Auto blog

Chrysler minivans spied in group test

The 2017 Chrysler Town & Country is just a few weeks from its debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, and the company continues to evaluate its new minivan. A massive batch of spy shots now shows a whole fleet of them testing, along with the current model and competitors like the Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedona. Several of these examples drop the heavy cladding from earlier prototypes. Compared to today's model, the new Town & Country gets a major styling upgrade. These shots provide another glimpse at the updated front end with its narrow mesh grille and Chrysler 200-like headlights. The swirling camouflage along the side can't hide the more sculpted shape, including a character line that slices through the door handles. Three of the photos also provide a glance at the instrument panel, including the display between the gauges. In this case, it shows the tire pressures, and there's a digital speedometer on top. Rumors suggest at least two powertrains for the new Town & Country: an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid version or one with a 3.2-liter V6. The van should also offer plenty of connectivity, with reports of USB ports for each row of seats and optional foot-activated side doors. Related Video:

Chrysler slows minivan production, hasn't built VW Routan this year

Chrysler has slowed production of its Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans this week, Automotive News reports. The Windsor, Ontario plant will cut its three shifts from eight hours each to four hours each in an effort "to align production with market demand," a Chrysler spokesperson told AN. Chrysler also builds the closely related Routan minivan for Volkswagen at its Ontario facility, but has not built a single example thus far in 2013.
Sales of Chrysler's minivans fell 15 percent for the first two months of 2013, and a large part of that has to do with the 26-percent drop of the Grand Caravan alone (the T&C was only down by one percent). According to Automotive News data, as of March 1, Chrysler had an unsold inventory of 24,713 Town and Country models and 18,547 Grand Caravans - a 69- and 43-day supply, respectively.
"No sense running full speed now, then have a lot of vehicles sitting around a few months down the line," Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson told AN. Full production is expected to resume again on March 18.

Chrysler recalling 630k Jeep models worldwide

Despite its refusal to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models this week over a gas tank fire risk, Chrysler will be recalling 630,000 Jeep Compass (pictured), Patriot and Wrangler vehicles around the globe for a pair of entirely different reasons.
The affected Compass and Patriot models are all from the 2010 to 2012 model years - 254,000 in the United States, 45,400 in Canada and 109,000 elsewhere in the world. In these models, a software error may result in the late deployment of the side airbags and seatbelt tensioners. In the event of a crash, failure of these systems could result in more serious injuries for the vehicle's occupants.
Jeep's go-anywhere Wrangler also faces a separate recall due to power steering fluid lines that can possibly wear a hole in the transmission oil cooler line. According to Chrysler, the vehicles could then leak fluid, possibly damaging the transmissions. Roughly 221,100 Wrangler models are being recalled because of this issue, all of which are fitted with Jeep's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. In the US, 181,000 vehicles are affected, with an additional 18,400 in Canada and 21,700 additional units worldwide. A Chrysler spokesperson said that no crashes or injuries have been reported with either case, according to the Associated Press.