showing themselves beyond just Wards' index. Sales of hybrids and EVs are down about 5 percent for the year. That comes while SUVs and pickups are up around 20 percent.

As read on: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/05/us-fuel-economy-average-down-for-the-first-time-in-four-years/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016

Fitting 8 speeds into Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is one of two vehicles still being built with Mercedes' five-speed automatic (made by Chrysler in Indiana). The reason for that, according to Allpar sources, is the length of the ZF eight-speed which would be much better for Wrangler: it may fit into the Unlimited, but it won't fit into the standard Wrangler.

Even when the next-generation "JL" Wrangler arrives, that transmission will be too long, as it's made now. Yet, Automotive News and Allpar have both heard that the iconic Jeep will indeed have the eight-speed, which is practically mandatory if one wants to get the most out of the Pentastar V6 engine - especially if the Wrangler drops down to the 3.2 liter version, as we expect.

The solution may be to carefully alter the transmission and transfer case, according to former Jeep engineer, and current engineer-at-large, Robert Sheaves. See his illustrated article to learn more about how the eight-speed can be shoe-horned into even short-wheelbase Wranglers.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/fitting-8-speeds-into-wrangler

Grand Cherokee diesel on the road

While it’s been neglected by most people in favor of the Ram 1500 diesel, the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel was the first Chrysler vehicle sold in North America to have the VM 3.0 V6 engine.  We tested this briefly at a Chelsea, Michigan test track, and found it to be instantly responsive, more so than the Hemi — which has far better acceleration numbers, but doesn’t respond quite as quickly to the throttle.


Chrysler has dabbled in diesels as a non-hybrid solution to large fuel-economy boosts, but applications have been limited so far partly due to cheap gasoline and high premiums for diesel engines. The diesel, which uses compression rather than spark to ignite fuel, is much more expensive to build, partly due to the extremely high pressures involved, and partly because of the need to control small particles in the exhaust which have been reliably and consistently linked to cancer. The current popular methods of dealing with emissions controls are diesel emissions fluid (DEF) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).

The company may be able to add more diesels soon, if the next generation VM and Fiat four cylinders prove to be suitable. A Fiat 3-liter four-cylinder is due to appear soon on the ProMaster van, for example, though this has been deemed unsuitable for “civilian” cars.

Allpar has added a second Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel test, by Daniel Bennett, to our existing Bill Cawthon road test. The article also includes an analysis of the payback time. It’s worth noting that diesels tend to have less of a fuel economy reduction when towing or carrying heavy loads than gasoline engines.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/grand-cherokee-diesel-on-the-road

80 mph speed limit for Christmas?

The commonly accepted speed on many rural Michigan interstates under normal, uncongested road conditions is at least 80 mph. This is the speed most of our cars are made to move on such roads under ideal conditions. And it is the speed most of us drive, despite the white signs routinely commanding 10 mph slower.

Drive east on I-96 out of Lansing at 70 mph for a half hour on a nice sunny day with light traffic and you will be swiftly passed by just about every passenger car on the road, including both the police and metro-Detroit area lawmakers heading home.

Making the law conform to the obvious fact of how most of us live our lives is the intent of legislation that may yet pass this month during the lame-duck session of the Michigan Legislature. The proposal would give the Michigan State Police and MDOT the power to set speed limits at 80 mph on many roads where most of us are comfortable driving this fast.

Both the MSP and the traffic geeks at MDOT were supportive of the concept when Republican State Sen. Rick Jones - a former police officer - introduced a similar version of the proposal this spring. When the cops want silly speed laws changed, and most of us seem to be driving as if we want them changed as well, it would seem an easy decision for lawmakers. But it hasn’t happened yet.

It takes a lawyer to explain when common sense isn’t winning.

“This package of bills is horrific,” wrote auto accident attorney Steven Gursten, in an April blog post denouncing the previous version of the 80 mph concept.

“Speed kills,” the counselor-busybody assures us three times before predicting a hike in road carnage that isn’t worth it just “so people can get to Starbucks, the mall or the office a few seconds quicker.”

His choice of examples is revealing. Both shopping malls and Starbucks locations are obviously and disproportionately placed in areas with dense population, thus not as likely to be on the “rural” interstates where the higher proposed speed limit would apply. And if you’re headed to the office, particularly in a densely populated area, then it’s probably during a very congested and horribly misnamed “rush” hour wherein everybody’s barely moving at all.

