2022 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Fwd on 2040-cars

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Chrysler 300C returns for 2023 with SRT power and more

Chrysler will revive the SRT formula for a special 2023 300C model equipped with the snarling 6.4-liter Hemi V8. While the badge itself won't return, the 2023 300C will offer everything the old 300 SRT had and more, including a limited-slip differential, big brakes, a sport exhaust and active dampers. Chrysler 300 Scat Pack, here we come — but you'd better act fast, as only 2,000 of them will be produced for the U.S. market (plus another 200 for Canada). And after 2023, the whole Chrysler 300 lineup will be gone for good.  "WeÂ’re celebrating the Chrysler 300 and itÂ’s iconic legacy in the automotive world," said Chrysler brand chief Chris Feuell. "The Chrysler 300 changed the automotive world in so many ways, and we will carry that spirit of ingenuity forward as we transform Chrysler with a fully electrified future and breakthrough customer experiences." Chrysler last sold the 300C variant (with its standard 5.7-liter Hemi V8) for the 2020 model year. While the 5.7 was still available in the 300S, the C was long the pinnacle of non-SRT models in the 300 lineup. In much the same way that Lexus IS500 F Sport Performance revived the underlying formula of the old IS F, this limited-edition 300C brings back the magic that made the SRT8 (later just SRT) model so desirable.  Before it was canned for the U.S. market in 2015, the 300 SRT was briefly offered with the 6.4, albeit with the five-speed automatic that dated to the Daimler-Chrysler years. The 2023 revival packs 485 horsepower (up from the old SRT's 470) and 470 pound-feet of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic and limited-slip differential. Chrysler says this combo is good for a 4.3-second sprint to 60 and a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds.  2023 Chrysler 300C View 28 Photos From there, the list of goodies on this limited-run 300C lines up pretty closely with a standard Dodge Charger Scat Pack. Chassis improvements include four-piston Brembo brakes and active dampers, and the round black tips are attached to an active exhaust to allow for mild cruising or wild hooning. Unique 20-inch wheels, black chrome accents on the grille and bumpers, blacked out head- and taillights and a new tri-color Chrysler badge will help the 2023 300C stand out in a crowd.  Inside, unique elements include Black Laguna leather seats embossed with the 300C logo, unique silver stitching, carbon fiber inserts and gloss black trim.

FCA to idle Belvidere Jeep plant again for a week in February

Bloomberg reports that Fiat Chrysler will shut down the Belvidere, Ill., plant that assembles the Jeep Cherokee for a week this month, starting February 17. FCA has been tweaking the plant's headcount and production schedule for a while now, usually downward. The automaker laid off 1,371 workers last February and fired 32 more in May, the same month it eliminated the third production shift. In August, the automaker shut down the plant for one week, then did so again for two weeks last month. As in August and January, FCA explained this month's idling by saying it needs to get production in alignment with demand. Cherokee sales declined 20% in the U.S. last year, helping to account for Jeep's overall 5% domestic drop in 2019. On top of the shutdown, FCA is offering buyouts to certain plant workers among the 3,600 hourly and 300 salaried personnel. The choices are either taking a "separation package" that comes with a $60,000 lump sum payment, or accepting voluntary termination that pays a lump sum based on seniority. Employees that choose a buyout can't return to Chrysler, becoming no longer "eligible for recall, rehire or reemployment." Belvidere personnel have until March 11 to make their decisions. Bloomberg says the aim is to reduce the number of workers with more seniority and higher pay grades; a company spokesperson said the move would "create opportunities for those employees still on layoff," who were lesser-paid. Around 900 of those laid-off workers remain on standby for reassignment to another plant. Analysts predict a soft year for car sales, so FCA might not be the only automaker pruning the rolls. Early estimates have come in below 17 million, and if that comes true, 2020 will be the slowest year since 2014, when 16,531,070 units left lots. The new contract between FCA and the UAW made provisions for Belvidere, which has tempered talk of a total shutdown.The automaker will invest $55 million for "fresh models/features off of the current (KL) platform" that underpins the Cherokee as well as the Chinese-market Jeep Grand Commander (it was previously used for the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200). Outside of that, some observers think the carmaker could be planning a three-row Chrysler crossover based on the KL platform, akin to the Grand Commander, for the United States. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Marchionne says no offers are on the table for Fiat Chrysler

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has not received any offer for the company nor is the world's seventh-largest carmaker working on any "big deal", Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Marchionne said the focus remained on executing the company's business plan to 2018. Asked whether FCA had been approached by someone or whether there was an offer on the table, he simply said: "No." The company's share price jumped to record highs last month after reports of interest for the group or some of its brands from China. China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd openly said it was interested in FCA, but had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. The stock move was also helped by expectations that the company might separate from some of its units. Marchionne reiterated on Saturday that FCA was working on a plan to "purify" its portfolio and that units, such as the components businesses, would be separated from the group. He hopes to complete that process by the end of 2018. "There are activities within the group that do not belong to a car manufacturer, for example the components businesses. The group needs to be cleared of those things," he told journalists. Asked whether an announcement could come this year, Marchionne said it was up to the board to decide and that it would next meet at the end of September. He said the time was not right for a spin-off of luxury brand Maserati and premium Alfa Romeo and the two brands needed to become self-sustainable entities first and "have the muscle to stand on their feet, make sufficient cash". "The way we see it now, it's almost impossible, if not impossible, to see a spin-off of Alfa Romeo/Maserati, these are two entities that are immature and in a development phase," he said. "It's the wrong moment, we are not in a condition to do it." He said the concept of separating the two brands from FCA's mass market business made sense and did not rule out this happening in future, but not under his tenure, which lasts until April 2019. "If there is an opportunity in future, it would certainly happen after I'm gone. It won't happen while Marchionne is around," he said.