2012 - Jeep Grand Cherokee on 2040-cars

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Chrysler nets $1.6B income in Q4, Fiat profit up 5%

Chrysler announced its 2013 financial results today and unveiled its new name and decidedly bank-like logo. Amid the announcement, Chrysler posted big gains in income, while Fiat didn't perform to analysts' expectations.
For 2013, Chrysler had revenue of $72.1 billion, up 10 percent from 2012. Net income reached $2.8 billion, a 65-percent increase. It was the company's third straight year of annual profits.
In terms of unit sales, Chrysler sold 2.4 million cars worldwide in 2013, up 9 percent. According to Automotive News, 1.8 million of those vehicles were sold in the US, a 14-percent increase. The sales growth boosted Chrysler's US market share to 11.4 percent, up 0.2 percent.

Jeep idles second shift it hired a month ago for 2014 Cherokee

In an unusual move, Chrysler is idling its recently hired second shift of 2014 Jeep Cherokee builders because, Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement, it already has built the "critical number of vehicles we need to stock dealerships once containment is released," Automotive News reports.
After the "critical" 9,430 Cherokees were built, the layoff was enacted so as not to strain the automaker's logistics partners before the Cherokee is actually released. Chrysler says the temporary layoff will last about two weeks, with 500 workers out of work and another 600 reassigned at the Toledo Assembly Complex where the sports utility vehicle was being built. The second-shift workers were hired on August 19.
Chrysler previously insisted that it would release the Cherokee to dealerships by the end of the third quarter, and it initially planned to start selling the SUVs in mid-August. Apparently the Cherokee needed a software fix before hitting showrooms, which is how Chrysler explains why the release schedule is out of whack. We're thinking that this software fix addresses the "powertrain calibration" issue that delayed the first media test drives of the model. According to the Toledo Blade, Chrysler has admitted it is doing "extended quality validation testing" but refused to provide more information.

Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition coming to America

Jeep originally took the wraps off its Polar Edition Wrangler at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and at the time, we figured this would be a Europe-only affair. (Perfectly fine, since we US customers haven't exactly been lacking special edition Wrangler models over the years.) But now, and as Jeep says, just in time for winter, the automaker has announced that the ice cold Wrangler will be hitting North American showrooms in November.
Based on the Wrangler Sahara model, the Polar Edition can be had in either two- or four-door body styles, with a unique Hydro Blue paint job as the featured color. (Buyers can also opt for less-special Billet Silver and Bright White hues.) Other exterior enhancements include a body-colored hardtop, 18-inch gloss black wheels, the Powerdome (power bulge) hood, and unique decals all around the body.
But the Polar Edition isn't just about some paint and stickers. Jeep has fitted this Wrangler with a Dana 30 front axle and Dan 44 rear axle, as well as the Trac-Lok anti-spin electronic rear differential. Like all US-spec Wranglers, the Polar Edition uses Jeep's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, producing 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Both a six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission are available.