But leaving that aside, “speed” doesn’t kill. If it did, we’d already be dead. Remember: The proposal gives traffic experts the authority to move legal speed limits up to the level where most of us have already been traveling. The MSP reports that using this “85th percentile rule” properly can produce subtle but very positive changes to traffic flow: While average speeds don’t change, faster drivers slow down and slower drivers speed up.

What speed really does is makes our lives longer and richer, rather than shorter. If that were not true, we’d slow our cars down to 60 mph, or 40, or discard them entirely as too dangerous.

You’ll add more than a half hour back to your life each week if a 60 mile round trip daily commute is done at 80 mph rather than 70 mph.

Six hours is saved on a drive from Michigan to Disney World and back if the average rate of travel (including food and gas stops) is a bit more than 60 mph rather than 50 mph. Combined for a family of four, that’s a 24 hour day saved.

A lack of speed really would kill, slowly but surely, precious hours we cannot recover if the wrong people can make us do without it.

As read on: http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/12/ken_braun_lame_duck_lawmakers.html

Hellcat options (with prices)

The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat follows the expected SRT form, coming with a long list of standard features inside and out. There aren’t all that many options for buyers, since the $62,295 car includes everything that you need to love every single second of driving the 2015 Charger Hellcat, including heated leather seats and a high end infotainment system. Still, you can add some unique features to make your car different from the other examples of the world’s most powerful production sedan.

First off, the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat MSRP of $62,295 does not include the $1,700 gas guzzler tax or the $995 destination fee, which combine to bring the base price of the 707hp Charger to $64,990. In theory, that is the least that you can expect to pay when buying a Hellcat Charger from your local dealership before you get to cashing in favors or haggling.

The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat has seven standard (no cost) exterior colors and three premium colors that add $500 to the final price. The “free” colors are Billet Silver, Bright White, Granite Crystal, Jazz Blue, Pitch Black, TorRed, and B5 Blue, while the colors that will run you an extra half grand include Ivory White Tri-Coat Pearl, Phantom Black Tri-coat Pearl, and Redline Tri-Coat Pearl.

All Hellcat Chargers come with the same lightweight wheel design, but those who want the Brass Monkey Bronze wheels can go that direction for $395 and to wrap those gorgeous wheels in 3-season performance tires will set you back another $195. Finally, if you want the black roof treatment, you can go that route for an additional $1,500.

On the inside, the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat can be compared to a high end luxury car, with standard leather SRT performance seats with Alcantara inserts in black or bright red and black. Those who want a more luxurious look and feel can opt for a Laguna leather package in either black or sepia and black, for $1,795, while bright red seat belts can be added for $95 to brighten things up.

The Hellcat Charger comes with an impressive standard infotainment system, including the elaborate SRT Pages, but adding navigation runs an extra $695, and if you want a state of the art Harmon Kardon sound system connected to the infotainment system, that will add $1,995 to the bottom line. Lovers of the clear blue sky can add a sunroof to their Hellcat Charger for $1,195.

While you can drive off of the lot with an incredible super sedan for $64,990, adding every option to the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat brings the price to $71,855 (Phantom Black Tri-coat Pearl paint, Brass Monkey wheels, 3-season tires, Laguna leather, red seats and seat belts, navigation, Harmon Kardon sound system, and sunroof, with gas-guzzler tax and destination fee). Oh, and ther’s also a black roof treatment, which would bring the price up to $73,355.

These are preliminary prices, which could change before the 2015 Charger SRT Hellcat arrives early next year, but these figures should be accurate enough to let those planning to buy a 707hp Mopar sedan figure out how much they will be spending to own the world’s most powerful mass-production sedan.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/hellcat-options-with-prices

Can You Really Drive a Nissan GT-R Every Day?

That's the million - err, $100,000 question isn't it? Can you really drive a Nissan GT-R every day? You know, to the grocery store, to pick up the kids from school, to grab a burrito? I wanted to find out, so Nissan gave me a brand-new, 2015 GT-R to drive around every day for a week.

With any GT-R, the initial impression is pretty clear — it's big, it's comfortable, and it will give you neck problems if you push on the gas hard enough. The thing is blisteringly fast from a standstill. Even at higher speeds, the 3.8-liter V6 pushes it more than I was even willing to.

