1985 Chrysler Lebaron on 2040-cars

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Forget the stupid millennial pitch, the Chrysler Portal Concept is full of good ideas

Chrysler's statements on the Portal Concept are heavy on the millennial, as we previously mentioned. And as such, the six-passenger people hauler shown at CES 2017 has all the elements of a concept for the m-word generation - connectivity, cameras, and plenty of items with a "modular" adjective on them. But put aside the tired idea that millennials are different from other car shoppers for a moment, because the Portal Concept boasts a bunch of great design ideas that anyone would appreciate. The thing is that millennials are the widest chunk of population in the United States. As such, they're hard to define. It seems like someone at Chrysler realizes this, as the press release for the Portal states: "While millennials are a broad group of consumers at varying life stages, the Chrysler Portal concept is designed and engineered with all life stages and lifestyles in mind, including active/adventure, single, married/partnered, those with newborns and older children." In other words, this is a vehicle designed for all kinds of people that suits all kinds of needs. Spoiler alert: The best package for flexible hauling of people and cargo is a minivan. And that's what the Portal Concept is, albeit slightly smaller than the current Pacifica. Chrysler Portal Concept View 20 Photos It's an obvious angle, as Chrysler popularized the modern minivan. But with current vans ballooning in size, there's room for the same virtues in a smaller footprint. If it takes 360-degree cameras and a customizable light ring around the doors to convince people that a flat floor and movable seats are cool, so be it. It's the practical aspects of the Portal that we like best, not the throwaway concessions to connectivity and autonomy. The best, most practical feature in the Portal is its seating arrangement. The seats ride on two parallel tracks, and each folds skinny with the seat pan popping vertical, or low with the seatback down. All (save the driver's bucket) slide back for room in front, or vice versa for space in the rear. Integrated seatbelts further help the seating flexibility. Even in a more realistic production form this is a clever innovation, almost as good as the original Stow 'N' Go. The same goes for the panoramic, high-mount screen that shows the dashboard and a host of other informative bits of data.

FCA to recall nearly 900,000 vehicles that don't meet emissions standards

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will recall 862,520 gasoline-powered vehicles in the United States that do not meet U.S. emissions standards, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday. The recall was prompted by in-use emissions investigations conducted by the EPA and in-use testing conducted by Fiat Chrysler as required by U.S. regulations, the agency said. EPA said it will continue to investigate other Fiat Chrysler vehicles that are potentially noncompliant and may become the subject of future recalls. The recall includes 2011-2016 Dodge Journeys, 2011-2014 Chrysler 200s and Dodge Avengers, 2011-2012 Dodge Calibers and 2011-2016 Jeep Compass/Patriots. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement the EPA announcement "has no safety implications. Nor are there any associated fines." "The issue was discovered by FCA during routine in-use emissions testing and reported to the agency," the company said. "We began contacting affected customers last month to advise them of the needed repairs, which will be provided at no charge." Its U.S.-traded shares were down 1 percent. "EPA welcomes the action by Fiat Chrysler to voluntarily recall its vehicles that do not meet U.S. emissions standards," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. "We will provide assistance to consumers navigating the recall and continue to ensure that auto manufacturers abide by our nation's laws designed to protect human health and the environment." Fiat Chrysler owners can continue to drive their vehicles, the government said. Due to the "large number of vehicles involved and the need to supply replacement components — specifically to the vehicle's catalytic converter — this recall will be implemented in phases during the 2019," the EPA said In January, Fiat Chrysler agreed to a settlement worth about $800 million to resolve claims by the U.S. Justice Department and state of California that it used illegal software to produce false results on Ran and Jeep vehicles. But that incident involved diesel engines. It is awaiting the outcome of a criminal probe. The hefty penalty was the latest fallout from the U.S. government's stepped-up enforcement of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen AG admitted in September 2015 to intentionally evading emissions rules.

LH, like new: 1994 Chrysler Concorde on eBay Motors has just 987 miles

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The fortunes of Chrysler Corporation have been on a roller coaster going back decades. If we look to the recent past, one particularly dramatic renaissance occurred in the early-to-mid 1990s. That's when Chrysler emerged from more than a decade of peddling K-car-based products to field a dramatically styled modern new lineup. The headline vehicle for that turnaround was the company's trio of LH-platform cars, among them the Chrysler Concorde. To get a sense of exactly what that car was like, we can't imagine there's a better example than this 1994 Chrysler Concorde for sale right now on eBay Motors. The Concorde was introduced for 1993 alongside the Dodge Intrepid and the Eagle Vision (remember Eagle division?). The cars introduced a new "cab-forward" architecture that instantly made the big sedans' competitors look old. Impressed by the LH sedans' spacious interiors and competent handling, and enthralled with brash-talking, cigar-chomping Chrysler executive Bob Lutz, the automotive media heaped praise on the trio. The LH cars were Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year for 1993, and the Concorde ended up on Car and Driver's 10 Best lists in '93 and '94. This second-year Concorde, finished in period-appropriate two-tone exterior with contrasting-color lower cladding, is a time warp. Check out the blue cloth interior, the mesh alloy wheels, and the Infinity cassette stereo. Incredibly, this show car shows just 987 miles on the clock, and the condition certainly seems to support that odo reading. At this writing, the car is at $7,600 after just two bids. The reserve, however, has not been met. There are still a few more days to go in the auction, so it remains to be seen how the market values a top-flight Concorde. Will these Lutz-era Chryslers someday get their due? If so, the time to buy might be now. Check out the commercial below, to see how Chrysler pitched the '94 Concorde when it was new: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.