1993 Jeep Wrangler Renegade Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Next Jeep Wrangler to get hybrid option?

This may the year a Jeep hybrid is officially announced. Really. The Chrysler division may finally be making plans for its first gas-electric powertrain to help boost the group's fuel economy, says UK's Auto Express, citing Mike Manley, CEO of FCA's Jeep division. The guinea pig of sorts may be the Wrangler, which moved almost a quarter-million units in the US last year. The Wrangler could get a hybrid drivetrain by the 2017 model year, as Jeep executives look to maintain the model's feel and torque while boosting its fuel economy. The Wrangler gets a pretty paltry 18 miles per gallon combined out of its six-cylinder mill, so the bar's set pretty low. Of course, we've heard this talk before. In late 2013, Chrysler Asia-Pacific product planning manager Steve Bartoli told Australia's Drive that a Jeep hybrid was pretty much inevitable, though not much has been mentioned since. FCA could use all the help it can get in the fuel economy department. The group brought up the rear among automakers when it came to fuel efficiency, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in its EPA Trends report released last October. The FCA models combined for a 21.1 miles per gallon average for the 2014 model year, compared to the 24.2 mpg overall industry average. The group's only electric vehicle in the US is the low-volume Fiat 500e, though the company may start selling a plug-in hybrid version of its Chrysler Town & Country by the end of the year. Featured Gallery 2014 Jeep Wrangler Polar Edition View 9 Photos News Source: Auto Express Green Chrysler Jeep Fuel Efficiency Hybrid

Autoblog Minute: FCA hit with record fine, issues recall and buyback

FCA, found in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, agrees to buyback recalled models as part of record penalties issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The cars in question are more than half a million Chrysler vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause cars to lose control, and more than a million Jeeps that are prone to deadly fires. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with expert commentary from Pete Bigelow. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] FCA faces record penalties as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds the automaker in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. I'm Eddie Sabatini and this is your Autoblog Minute. Penalties for the automaker include submitting to increased government oversight, a hundred and five million dollar civil penalty, as well as, mandates to buy back defective vehicles from owners and payment for repairs. The cars in question are [00:00:30] more than half a million Chrysler vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause cars to lose control, and more than a million Jeeps that are prone to deadly fires. Autoblog's Pete Bigelow discussed the NHTSA findings with us. [00:01:00] [PETE BIGELOW INTERVIEW] This fine and buyback recall, combined with the 1.4 million vehicles recalled over remote hacking concerns makes for a rough couple of weeks for FCA. For Autoblog, I'm Eddie Sabatini. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

NHTSA closes probes on Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey

The Detroit News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially closed its investigations into 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2004-2005 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey models. The separate probes found no issues that pose safety concerns. NHTSA began investigating certain Grand Cherokee SUVs over complaints that power steering hoses could detach during operation, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle fire. Of the 24 reports of failure, none alleged smoke or fire in the engine bay, and Chrysler has since modified the power steering cooler assembly to reduce the likelihood of the failure.
Meanwhile, certain Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles garnered a government probe after receiving complaints that the models were equipped with faulty scissor jacks. The agency had received six reports of the jacks failing or causing injuries, including one incident that resulted in a fatality. But NHTSA says the jack failure rate is similar to those found in other vehicles. In those six cases, the government agency found the jacks were being used for something other than changing a tire, and investigators could not determine whether the emergency brake was set or the rear tires were properly chocked.