But forget that impressive power. Forget the 0-60 time. Forget the torque meter and the lap timer. Is the Nissan GT-R really an "everyday supercar" as most people claim? I wanted to find out for myself.

Acquiring Socks

I had to go buy socks. Normally that's a pretty easy thing to do. Go to the store. Park as close as possible. Acquire socks. Exit quickly. But I'm driving a $100,000 supercar. That means I had to park pretty darn far for these socks.

It's not so much that the GT-R won't fit in normal parking spots, or navigate through parking lots. Even when parked out of every possible human being's way you still expect to walk out and see a giant scratch or dent. Or some a-hole leaning up against it taking pictures. So much anxiety.

And then the gym. I watched it through the window in-between sets.

Mission: Fast Food

Americans love getting fast food. So for the sake of science, I planned to make a quick drive-thru run in the Nissan. But as I pulled up to the entrance, those daunting curbs, that sharp corner, that tall window; I gave up. I went to Chipotle down the street instead.

I felt ashamed. Mostly because of the idea of fast food, but also because I didn't have enough confidence in myself to make it into that tight space. I just didn't want to risk a scratch or ding to the rim. Mission: Failed.

To the Park

My initial plan was to get my 17-pound shitzu, and strap her in the passenger seat. Then I remembered that I don't want Nissan to hate me, so I didn't do that. Instead, I drove the park sans shitzu to meditate on the spirit of the GT-R/play on the playground. It was quite lovely, actually.

Lo and behold, the GT-R doesn't have a problem parking in some grassy areas. Again, as long as your park it as far away as humanly possible. I didn’t hoon it, Nissan, I promise.

Junk in the Trunk

The GT-R is a big car, which is sort of weird when you look at the rest of Japanese car culture. It's got American-sized, comfy leather seats, a back seat fit for amputees, and a ginormous trunk. Ginormagantuan.

I managed to fit a fold up tent, a fold up chair, and a pack of beer in the back with some room to spare. I mean, it took some finagling, but they all fit pretty snuggly. Not bad considering most other supercars in this price range don't have that much room to boot.

Tongue-in-cheek review aside, I sincerely think you can drive a Nissan GT-R every day. To an extent. Unlike Jalopnik's Doug DeMuro - who did a similar review with his Ferrari 360 - the GT-R is actually a more practical choice, for about the same price. Go figure. It drives easy, it gets decent enough mpg (16 city/23 highway), and if you take some Xanax you should be fine with leaving it out in public. Just make sure to take her out to her natural habitat - a track - every once in a while.

8/10, would drive every day again.

As read on: http://news.boldride.com/2014/11/nissan-gt-r-review/63113/

Esquire: Ram top truck

Esquire magazine has named the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, America’s most fuel-efficient pickup, its Truck of the Year, considering efficiency, functionality, versatility, safety, value, and style.

The Ram 1500 diesel earned a 28 mpg rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the best highway-cycle test result ever achieved by a full-size, half-ton pickup — and exceeded the highway rating for the top-ranked small pickup. The previous half-ton fuel efficiency record had been set by the Ram 1500 V-6, at 25 mpg highway.

“This is where the truck tide turns: a full-sized American pickup with a just-big-enough diesel V-6—the only one of its kind,” Esquire magazine noted. “You get the fuel economy of a small engine, the pulling power of a larger one and the grumble of a working-class diesel.”

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/12/esquire-ram-top-truck

2014-2015 Ram Heavy Duty Pickups: 2500 and 3500

The new pickups will maintain their class-leading maximum tow rating of 30,000 pounds, backed by SAE J2807 testing criteria. Ram is the only maker of three-quarter and one-ton pickups to use the SAE standard testing system. Unlike its domestic competitors, Ram does not remove its spare tire, radio, console, or bumper to bolster its payload figures. Ram claims to have the greatest towing, payload, and power in the segment.

The Ram 3500 pickup with the 6.4 liter Hemi V8 engine gained 100 pounds in its gross vehicle weight, and is now weighing in at 13,800 pounds, including radio, console, and bumpers.

There are three versions of the Cummins diesel engine, calibrated to match the limits of their transmissions — including the only remaining manual heavy-duty-pickup transmission in America. Every 2015 heavy duty Ram pickup has a six speed transmission.

