Chrysler

RICHARD TRUETT

Can Dodge rebuild Pontiac excitement?

11:00 am U.S. ET | Jan. 27, 2015

General Motors has no plans to revive Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn, CEO Mary Barra says. So where do longtime Pontiac and Hummer buyers go if they are in the market?...
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Renegade comes through, on-road and off

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

When Jeep introduced the Compass -- and later, its platform mate, the Patriot -- with front-wheel drive and continuously variable transmissions, it was derided by the faithful as an affront to the brand's off-road heritage. The new Renegade SUV fixes those brand sins with a powertrain that is peppy but, Jeep says, still achieves in excess of 30 mpg on the highway. And the vehicle is rugged enough off-road to wear the brand's Trail Rated badge....
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DAVE VERSICAL

North of U.S. border, big dealer groups emerge on 2 fronts

11:00 am U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2015

The United States generates far more new-vehicle sales than its northern neighbor, but Canada is looking more like America in one area: Dealer groups are getting bigger....
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Entry-level Jeep Renegade should boost brand in subcompact market

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

The Renegade subcompact SUV is Jeep's latest attempt at an entry-level vehicle. With prices starting at $18,990, including shipping, the first Italian-made Jeep should help the brand thrive in the competitive subcompact market....
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FCA projects 10% growth in U.S. retail sales for '15, extending streak

3:45 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

FCA US dealers were told to anticipate as much as 10 percent growth in their U.S. retail sales in 2015 as incremental deliveries from new vehicles such as the Jeep Renegade, Ram ProMaster City and Fiat 500X help extend the automaker's 57-month sales streak....
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BEST PRACTICES

Jeep history goes underground

2:00 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

Many dealers collect historic vehicles, and some even display vintage cars in their showrooms. But one dealership in Hamilton, Ontario, has found a way to make a World War II-era Willys MB Jeep the centerpiece of its showroom -- without sucking up valuable indoor display space....
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George Gibson, chief engineer of the Dodge Dart, dies at 92

9:17 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

George Gibson Jr., a former chief engineer for Dodge, died Wednesday in Rochester, Minn. He was 92....
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New Ram ads feature singer Miranda Lambert

7:14 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

Ram's newest advertising blitz features singer Miranda Lambert and her song, “Roots and Wings,” written exclusively for the campaign. The campaign includes television, print, digital, social media and long form video elements....
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LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Why Jeep executives might be praying for more snow days

1:48 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

For most of its life, Jeep has been at best an under-developed niche brand, relegated to an automotive sales backwater by a series of owners who always suspected it had sales potential -- they just couldn't figure out how to properly exploit it....
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Fiat Chrysler's 7% global sales growth outpaces biggest peers

4:09 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

U.S. car buyers' thirst for Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs sent Fiat Chrysler's sales up faster than those of the biggest three carmakers last year, an early positive sign for CEO Sergio Marchionne's ambitious five-year growth plan....
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LUCA CIFERRI

Farewell to an auto PR legend

8:17 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2015

Nothing was impossible for automotive PR man Tom Kowaleski -- even literally crashing into an auto show....
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LUCA CIFERRI

Farewell to an auto PR legend

8:17 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2015

Nothing was impossible for automotive PR man Tom Kowaleski even literally crashing into an auto show....
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Tom Kowaleski, PR mastermind for Chrysler, dies at 63

11:00 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 20, 2015

Tom Kowaleski, who held key communications jobs for Chrysler, GM, BMW and most recently, Lincoln, died Tuesday. He is best remembered for being one of the masterminds behind the wildly successful Chrysler press conferences in the 1990s....
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Obama seeks authority to negotiate major trade deals

3:31 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 20, 2015

In his penultimate State of the Union address, President Barack Obama vowed to seek congressional authority to negotiate big ticket trade deals with European and Asian nations that could have significant implications for the auto industry, but have been stalled....
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LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Why Marchionne's Wrangler conundrum will require creativity

12:22 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 19, 2015

I truly believe that FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne would prefer to write a big check and keep the next generation Jeep Wrangler in its historic home in Toledo, Ohio. The problem? There's not much wiggle room right now in the corporate checking account....
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Pushing 30: Ram pads lead in mpg wars

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 19, 2015

In the full-size pickup fuel economy race, it's diesel vs. aluminum, and diesel is winning....
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Chrysler exec sees dealerships, operations evolving

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 17, 2015

As brick-and-mortar dealerships evolve, other operational changes might come, too, requiring alterations in franchise laws and automakers’ policies, especially in urban areas. So says Pete Grady, Chrysler Group’s outgoing vice president of network development....
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BRUCE GAIN

Jeep uses Paris boat show to gain traction

6:34 am U.S. ET | Jan. 16, 2015

Jeep hopes its role as a marketing partner at the Nautic in Paris, one of Europe's biggest boat shows, will help it get a leg up in the fast-growing small SUV market. The U.S. off-road brand says it is considering partnering with the event this year after gaining “positive feedback” at last year's show in December....
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Jeep Cherokee catches fire 2 days after purchase; NHTSA opens probe

11:06 am U.S. ET | Jan. 16, 2015

A 2015 Jeep Cherokee that erupted in flames two days after purchase has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate whether a defect exists in 50,415 of the SUVs....
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2015 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS WORLD CONGRESS

FCA's Bigland says loan terms will grow, making price increases more affordable

6:10 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 14, 2015

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' head of US and Canadian sales says loose credit terms will continue to drive new vehicle sales, even as pent-up demand dwindles in a recovered economy....
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