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Dodge offering novel 1-year lease on '14 Challenger and Charger models

Dodge is just days away from unveiling refreshed versions of the Charger and Challenger at the 2014 New York Auto Show, models promising updated styling and new powertrain options. Depending on how you look at it, the company is either so confident in its forthcoming 2015 models that it's offering an interesting Double-Up lease deal on the current vehicles, or it's so eager to clear out existing stock that it's resorting to novel lease deals. In any case, what they present is an interesting scenario, one which allows buyers to get the existing model right now, and then trade up to the facelifted 2015 models in one year.
Starting April 17, when the refreshed cars debut through the end of August, buyers can lease a 2014 Charger or Challenger for one year and exchange it for a three-year lease on a 2015 model next year, with no additional money down and the same monthly payment. Customers can even switch vehicles when the new lease starts. If drivers want to buy the '15, they get $1,000 off the purchase price. To be eligible, both leases must use the same dealership and be financed through Chrysler Capital. The Double-Up deal excludes the SRT versions of both cars and Charger SE models.
To offset the flood of one-year-old models coming back to dealerships, Dodge has struck a deal with rental car agency Enterprise, which has agreed to buy them all. "One-year leases are highly unusual in the industry," said company spokesperson Ralph Kisiel, and the fleet sale deal is what makes it possible.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 disaster endangers FCA's Magneti Marelli sale

Samsung's financial and public relations positions are going up faster than one of the company's Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, and that's bad news for Fiat Chrysler. FCA was in talks with the South Korean tech giant to sell all or a portion of Magneti Marelli, the enormous Italian parts supplier. The deal, estimated to be in the $3 billion range, was a big part of FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne's five-year plan to slash his company's ˆ5.5 billion ($6.07 billion at today's rates) debt. But Samsung's flaming phones may have stalled the deal, Automotive News reports. Samsung was hoping to acquire all or part of Magneti to gain access to its lighting, in-car entertainment, and telematics business, all in a bid to reduce its reliance on occasionally explosive consumer electronics, AN's sources report. This week alone, Samsung permanently ended production of the Note 7 and began recalling millions of devices, sending out flame-proof return boxes so owners can ship the device back in relative safety. The disaster has already caused Samsung to slash its third-quarter operating profit by $2.3 billion, and is leading the company to divert its attention away from big, blockbuster deals, people "who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private" told AN. According to the same sources, the two sides haven't even agreed on a valuation for Magneti Marelli. Neither company was willing to comment on the potential sale. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Andrew Zuis / AP Chrysler Fiat Technology Smartphone Sergio Marchionne FCA Samsung

How to update and secure a vulnerable Chrysler Uconnect system

If you own one of the 1.4 million vehicles affected by the recent Chrysler software recall, you may want to watch this video. In it, we explain how to get the latest infotainment software loaded onto the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. The recall was a response to the findings of researchers who were able to hack into and remotely control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee through its cellular connection. Although Fiat Chrysler has worked with Sprint to plug most of the holes on the carrier side, there are still some vulnerabilities that only this latest software version can patch. Owners have three options to get the update: download it now, wait for a USB stick in the mail, or take the vehicle to an FCA dealer. Chrysler will be sending USB sticks loaded with the software update to customers. Anyone with an internet connection and a USB stick of their own with at least 4 GB capacity can speed things up by downloading the patch from the Uconnect website. We cover that process from start to finish in the video, with the final portion still applicable to those using the FCA-supplied USB stick. If after watching this you still don't want to tackle the patch yourself, you can take your vehicle to the dealer to have it done. Also note that this process is the same for all Uconnect updates, not just the one patching the exploits. Our demonstrator vehicle is a 2015 Ram 1500 pickup. The procedure should be very similar on other products with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system, with only the location of the USB port varying. Once you have the USB stick with the software on it – either after having downloaded it yourself or receiving it in the mail from Chrysler – the installation process is relatively simple. It takes about 15 minutes to perform the update; we edited out the wait in the video. To check whether or not your car's 8.4-inch Uconnect system is running the latest software, go to System Information on the touch screen's Settings page and look at Software Version. The update related to the recall is version 15.17.5. Related Video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Safety Technology Infotainment Videos Original Video hacking