The Ram 3500 continues to use a rear Hotchkiss leaf spring system, but will, with late availability, have a supplemental air suspension system which allowed softer leaf springs — allowing for more unladed suspension movement, even with a 30,000-lb. trailer.

2015 rams

Ram heavy duty trucks have a five year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, extended oil change interval (15,000 miles on diesels), the largest brakes in the segment, and a diesel exhaust brake. The full truck is covered by a five year, 36,000 mile warranty.


The 2014 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 pickups both get a new 6.4 liter V8 engine producing 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque.

SRT cars use a 6.4 liter Hemi rated at 470 horsepower; the truck engine, though, was designed for long-term durability under heavier constant load conditions. It includes an active runner intake, for both low end torque and high end power, and has best in class power ratings.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/2014-heavy-duty.html

2015 Indian Scout – Road Test Review

A motorcycle is never just a motorcycle, and the all-new 2015 Indian Scout takes that truth to its extreme. The Sturgis Rally started 74 years ago, during the last moments of the original-lineage Indian Scout’s production. This year, after waiting nearly all of those seven decades, the rally was reunited with this sporty old friend. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? But it’s complicated.

Until last year, the mud and clay and gravel the Indian name has been dragged through for fully half of its history had been caked on thickly. Polaris, Indian’s newest owner, has done an excellent job of hosing the brand clean and giving it the fresh start it deserved. The Chief and its Chiefy siblings did that by being a new old that’s an updated reflection of the last Springfield design, using a flat-head look for its fully modern air-/oil-cooled, pushrod, OHV, 49-degree V-twin engine, with those big fenders and much chrome. But it’s not news that heritage American iron is a hot seller.

Taking a bolder route, the new Scout desires to be the potential future of a past that never happened, looking for an acceptable narrative to span back to the bike’s far-off beginnings. So does this Scout convincingly carry the Indian heritage forward, and is it functionally a motorcycle you’d want to ride?

The Scout is a modern interpretation of how the evolution of the American V-twin might have gone, without following the calculated semi-Luddite lead of the Chief. The Scout gives a modern answer to this historical question, trying to be what it would be if the model had evolved organically without interruption. There are a thousand answers to this proposition, and all of them are colored by romance, desire, and longing. So don’t insist that Indian’s answer is right or wrong; this Scout is a modern cruiser, its chassis a refraction through the lens of history, its engine a nod to modern times, its EFI for the EPA, all topped off with a damn nice old-school seat.

We’re here to tell you the bike feels good, and a primary part of this is the 69ci (1,133cc), liquid-cooled, 60-degree, V-twin engine that uses chain-driven DOHC and four valves per cylinder fed by a single 60mm throttle body. It’s a semi-dry sump design with a 9,000-rpm redline. High-ish 10.7:1 compression makes it hungry for high-test. The Scout produced 86 hp at 7,730 rpm and 64 pound-feet of torque at 3,320 rpm on the CW dyno. The bigger story on the torque curve is that there are more than 60 pound-feet from 2,400 to 7,400 rpm, and it is a gorgeous straight line of smooth delivery. The cylinders and heads have no fake cooling fins but do have structural ribbing and other aluminum-colored accents.

A six-speed transmission and a left-side final-drive belt transmit power to the rear wheel. The Scout is geared to comfortably roll along at 70 mph in sixth gear at 3,750 rpm, yet with that broad torque production it pulls away easily from a stop. Clutch feel is good, and engagement is smooth and easy.

The suspension is pretty conventional at each end: 41mm fork legs up front and dual, spring-preload-adjustable shocks out back. There’s a claimed 4.7 inches of front-wheel travel and 3.0 inches of travel at the rear. Notice the extreme rake of those shocks, to mimic the hardtail lines of the 1920s Scout. With preload in the delivered setting and without a rider in the saddle, the Scout’s rear suspension tops out with zero sag. With my 150 pounds on board, the rear end tops out on rebound when riding over large bumps. Heavier testers on staff did not experience this. A preload wrench is supplied, but there is no provision to store it on the bike.

The Scout has a single 298mm rotor at each end, with a two-piston caliper up front and a single piston out back. Other notables include a super-low 27.0-inch brown-leather-seat height (as measured in the CW shop with rear spring preload set as delivered; claimed height is 26.5 inches). The seat is so low that swinging a leg over it is no different than stepping over a crack in a root-heaved sidewalk. It’s also covered in more weather-resistant leather than that used in 2014.

