2004 Chrysler Sebring Base Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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FCA and UAW deal could mean huge production shakeups

The big labor contract between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the United Auto Workers is likely to lead to some very serious production shakeups across the company's North American manufacturing operations. That's according to a new report from Automotive News, which details the sweeping changes at no fewer than five production facilities in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Mexico, and Poland. So without further ado, here's what's going where, presented in easy to digest bullet form. Ram 1500 production would move from Warren, MI to Sterling Heights, MI Warren, MI would be retooled for unibody production and would handle the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and could potentially build Grand Cherokees to ease the strain on Detroit's Jefferson North factory Chrysler 200 production would move from Sterling Heights, MI to Toluca, Mexico Dodge Dart production would move from Belvidere, IL to Toluca, Mexic Fiat 500 production, which is currently handled by Toluca, would be concentrated in Poland, where the Euro-spec Cinquecento is built Jeep Cherokee production would move from Toledo, OH to Belvidere, IL to make room for Wrangler and Wrangler Pickup production Like we said, those are some big changes. But, as FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said in an earlier interview with Automotive News, this kind of shakeup would make a lot of sense. In that August interview the exec said that automakers moved truck production to Mexico because they were "threatened" by the UAW. "The only thing [the UAW] want is to move the truck back. Which is right. If you move the truck back here, which is [the UAW's] domain, [and move] all the cars that we get killed on somewhere else, we could actually make sense of this bloody industry and actually increase the number of people employed in this country and really share wealth because we are making money," Marchionne told AN. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA toluca warren sterling heights

Chrysler 200 prototype spied for first time with new body

Chrysler is deep into testing for its next-generation 200 sedan, a new model that is utterly essential to the brand's continued health. The next iteration is tasked with wiping away anything reminiscent of the Sebring, which the current 200 is still based on. According to our spy, this is one of the first of the new 200s to wear a production body rather than the Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based mules that are thick on the ground in Auburn Hills.
Immediately apparent is that the new 200 ditches the awkwardly styled C-pillar that's typified four-door 200 sedans (and Sebrings before them) for years. The new, sleeker roofline is almost more of a four-door coupe than a traditional sedan, which hints that this new car will try to be more fashion-forward than its predecessor. The rear deck is set off by a sporty decklid spoiler, while a set of staggered rectangular exhaust pipes poke out of the bumper.
The front end appears sleeker, and we'd be lying if we didn't spy a bit of Dart through the camouflage, particularly with the headlights. A large, gaping lower air intake is visible, although our spy seems to think it'll shrink before production models debut. Whatever the new 200 ends up looking like, we expect to see a lot more of its styling from Chrysler in the coming years.

FCA goes natural with CNG fleet

FCA Transport, the fleet of tractor trailers owned by FCA US that hauls parts from suppliers and to assembly plants, is going green. By converting its 179 trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas, CO2 emissions will drop by 16,000 tons per year based on the cumulative 16 million miles the fleet covers annually. That is roughly equivalent to the yearly energy use of 1,500 homes, the same as not burning more than 17 million pounds of coal. FCA says rolling out the largest CNG-powered truck fleet in Michigan took two years to execute and a $40-million investment, including $5 million to build the largest private CNG station on the continent. It also required the assistance of Cummins, Allison Transmission, and Agility Fuel Systems. There is an upside for FCA Transport in all of this: the company estimates fuel savings of 35 percent from not having to buy 2.6 million gallons of diesel every year. It's probably no coincidence that this announcement comes as world leaders tackle the same problems at the Paris Climate Change Conference. The press release below has more. FCA US Launches Largest Private Fleet of Natural Gas-Powered Semitrucks in the State of Michigan- Company announces $40 million investment in Detroit to convert 179 parts-hauling trucks to compressed natural gas (CNG)- Investment includes facility and infrastructure upgrades and the installation of the largest private CNG fueling station in North America- Fleet's transition to CNG will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 16,000 tons per yearDecember 4, 2015 , Detroit - FCA US LLC announced today that it has invested $40 million in FCA Transport, the FCA US-owned truck fleet, to convert its 179 Detroit-based parts-haulers to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) rather than traditional diesel. The move gives FCA the largest private fleet of CNG-powered heavy-duty vehicles in the state of Michigan."Our transition to CNG reflects the way FCA US attempts to balance our search for profitability with social responsibility and community development, including environmental stewardship," said Steve Beahm, Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management, FCA – North America. "This project was a win-win-win – it offered a solid business case, clear environmental benefits and an opportunity to invest in our Detroit facility and workforce."FCA Transport, built in 1965, is located on Lynch Road in Detroit, just across from the Detroit City Airport.