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Stellantis unit FCA reaches plea deal in U.S. emissions probe

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON — The U.S. business of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conduct and pay roughly $300 million in penalties to resolve a multi-year emissions fraud probe surrounding vehicles with diesel engines, people familiar with the matter said. FCA US LLC, now part of Stellantis NV, has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge arising from its efforts to evade emissions requirements for more than 100,000 older Ram pickup trucks and Jeep sport-utility vehicles in its U.S. lineup, the people said. The plea deal, negotiated with U.S. Justice Department officials, is set to be unveiled as soon as next week, though the timing could slip. The company would then enter its guilty plea during a subsequent hearing in a U.S. district court. The affected diesel-powered vehicles span model years 2014 to 2016. FCA merged with French Peugeot maker PSA in 2021 to form Stellantis. Stellantis and the Justice Department declined to comment. The plea deal comes five years after Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty to criminal charges to resolve its own emissions crisis affecting nearly 600,000 vehicles in a scandal that became known as "Dieselgate." Volkswagen's deception precipitated additional scrutiny that resulted in officials on both sides of the Atlantic cracking down on automakers accused of using illegal software known as defeat devices to dupe government emissions tests. European automakers relied on so-called clean diesel technology to make vehicles that could comply with tougher environmental regulations only for officials to find they were polluting more on the road than during the tests that certified them for sale. Automakers are now focusing efforts on battery-powered electric vehicles. Negotiations between FCA lawyers and U.S. officials to resolve the current probe dragged on for years and across presidential administrations as the two sides haggled over whether the company would plead guilty and, if it did, the exact details in any criminal charge, one of the people said. One of FCAÂ’s employees is preparing to face trial on charges he misled regulators about pollution from the vehicles targeted in the investigation. Last year, the Justice Department disclosed charges against two additional FCA employees in the alleged emissions fraud. An indictment alleges the employees conspired to install defeat devices in vehicles so they could dupe government emissions tests and then pollute beyond legal limits on roadways.

Jeep Compass, Patriot will stick around for 2017 model year

The Jeep Compass and Patriot may be getting a little long in the tooth, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles isn't ready to put them to pasture. At least not yet. According to Automotive News, FCA plans to continue producing both models until the end of this calendar year. That will also take them both into the 2017 model year as the manufacturer prepares to introduce their shared successor. Jeep will likely build a stockpile of Patriots and Compasses to bridge the gap until the new compact Jeep arrives. The move is just one of many FCA is making to trim unprofitable car models and increase crossover production. The Jeep Cherokee is set to move from its current home in Toledo, OH, to the plant in Belvidere, IL, where the Compass and Patriot are built; the same plant was also home to the recently discontinued Dodge Dart. With Cherokee production gone, the Toledo plant in turn is being retooled to increase Wrangler output by 50 percent, including temporary parallel production of both the new model and the existing one. Meanwhile the replacement for the Compatriots, as they're colloquially known together, is expected to debut this summer in Brazil. Production is slated to take place, both in Brazil and in Mexico, starting January 30, 2017, with production of the Compass and Patriot reportedly to continue in Belvidere until December 23 of this year. By that point, the Compass and Patriot will be a full decade old, having been introduced in 2006 as 2007 models. Along with the Dodge Journey, they're the last FCA products still based on the PM/MK platform shared with Mitsubishi. The Japanese automaker still produces several models on the version it calls GS, including the Outlander, Outlander Sport, and Lancer. Related Video:

Jeep CEO promises Grand Cherokee Hellcat 'before the end of 2017' [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Video of Mike Manley confirming the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat has been added. In one of the worst kept secrets in the auto industry, Jeep has confirmed that the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat is coming. The news comes from Vvuzz, which has Jeep CEO Mike Manley on camera confirming the monstrous SUV. Manley confirmed that the Jeep, which we hope will offer the same 707-horsepower version of Chrysler's 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 as the Dodge Challenger and Charger, will arrive before the end of 2017. This, friends, is grand news. By the time the Grand Cherokee Hellcat arrives, it'll be faced with an array of high-performance challengers from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, and Porsche. But, if things stay the way they are with the competition and SRT engineers can bring the Hellcat engine's full output to bear on an all-wheel-drive platform, the Grand Cherokee will have a power advantage ranging from 130 to 157 hp. It's one thing to best the competition by a dozen horsepower, it's entirely different to outgun them by an entire Toyota Corolla. Expect much more on the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat in the coming months. Scroll on to see Manley confirm the news. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.