The Scout has a multipiece aluminum chassis that saves weight through rational design. The front downtubes are a one-piece casting that incorporates the steering head and additionally serve as the radiator shrouds. Out back is a one-piece casting that includes the swingarm plates and tailsection. These front and rear castings bolt to the bottom front and rear of the engine, which is a stressed member without frame elements beneath it. Two side-by-side, multipiece backbones from the steering head to the rear casting tie the structure together above the engine.

Wheelbase is a rangy 61.0 inches, and the Scout is relaxed in rake and trail, having 29 degrees of the first and 4.7 inches of the latter. The wheels at both ends are of the same dimensions—16 x 3.5 inches—but carry different size Kenda tires: a 130/90-16 72H up front and a 150/80-16 71H rear. These fat tires on little wheels disguise the Scout’s smaller-than-normal size; it’s a 7/8-scale cruiser, à la Smokey Yunick.

Indian, of course, targeted the Sportster, and most of the rest of us will make that comparison too. This is valid in the market and in our minds, but the riding experience really is very different. Still: Compared to the last Sportster 1200 Custom we tested, the Scout is about 6 pounds lighter, made 18 more horsepower and 9 less pound-feet of torque, has a sixth gear, and costs $300 more than a 2014 model. Plus, there’s got to be an easy additional 40 hp hiding in this engine. Basically, it’s untenable that Indian could create the overriding competency of this bike yet have the converse incompetence for its modern, efficient powerplant of 1,133cc to not be capable of 140 hp. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to output on this engine in future models or when breathing on it, remapping it, etc.

The Scout is one of the best-balanced shapes of any cruiser-type motorcycle made, successfully carrying forward the lines and proportions of the 1928 Scout to work in the modern world, as the designers intended. The headlight is basically a copy of the one used on pre-war models, and the forward-slanting fuel tank maintains the original Scout’s go-fast look.

We were first given the chance to ride the Scout on the winding roads of South Dakota’s Black Hills then got one back at our Southern California HQ for full instrumented testing and more mileage. The seating position is right on for a 5-foot-10 rider, with a comfortable reach to the bars and foot controls, and Indian offers fitment options for riders at the far ends of adult sizes. The stock solo leather seat is grand, and after a long day on the road there was none of that burning-cheek feeling. (A passenger pad and pegs are available.) The non-adjustable hand levers are well placed, and the mirrors provide a good rear view, though adjustment tended to wander if the stalks weren’t set to allow the mirrors to be in the center of their swivel-ball adjustment range.

The Scout is smooth and swift from a dead stop. The EFI is crisp across the rev range, transitioning from on-off changes without the hesitation or glitch. The throttle has a linear, almost rheostatic relationship to engine output. At low rpm, engine vibration is close to nil. At high revs, particularly 5,000 rpm and up, the engine did produce quite a bit of a buzz. At 70 mph in sixth, the Scout engine is smooth, but a few testers sensed some buzz at 75-plus.

On the quiet end of the rev range, the Scout is tame and can be ridden as a comfortable, easy-to-handle cruiser for beginners, or it can be railed down a twisty highway as a low-slung performance bike, perfectly behaved at both ends of that scale. Third gear works great for bombing corners on a winding road, and 6,500 to 7,500 is the sweet rev range for instant-on power and prime engine braking. This is not air-cooled V-twin instant low-end response like from a 1200 Sportster.

The transmission on the Scout we rode around Sturgis was certain and smooth with short throws and no missed shifts. The 450-mile testbike we got in California was inconsistent on the 1-2 upshift and could be a bit vague on other shifts. We’d like to see more positive shift action front this gearbox.

It’s surprising that a bike so heaped with historical responsibility can also be such a hoot at bombing the twisties. The 16-inch tires work great with the well-damped suspension to make for sure handling and no skittishness in fast corners, with neutral chassis behavior even when trail braking hard down to the apex. Cornering clearance is decent for the class, but the handling character makes you wish for more lean angle.

Steering at low speeds is light and precise, and the low center of gravity rewards the use of both brakes. Although the single front disc has good feel and light effort, a second front disc would be welcome.

For comfortable, sporty cruising, and for carrying the Indian torch, the new Scout succeeds. It’s a modern interpretation of the name, a reflection of heritage, not an imitation of outdated technologies. Fit and finish is excellent, and colors include red and black plus matte finishes in smoked black and smoked silver.

