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United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico

Chrysler recalling 382k Ram HD diesel pickups, 184k SUVs

Between GM's ignition switches and Takata's airbags, it's been a big year for recalls, but they keep rolling in. The latest comes from Chrysler, which has announced a pair of recalls for certain heavy-duty pickups and SUVs.
The first issue revolves around the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine available in the 2010-2014 Ram HD trucks, including 2500 and 3500 series pickups as well as 4500 and 5500 series chassis cabs. In the affected units, "a terminal connector near the fuel heater may be subject to friction-induced corrosion," according to the first of the two announcements from Chrysler below.
The problem could result in overheating and fuel leakage. Chrysler launched its investigation following cases of overheating, none of which actually started a fire, much less an injury or accident. As a precautionary measure, however, Chrysler is instructing service technicians to replace the terminals on an estimated 381,876 Ram units around the world - the vast majority of those (314,704) registered in the US, another 59,432 in Canada, 1,803 in Mexico and 5,937 abroad.

2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon demos off-road abilities in Chicago

In today's world, big budget auto show debuts involve lots of music and video, with a car docilely rolling onto the stage. Practical demonstrations of abilities are few and far between. Ram didn't get that memo, though, and decided to give attendees at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show a taste of just what the new Power Wagon can do off road, showing some extreme suspension articulation before crawling the big pickup down a flight of stairs. It was an impressive display for the facelifted pickup, which retains all the things that made the Power Wagon such a monster while improving on its overall aesthetic. The two-tone styling looks great in person, and even the controversial grille – which many of our readers cited as being a problem in our debut post – looks nicer in the flesh than in static shots. The upholstery, too, with its tire-tread imprints looks better in real life, and we're digging the Power Wagon and Ram logos sprinkled around the high-riding thrones. You can read a deeper dive into the new new truck in our introduction post from early this morning. We've also got a smattering of images of the new Power Wagon on the show floor and a video of the flashy debut in Chicago. Have a look. View 18 Photos Show full PR text New 2017 Ram Power Wagon – The Ultimate Off-road Truck Benefits From New Design New 2017 Ram Power Wagon front grille design styling super-sizes Ram 1500 Rebel Tops Ram – "The Off-road Truck Leader" – 4x4 lineup New colors, lighting, wheels, grilles and legacy graphic takes cues from 1979-80 "Macho Power Wagon" New interior colors and materials, including Diesel Gray and Black seats with tire tread-matching pattern Unique 17-inch wheels and 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires pull dirt from its comfort zone Standard 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 with best-in-class 410 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. of torque features unsurpassed powertrain warranty – five years/60,000 miles Unique Ram "Articulink" front suspension system incorporates high movement joints and sway-bar disconnecting system, allowing for additional flexibility and axle articulation Ram engineering continues to lead heavy-duty segment innovation with five-link coil rear suspension to deliver best-in-class ride and superior axle control Ram Power Wagon features standard front and rear electronic-locking differentials for true four-wheel drive and maximum traction Standard Warn 12,000-lb.