2014 Ram 2500 Slt on 2040-cars

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China-FCA merger could be a win-win for everyone but politicians

NEW YORK — Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has said the car industry needs to come together, cut costs and stop incinerating capital. So far, his words have mostly fallen on deaf ears among competitors in Europe and North America. But it appears Marchionne has finally found a receptive audience — in China. FCA shares soared Monday after trade publication Automotive News reported the $18 billion Italian-American conglomerate controlled by the Agnelli family rebuffed a takeover from an unidentified carmaker from the Chinese mainland. As ugly as the politics of such a combination may appear at first blush, a transaction could stack up industrially, and perhaps even financially. A Sino-U.S.-European merger would create the first truly global auto group. That could push consolidation to the next level elsewhere. Moreover, China is the world's top market for the SUVs that Jeep effectively invented, so it might benefit FCA financially. A combo would certainly help upgrade the domestic manufacturer; Chinese carmakers have gotten better at making cars, but struggle to build global brands, and they need to develop export markets. Though frivolous overseas shopping excursions by Chinese enterprises are being reined in by Beijing, acquisitions that support the modernization and transformation of strategic industries still receive support, and the government considers the automotive industry to be strategic. A purchase of FCA by Guangzhou Automobile, Great Wall or Dongfeng Motors would probably get the same stamp of approval ChemChina was given for its $43 billion takeover of Syngenta. What's standing in the way? Apart from price (Automotive News said FCA's board deemed the offer insufficient) there's the not-insignificant matter of politics. Even as FCA shares soared, President Donald Trump interrupted his vacation to instruct the U.S. Trade Representative to look into whether to investigate China's trade policies on intellectual property. Seeing storied Detroit brands like Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and Dodge handed off to a Chinese company would provoke howls among Trump's economic-nationalist supporters. It might not play well in Italy, either, to see Alfa Romeo and Maserati answering to Wuhan instead of Turin — though Automotive News said they might be spun off separately. Yet, as Morgan Stanley observes, "cars don't ship across oceans easily," and political considerations increasingly demand local manufacture of valuable products.

Ram Long-Hauler prototype spotted testing, world about to get new largest pickup?

In the past few months, Chrysler's Ram brand has gone from also-ran status behind Ford and General Motors to a class leader in many truck categories including fuel economy (25 miles per gallon highway) and towing (30,000-pound maximum capacity). Now, based off these spy shots recently taken, it looks like Ram is preparing to introduce the be all and end all of pickup trucks, with a production version of its leviathan 2011 Long-Hauler Concept.
Our spy shooters recently caught the two-year-old concept truck running around Auburn Hills, MI covered in stickers that would indicate the truck could be testing for a production model, and last we heard back in September, Chrysler has been trying to build a business case for the massive hauler. On the other hand, seeing as how the only changes made to this truck since it was first unveiled are a full factory tailgate and various Mopar accessories (mud flaps, exhaust finisher and bed step), it doesn't appear that any changes have been made that fit in with the recently announced 2013 Ram HD models.
As a refresher, the Long-Hauler rides on the 197.4-inch wheelbase of the Ram 5500 chassis - usually reserved for stake or box trucks - allowing it to combine the luxury of the Mega Cab with the cargo capability of an eight-foot bed and enough room in between to fit a 60-gallon reserve fuel tank. This, along with the 50-gallon, in-bed fuel tank and the truck's factory fuel tank means that the Long-Hauler has the ability to carry 162 gallons of diesel fuel - enough for one incredibly long haul.

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.