2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4wd Sahara Navigation Leather Heated Seats Loaded on 2040-cars

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Dodge revamping lineup with AWD Challenger and lighter Charger

Dodge's current lineup is aging rapidly. The Charger, for example, is going on 5 years old but its platform dates back to 2006. FCA, according to Automotive News, is working on revitalizing Dodge's lineup with the first of some new models debuting later this year. The report reveals plans for the majority of FCA's brands, but the most interesting bit of information is an all-wheel-drive model for the Dodge Challenger, which is being referred to as the GT AWD. Mopar unveiled the Challenger GT AWD Concept at SEMA last year as a concept, but it looks like the idea stuck. The vehicle is set to make its debut this fall and will lead the way for a wide-body, Hellcat-powered version that will be released in 2017. That model will be called the Challenger ADR. The entire Challenger lineup will be redesigned in 2018, which includes switching over to the lighter Giorgio platform - the same one that underpins the Alfa Romeo Guilia Dodge will also redesign the Charger to accommodate the new Giorgio platform in 2018. A new two-door convertible could debut in 2021, resurrecting the Barracuda moniker. The aging Dodge Durango will get a light refresh in 2017 with the addition of an SRT model, which Automotive News reports will feature a 6.4-liter V8 engine. Other changes are in store for other FCA brands, including the debut of full-size crossover in 2018 for Chrysler, which will be followed by a midsize crossover in 2019. The Jeep Compass and Wrangler will get a redesign for 2017, with the Cherokee getting a light makeover, as well. The Wrangler-based pickup truck, which we recently spotted testing, is set for its debut in 2018, while the Wagoneer will come out a year later. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

NHTSA investigating why Jeep recall fix is taking so long

Jeep's saga with the National Traffic Safety Administration and the voluntary campaign to repair 1.56 million vehicles for allegedly unsafe trailer hitches, is getting yet another chapter. The controversy appeared to finally be over in January when the automaker found a supplier for the replacement parts. Nothing is ever that easy, though, and the government regulator is now requesting documents from the company to clarify why the repairs are taking so long to begin.
Jeep parent company Chrysler has until July 16 to submit documents and answers to NHTSA explaining the situation. The regulator claims that despite its compromise to inspect and repair the models with improper hitches in June 2013, Chrysler didn't find a part supplier until December and didn't order the replacements until January. The government agency believes that the first components weren't manufactured until May of this year and vehicles may not actually be repaired until as late as August. According to the report, if the Chrysler doesn't supply what NHTSA is asking for, the agency could "take additional appropriate action as warranted."
Throughout this entire process, Chrysler has asserted that the vehicles met the applicable crash test standards of the time, and it has kept NHTSA abreast of the repair activity. In a recently released statement it said that the regulator analyzed eight rear impact reconstruction tests and found the replacement hitch to be safe. To keep up with the high demand for replacements, Chrysler is working with multiple suppliers, and they are running three shifts, six days a week to get the parts ready as soon as possible.

EU finds Jeep Grand Cherokee and Suzuki Vitara break emissions rules

AMSTERDAM — Fiat Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee and Suzuki's Vitara diesel models both break emissions rules and must be fixed or face a ban on sales across Europe, the Dutch road authority ruled on Thursday. The RDW authority, acting as the reference regulator for across the European Union, said Jeep had developed a software fix and that the authority had ordered the company to recall the model across Europe to roll it out. It added Suzuki had yet to find a credible solution for the Vitara. "Suzuki must come with adequate improvement measures or the RDW will begin the process of revoking its European type approval," the RDW said in a statement, adding it had also started the process of revoking approval for the Jeep Grand Cherokee as a "precautionary measure." Regulators across the world have been testing diesel models since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 that it used illegal software to cheat U.S. emissions tests. The RDW said it had found both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Vitara had used "prohibited emissions strategies" that led them to emit higher levels of harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) on the road than under testing conditions. Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure, Stientje van Veldhoven, said in a letter to parliament she would inform prosecutors of the RDW's findings. Fiat Chrysler and Suzuki could not immediately be reached for comment. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.