Indian has made a big bet with the Scout and worked hard to make a statement at its Sturgis launch. It hired the American Motor Drome Company’s Wall of Death and Charlie Ransom (who looks as though he just stepped out of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes) to take a modded version of this bike to the boards. That was seriously impressive. It’s not common for a manufacturer to associate itself with a daredevil sideshow, yet Indian rolled out its Scout in old-school carnival style: scary, dangerous, fantastic, with no hands. And it was real. If this were the only true beginning of this Scout’s history, it’s a damn great start.

As read on: http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/10/30/2015-indian-scout-road-test-cruiser-motorcycle-review-photos-specifications/

New vans to be modified CUSW?

The Windsor, Ontario plant, the birthplace of Chrysler minivans and currently their only source, will be down for a long changeover period — according to sources, from mid-February 2015 to nearly the end of May.

The factory will have heavy production through that time to produce a good stock of the current vans, and will then go into “build-out” of the 2015s as soon as production returns in late May. New vans are expected in late July, to start arriving on dealer lots in August or September.

Current rumor has the 2016 minivans riding on extended CUSW platforms — longer and wider than the Jeep Cherokee, but with a similar powertrain, and an all wheel drive option (possibly late-availability, and most likely the 200 style rather than the Cherokee style). They will almost certainly have nine-speed automatics and should have better ride and handling than any current minivan.

If the CUSW platform did not work out as well as anticipated and had to be adjusted to meet Chrysler’s minivan needs, it would explain what appears to be a long delay in creating and producing the minivans (based on Sergio Marchionne’s first public estimates on production times).  The Jeep Renegade had an even longer delay due to the need for extensive revisions to get it to pass Jeep tests.

Hybrid-electric minivans are due a month or three after the conventional vans start up.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/11/new-vans-to-be-modified-cusw

2015 Nissan Cummins Turbo Diesel Titan

What happens when you give a 1500 truck a motor of a 2500? You get a 2015 Nissan Titan that delivers massive amounts of power and a company that takes advantage of competitor’s possible bad business decisions. Yes it seems that RAM trucks will no longer be able to offer a Cummins diesel as the corporate big wigs want the trucks to share the engines of its Italian diesel engine manufacturers VM Motori. For Nissan that leaves an opening to take the foreign brand and entice more Americans to take a look at the next generation Nissan. As both the engine and truck will be built on American soil we see that is really little to dislike about what the company is doing.

The 5.0 Cummins turbo diesel looks to deliver some impressive numbers like, around 300hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. This should make for a towing monster capable of a possible 20,000lb towing capacity. And with possible numbers such as these, you can bet that it is getting noticed by all the other truck manufacturers. It is Nissan’s way of saying that they are willing to deliver what customers are asking for such as diesel powertrains in 1500 type trucks and with other options you the potential customer has the option to really get the truck you want built without having to make too many exceptions.

With the second generation Nissan Titan sporting more cab and bed configurations along with engine options and an overall more fuel efficient capability means that we just might see Nissan grabbing back some market share from the other players. This feat won’t be easy due to the fact that Ford will still offer engines like the popular Ecoboost and RAM will offer an Eco-diesel engine option to entice those who wish to have a bit more fuel efficiency but it seems that the towing capabilities will go to the new Nissan Titan as this 5.0 liter will be placed more against the HEMI and larger displacement engines in the competition. If we look at the ability for manufacturers to deliver a wide realm of options such as these should make for an interesting read out as to what options buyers will go with.

For Nissan I believe that this is a smart move in order to grab more U.S. customers as many are familiar with the Cummins name and that since both engine and truck will be built here in the states means that there will be a great PR campaign for the 2nd-gen 2015 Nissan Titan. It is unclear as to what the up charge will be for such an engine but it appears that there will be a few individuals looking to make the switch over to Nissan for the first time ever.

As read on: http://gearheads.org/2015-nissan-cummins-turbo-diesel-titan/#.VHSFrr7pjdl

2018 Jeep Wrangler to Gain Eight-Speed Auto

Jeep’s off-road enthusiast focused Wrangler SUV will be significantly more fuel efficient for the 2018 model year.

The iconic utility vehicle is slated to be fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission that will ease its fuel consumption. Chrysler currently uses the same transmission in the Ram 1500 pickup truck, the Dodge Durango SUV and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. Jeep hasn’t officially announced the change, but a filing with the SEC originally reported by Automotive News is tipping the brand’s plans.

