1966 Jeep Commando --removeable Hard Top on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler wins top Total Quality Award for first time

The Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards are 20 years old in 2015, and Chrysler has never topped the awards before. Until now, that is. Fiat Chrysler takes the overall award on the corporate level with six segment leaders from Fiat, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. The Fiat 500 won Small Multi-Function Car, the 500e won Small Alternative Powertrain, the Dodge Challenger tied at the top in the Specialty Coupe category alongside the very un-coupe Mini Cooper Countryman, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited took the Entry SUV category, the Dodge Durango won in Mid-Size SUV, and Ram took the overall in Best Non-Luxury Brand. The accolade means FCA has gone from one segment winner in 2010 to overall victory in five years. Cars have gotten so good, says Strategic Vision, that it is harder than ever to win. In fact, says the group, 18 years ago 85 percent of all vehicle brands had more than half a problem per vehicle. This year, no brand has more than half a problem per vehicle. The organization measures "over 155 specific aspects of the customer's experience," and scores are based on input from more than 46,000 customers. Other notables in and near the winner's circle include Volkswagen and General Motors, who tied for second place on the corporate scale, one point behind FCA. The Mini Cooper Roadster scored the highest of any model, the Corvette Stingray Convertible and Coupe scored the second- and third-highest. The Chevrolet Colorado is the first domestic Standard Pickup winner in more than ten years, and the Nissan Titan carried the Full-Size Pickup category. The press release below has all the details on how winners and losers are selected, and the full list of automakers and how they finished. "The Customer's 'Total' Experience Defines Quality, Fiat Chrysler Scores Highest in Total Quality," says Strategic Vision The 2015 Total Quality Awards® SAN DIEGO, Friday, July 17, 2015 — Unknown to many, when some consumer research firms rank a car company's quality performance they often do so by simply "counting problems." In the past, this may have been acceptable, but in today's modern and efficient manufacturing world the difference between the worst brand and best brand is LESS than half-a-problem per vehicle. Thus, any "quality ranking" based on this method is severely lacking in the complete picture of the "Total" Quality experience that customers actually use to judge their product ownership.

470,000 Jeep Liberty, Chrysler 200, and Dodge Avenger models recalled for restraint defect

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Friday it is recalling 470,000 vehicles worldwide to replace a component that may inhibit deployment of the vehicles' active head restraints in the event of a crash. Around 414,000 of those vehicles were sold in the United States. Apparently, "a component common to the modules of certain vehicles may degrade after extensive vehicle use." The recall covers 2012 Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles and 2012-13 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger midsize cars. FCA says a warning light may alert owners to the problem. The Italian-American automaker said it is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the recall. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the issue in June. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) Related Video:

The 2018 Jeep Wrangler will look a lot like the 2017 Jeep Wrangler

JL Wrangler Forums suggests the next-generation Wrangler will be restyled in an evolutionary way that maintains the off-roader's classic looks yet adds new features. The forum used intelligence from spy photos and leaked images to assemble renderings of the new Wrangler. They show that the front end is still classically Jeep, but with modern updates. The LED headlights and turn signals revealed in FCA drawings are noticeable changes. An interesting touch is just behind the rear bumper, where there appears to be an air dam for aerodynamics. There's still a gap between it and the front fenders to keep the old-school look intact. The grille, windshield, and hood are also more raked for the sake of aerodynamics. At the back, the lights follow the FCA drawings as well, though the reverse lights from those illustrations appear to be absent. The square taillights are also shown on the truck variant, along with the plastic fender flares of the SUV version. Spy photos of the Wrangler pickup have shown a streamlined box with integrated taillights akin to the Ram, but it's likely to be a placeholder until the final design is selected. The sides of both models also feature more squared-off details in the top and door handles, generally with beveled corners for a more modern look. The top is where things get fuzzy. The new model might lose its removable top altogether, in favor of removable panels similar to the Jeep Renegade. JL Wrangler Forums illustrated how this could work in the above image. The roof can be removed in sections, and the rear-most windows can also be taken out. The overall effect is similar to that of a current Wrangler Unlimited. There is a potential drawback to this system, though. All of these hard panels will have to be left somewhere. And unlike the current model, this one wouldn't have a soft-top back-up when the weather turns. It's hard to say for sure if this design will make it to production. FCA has consistently and effectively hidden this part of its Wrangler prototypes since they were first spotted. At this point, we can only speculate on how the top will function. Otherwise, these renderings seem plausible, and we should know how accurate they are when the Wrangler makes its expected debut next year. The new Wrangler will likely have some aluminum body panels, an 8-speed automatic and an available diesel powertrain. For more details and spy photos, check out our post that has assembled everything we know so far about the 2018 Wrangler.