2014 Fiat 500l Trekking on 2040-cars

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FCA earnings improve in first quarter

Following on the recent global financial releases from Ford and from General Motors for the first quarter of 2015, FCA is now putting out its own numbers, and things look quite good for the company. The automaker posted adjusted earnings before taxes and interest of $895 million, a 22-percent jump from Q1 2014, and net profits of $103 million, a $296-million boost from last year. Revenue was also up 19 percent to $30 billion. Despite the favorable figures, actual worldwide shipments fell slightly by 2 percent to 1.1 million vehicles. FCA is giving some credit for these strong Q1 results to the automaker's performance in the NAFTA region. Shipments grew 8 percent to 633,000 vehicles, and net revenue jumped a strong 38 percent to $18.1 billion. Adjusted earnings reached $672 million, compared to $425 million in 2014. The company especially praised the Jeep Renegade, Chrysler 200, and Ram 1500 for helping the bottom line. The numbers could have been even higher, but the corporation admitted that "higher warranty and recall costs" partially drug things down. For the full year in 2015, FCA expects to ship between 4.8 and 5 million vehicles worldwide and post up to $5 billion in adjusted earnings. There should be about $1.3 billion in net profit, as well. FCA CLOSED Q1 WITH NET REVENUES OF ˆ26.4 BILLION, UP 19% AND ADJUSTED EBIT AT ˆ800 MILLION, UP 22% 30/04/15 FCA closed Q1 with net revenues of ˆ26.4 billion, up 19% and adjusted EBIT at ˆ800 million, up 22%. Net industrial debt was ˆ8.6 billion, up ˆ0.9 billion. Full year guidance confirmed. Worldwide shipments were 1.1 million units, 2% lower than Q1 2014, reflecting strong performance in NAFTA and weak market conditions in LATAM. Jeep's positive performance continued with worldwide shipments up 11% and sales up 22%. Net revenues were up 19% to ˆ26.4 billion (+4% at constant exchange rates, or CER). Adjusted EBIT was ˆ800 million, up ˆ145 million from Q1 2014, with all segments except LATAM posting positive results. The positive impact of foreign exchange translation was offset by negative impacts at a transactional level. Net profit was ˆ92 million, up ˆ265 million compared to the net loss of ˆ173 million in Q1 2014. Net industrial debt was ˆ8.6 billion, up ˆ0.9 billion from year-end mainly due to timing of capital expenditures and working capital seasonality. Liquidity remained strong at ˆ25.2 billion. The Group confirms its full-year guidance.

Fiat GIF-based ads make our heads spin

Take a good, long look at the image above. Don't worry, it's completely real; you're not hallucinating. Would you believe that's an actual screencap from an actual ad commissioned by Fiat that's airing on actual television? Believe it.
The commercials started as a series of animated GIFs from The Richards Group for Fiat's Tumblr page, according to Adweek. Chrysler's Chief Marketing Officer reportedly liked them enough that he had them cut into ads for TV. The result is a combination of Internet meme heaven that includes the above horse mask and "Deal with it," animation, experimental filmmaking, cats, a person in a bunny suit twerking on a Fiat 500 and more general bizarreness.
Whatever your opinion on them, you have to admit that the advertising is certainly attention grabbing. Imagine looking up at the TV form your tablet to catch a glimpse of this weirdness. If you don't like them, Fiat is even giving people the chance to do a better job. Its Tumblr is open to submissions of new GIFs, which could lead to some very inappropriate and potentially hilarious results given the way that the Internet often works.

Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.