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Chrysler to reveal next minivan at 2016 Detroit Auto Show

All eyes in the industry are presently fixed on this year's Detroit Auto Show, but over at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, they're already looking towards next year's show. That's when the Italian-American automaker says it'll unveil the next Chrysler minivan. The announcement, made on the FCA Corporate Twitter feed, promises that the next Pentastar minivan will debut in January 2016, which (along with the hashtag NAIAS) suggests the next-generation family hauler will debut at the Detroit show next year. Auburn Hills is expected to replace the current Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan with two all-new models: one keeping the minivan form, and the other shifting into more of a crossover. Just which nameplate gets the new form factor, and which will debut at Cobo next year, we don't know. Odds are good that it'll be the minivan not the CUV, though. Chrysler's minivan has been a winning business for the Detroit automaker, pioneering the segment, outselling the competition and marketing around the world under more brands and nameplates than just about anything else in the industry. The vehicle has been sold as the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Lancia Voyager, Ram Cargo Van and Volkswagen Routan, to say nothing of long-wheelbase Grand versions of many of the aforementioned nameplates. News Source: FCA via Twitter Detroit Auto Show Chrysler Dodge Minivan/Van Detroit 2016 Detroit Auto Show chrysler town and country dodge grand caravan dodge caravan

All-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT confirmed by EPA website

The US Environmental Protection Agency accidentally confirmed the upcoming Dodge Challenger GT by posting fuel economy figures for the all-wheel-drive variant of the muscle car. According to FuelEconomy.gov, the Challenger GT, which will come with the 3.6-liter V6 when it's released, is rated to get 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 miles per gallon on the highway, giving the vehicle a combined rating of 21 miles per gallon. Those figures are slightly lower than the rear-wheel-drive Challenger with the same engine, which gets 19 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway. While previous reports indicated that Dodge is planning to release the all-wheel-drive Challenger GT sometime in 2017, the automaker hasn't confirmed the vehicle. (Mopar's all-wheel-drive concept from last year's SEMA Show is pictured above.) With the EPA putting out the car's official fuel economy figures, the all-wheel-drive muscle car is definitely coming, and should be here before the entire Challenger lineup gets its expected redesign in 2018. And yes, we're still hopeful that the so-called Challenger ADR we saw in spy photos means we'll see all wheel drive and Hellcat power. Because Hellcat everything. Related Video:

Mopar unveils Dodge Challenger Drag Pak [w/video]

Dodge is going drag racing, and it's doing it with an all-new version of the Challenger for NHRA's Sportsman class. FCA's Mopar parts and performance arm announced the new Challenger Drag Pak Friday, showing off a version with a 354-cubic-inch (that's a 5.8-liter, by the way), supercharged V8 and a 426-ci (7.0-liter), naturally aspirated V8 – both Hemis, of course – that can get the big coupes through the quarter-mile in "the eight-second range." While the two engines deliver similar performance, at their base, they're quite a bit different. The supercharged model uses a cast-iron block, while the 426 has aluminum for both the block and head. That said, both models get customized engine calibrations, and are mated to unique, race-spec automatic transmissions. But drag racing is about far more than just outright power. Mopar significantly updated the four-link rear suspension, adding a four-inch rear axle from Strange Engineering, along with an aluminum, nine-inch third member, while the rear-axle housing has been strengthened in general. Both the rear shocks and front struts can be adjusted for rebound and compression, too. Lightweight 15-inch wheels, meanwhile, are shod in super-sticky Hoosier drag radials, with nine inches of tread in back and 4.5 inches in front. The new Challenger Drag Pak should run the quarter-mile in "the eight-second range." In the cabin, there's an NHRA-spec roll cage, a Racepak gauge cluster, and a handsome pair of Sparco racing seats. Outside, supercharged models get blue decals, while naturally aspirated varieties get black stickers, although there's more to the new Challenger dragster's exterior than just its decals. Mopar tweaked the big-scoop hood, promising it's easier to get up to check on the engine, and the designers also added trailer tie-down straps in both the front and rear. While the dragster was the big news today, Mopar officials also announced the two enhanced Scat Pack kits for both the Dodge Charger and Challenger R/T. The 5.7-liter Hemi models gain an extra 56 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque in the Scat Pack 2 thanks to a new cam, valve springs, pushrods, and gaskets. The Scat Pack 3, meanwhile, adds 75 hp and 44 lb-ft, on top of the gains from the lower packages. That should be perfect for drivers who wish to snort in the face of their SRT 392-driving friends. The third stage adds a ported cylinder heads, as well as high-flow manifolds and catalysts.