According to the filing, Jeep expects the Wrangler to return nine percent better fuel economy when equipped with the eight-speed than it currently does with a five-speed automatic. Currently the five-speed automatic Wrangler is rated to return 17 MPG in city driving and 21 MPG on the highway.

The Wrangler is slated to be re-designed for 2018 with an aluminum body that will also enhance fuel economy. Chrysler needs to improve average fuel economy across the Jeep line and a smaller displacement engine than the current 3.6-liter V6 will be necessary to do so in the Wrangler, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has said.

Other efficiency-minded changes are afoot at Chrysler. The company plans to produce its next-generation plug-in hybrid Town & Country minivan at its Windsor, Canada assembly plant.

As read on: http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/11/2018-jeep-wrangler-to-gain-eight-speed-auto.html

Home for the Holidays: Is Your Car Up for the Journey?

Before you pack up the car to head home for the holidays, the Car Care Council reminds you to make sure your vehicle is ready for the journey. Conducting a thorough vehicle inspection will help you avoid the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down miles away from home.

“It’s easy to remember to get your family ready for the holiday festivities, but what about preparing the car that’s going to get you there?” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Having a pre-inspection performed on your car will give you peace of mind as you travel and help make your journey safer.”

Before leaving home, the Car Care Council recommends a check of the following, often overlooked, items: tires and tire pressure, brakes, hoses and belts, air filters, wipers, exterior and interior lighting, and fluid levels, including engine oil, windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

“A pre-trip inspection provides the opportunity to have service repairs made at home by your own trusted technician who knows the vehicle, and helps reduce the chance of costly and dangerous trouble on the road,” said Rich While.

The Car Care Council also recommends that drivers keep important telephone numbers in their cell phone or glove box in case of a breakdown or travel emergency. Vehicles should have a roadside emergency kit that includes items such as a first aid kit, a tire-changing jack, a tire pressure gauge, jumper cables, a flashlight and a blanket. A copy of the recently-updated 80-page Car Care Guide should be kept in the glove box and can be ordered free of charge at www.carcare.org/car-care-guide.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a free copy of the council’s popular Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

As read on: http://www.carcare.org/2014/11/home-holidays-car-journey/

2015 Chrysler 300C revealed

Chrysler has revealed the 2015 300, 300S, and 300C, the company’s flagship cars (even if their prices are equalled by their own minivans).

All 300s get an eight-speed automatic, but none get the 6.4 liter engine used in the past 300C SRT, unless a future un-announced model will have it. All wheel drive is restricted to the V6 cars.

The cars continue into 2015 with relatively minor cosmetic changes: the front is more curvaceous, the side line emphasized a little, the grilles updated, a 200-like lower grille added, and the tail-lights simplified. Inside, the same basic forms continue, but with noticeably different styling.

For many more photos, including interior and exterior shots, along with pricing and other information, see our 2015 Chrysler 300 – 300C – 300S page.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/11/2015-chrysler-300c-revealed-2

Chrysler limits colors for Durango and Grand Cherokee

Chrysler is echoing Henry Ford’s famous quote: “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.”

The only difference is that Chrysler is adding white, gray and silver to the choices.

Automotive News reporter Larry Vellequette writes that orders for new Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be temporarily limited to those four colors as the paint shop at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant is upgraded to allow tricolor finishes on the popular SUVs.


Even though the limitation will be in place until at least February 2015, it most likely won’t be too onerous. According to automotive paintmaker PPG,  the most popular color in North America in 2014 has been white, followed by black, gray and silver – 72% of all 2014 vehicles were painted in one of those colors. Silver, once the most popular color, has fallen from favor in recent years.

Vellequette notes that just 19% of the Jeep Grand Cherokees and 8% of the Durangos on dealer lots are painted in a color other than the top four.

Of more concern to dealers is the fact the plant will shut down for three weeks from December 22 to January 12. This is the first time in several years the assembly line has been halted for such an extended period. In October, the plant produced 38,241 vehicles, up 20% from a year ago. October NAFTA region sales of the Durango and Grand Cherokee totaled 22,017 and the Grand Cherokee was the second-best-selling Chrysler Group vehicle.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/11/chrysler-limits-colors-for-durango-and-grand-cherokee