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Dodge, Jeep and Ram could soon be owned by Chinese automakers

For the past several years, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has made it widely known that the automaker he helms is up for grabs. First, he sent an email to GM CEO Mary Barra, who immediately refused to even discuss a merger. Later, Marchionne set his sights on Volkswagen. That too was swiftly rebuffed. It seemed like no global automaker was remotely interested in a partnership. Now, Automotive News reports that several Chinese automakers have come calling, only FCA isn't ready to answer. At least not yet. The news broke this morning that a major Chinese automaker had made an offer to purchase FCA for slightly above market value. FCA refused, saying the offer wasn't quite generous enough. It's unclear which automaker made the offer, but Automotive News says there's more than one interested party. FCA representatives have recently traveled to China to meet with Great Wall Motors, while Chinese representatives were seen at FCA corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Chinese government has a lot of money invested in local automakers. It's putting pressure on these automakers to expand globally, including to the United States. As it stands, it's a matter of when a Chinese automaker will start selling cars here, not if. Purchasing an established automaker with a wide range of products and a huge dealer network would do wonders in giving the Chinese a foothold here. Sure, Geely owns Volvo, but a luxury automaker doesn't have nearly as much reach as a more mainstream company like FCA. This seems like the best case scenario for both a Chinese automaker looking to move into the U.S. and for FCA, at least from a business standpoint. The latter doesn't seem to have any other interested parties. It will be interesting to see how FCA would sell a deal like this to the public. We're not sure everyone will be happy with Dodge, Jeep and Ram falling under Chinese ownership. FCA didn't turn down the Chinese because they didn't like the idea. It turned down the offer because there wasn't enough money on the table. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Earnings/Financials Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM

Alfa Romeo prioritizing vehicle quality and customer satisfaction

Stellantis honcho Carlos Tavares has proved himself adroit at the turnaround. GM had lost money on its European Opel/Vauxhall unit for two decades before Tavares took the helm at Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) and bought GM's European arm. Tavares restored Opel/Vauxhall to profit in a year. Within 18 months of PSA's "merger" with Fiat-Chrysler being official, we're no longer hearing doomsday stories from some of the perpetually troubled marques under the new umbrella. All of the Italians — Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati — say they're doing well, Alfa Romeo back in the black and planning a range that will be more accessible and more fun to own. Having established Tavares' mastery of the basics, we've yet to find out if he knows how to transform a brand, which is what all of the Italian automakers need. At Alfa Romeo, the North American heads told Automotive News that they're still establishing the foundations of a revolution. In doing so, the brand sounds more like the kind of premium automaker it's been aspiring to be since its return in 2008.  Vincent Noirbent, VP of Brand and Product Planning for Alfa Romeo on this continent, said the automaker's working a 10-year plan to place itself as Stellantis' global premium brand below Maserati's all-out luxury. We don't know how that's going to work with Lancia in Europe, but we don't get Lancia, so that potential clash is out of our jurisdiction. Autonews phrased Noirbent's message as, "Customer satisfaction and vehicle quality are arguably 'more important' to the brand than sales as it works to build momentum in the U.S." He also said it's more important to build a "sound business" built around the strengths of the brand and that doesn't rely on incentives. A Miami dealer described comments from Alfa Romeo North America boss Larry Dominque as wanting to "make the cars right first, make the [ownership] experience better, and build the value of the brand so somebody will pay an extra $100 a month." In an interview from Pebble Beach, Dominique said a luxury service experience and experiential marketing will also be involved. This will include "concierge services, pick-up and drop-off service for test drives," and when visiting a dealer, "it's the kind of thing where not only could you come in to see beautiful cars, but also do Italian cooking lessons and wine tastings." All the work will take time.

Alfa Romeo putting a slicker 'coda tronca' on its compact CUV

Our EV revolution Bingo card did not include spaces for the return of wagons (aero crossovers by a more suitable name) and the doubling down on retro design cues, but that's what we're getting and we like it. Alfa Romeo is clocking in on the retro side, design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos telling Autocar, "Our next-generation cars will bring back the Coda Tronca into a current design language — as a means to boost aerodynamic efficiency and range, of course, but also to give the cars a distinctive, classically Alfa Romeo design character." You might not know that "coda tronca" means "short tail" in Italian, but you know what it looks like. Effectively a Kammback or Kammtail, it's when a vehicle roof descends toward the rear of the vehicle, ending in a vertical flank that looks like someone cut the car short with a large knife. It's been on everything from the Shelby Daytona Coupe and Ferrari 250 GTO to the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Audi A2 and A7. The short tail was also famously on the 1963 Alfa Romeo Turbolare Zagato, shortened to the TZ. This is the design Mesonaro-Romanos refers to, as well as the Sprint Zagato, or SZ, that preceded it. He said, "You will see it on several future models," the first reportedly the compact crossover due on the market next year. This will be Alfa Romeo's version of the recently introduced Jeep Avenger battery-electric crossover for Europe, once believed to be called the Brennero. The design boss crossed that name out, telling Autocar, "The model name is now decided. it will be Italian and it will be beautiful. But more than that, I cannot say for now." We might have better luck predicting specs. Checking the Avenger's details, we'd expect the Stellantis eCMP 2 platform crammed with battery modules under the seats that add up to 54 kWh. The Avenger's e-motor turns the front wheels with 154 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, an all-wheel-drive version is on the way. Range on the WLTP cycle is rated at an estimated 249 miles. As with the Jeep, the Alfa Romeo is expected to get a gas-powered version, maybe with the same 1.2-liter motor going into the Jeep. We're not sure how else the Alfa might distinguish itself from the Jeep, but the Kamm tail could make range for both powertrains a notable differentiator.  Related Video