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Weekly Recap: FCA hit with record fine as NHTSA crackdown continues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration slapped Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a record fine this week that could reach $105 million. The punishment comes after NHTSA found problems with the automaker's execution of 23 recalls that affect more than 11 million vehicles. The consent agreement, announced Sunday, calls for FCA to pay a $70-million cash fine and requires the company to spend at least $20 million over a three-year period on industry outreach programs and to beef up old recall campaigns. Failure to comply will result in another $15-million fine. FCA also agreed to federal oversight, which includes an independent monitor to oversee the company's recalls. The $70-million cash fine equals a penalty NHTSA levied on Honda in January. "Fiat Chrysler's pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers and the driving public at risk," NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement. "This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture." FCA called the deal a "consensual resolution," but admitted that it "failed to timely provide an effective remedy" during certain recalls. "We are intent on rebuilding our relationship with NHTSA and we embrace the role of public safety advocate," the company said in a statement. The announcement kicked off a busy week for the automaker. NHTSA agreed FCA did not need to recall 4.7 million vehicles after an investigation failed to find defects with a power module used in some Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles. A Georgia judge also reduced a civil verdict involving a death in a Jeep Grand Cherokee crash. Amid all of that, the company reported net profit of about 333 million euros, or $364 million in the second quarter on Thursday. OTHER NEWS & NOTES FCA ramps up Hellcat production Despite a decidedly legal and financial week for FCA, there was still time for the performance side of the business to briefly grab the spotlight. The automaker is more than doubling its production of the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats in response to strong demand. The order bank opens the second week of August and production begins in September. FCA will finish up its scheduled 2015 model-year Hellcat builds, and cancel any "unscheduled" versions, though customers will get discounted pricing for 2016.

Fiat Chrysler quietly sends Pentastar logo out to pasture

Logos come and go, and in the case of the famed Chrysler Pentastar, it's on its way back out. The well-known five-sided emblem, which sits prominently atop the massive Chrysler Technical Center complex in Auburn Hills, MI, is officially going to be phased out now that the company has united with Fiat and formed the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
As a nearly 50-year-old icon, though, the fate of the Pentastar has been deeply intertwined with Chrysler's history. Hemmings has an excellent recap of that history, from its development in 1962 by a Chrysler ad agency through to its temporary discontinuation during the disastrous marriage between the American company and Daimler-Benz, and then on to its revival during the time the automaker regained its independence.
If you've been a fan of Chrysler and its brands over the years, you're going to want to give this piece a read. Head over and take a look.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica scores near top on minivan mpg

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica gets 28 miles per gallon fuel economy on the highway, 18 mpg city, and 22 mpg combined, according to the government's newly announced estimates. Those figures compare well to the 2016 Town & Country's EPA rating of 25 mpg highway, 17 mpg city, and 20 mpg combined. They also make the new minivan among the most efficient models in its class, although not quite the king. These fuel economy figures only apply to the 2017 Pacifica with the 3.6-liter V6, which makes 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and the nine-speed automatic. We will have to wait until the second half of the year to find out how the plug-in hybrid performs, but the brand believes at least 80 MPGe is possible. Chrysler also plans to make stop-start available later, which will increase real-world fuel numbers. Compared to the currently on-sale competitors, the 2017 Pacifica is among the top, but there are two clear rivals. The 2016 Honda Odyssey has EPA ratings of 28/19/22. Those figures match the Chrysler on the highway and combined, but beat it by one mpg in the city. The other challenger is the 2016 Nissan Quest at 27/20/23. The Nissan wins by two mpg in the city and one mpg combined, but the Pacifica wins by one on the highway. According to Fueleconomy.gov, the front-wheel drive Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona match the Pacifica's 18 mpg city rating, but they can't beat its combined or highway numbers. Related Video: All-new Gasoline-powered 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Offers Unsurpassed Fuel Economy, Greener Ownership Experience 28-mpg highway unsurpassed in minivan segment; 12 percent better than model it replaces Combined-cycle rating of 22 mpg is 10 percent better Improved fuel efficiency contributes to nine-percent reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP) All-new Pacifica's superior performance attributable to engineering enhancements, such as: Upgraded version of award-winning Pentastar V-6 TorqueFlite transmission; world's first minivan application of nine-speed automatic gearbox Best-in-class aerodynamics Aggressive weight-reduction strategies March 8, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan has earned a highway-cycle fuel-economy rating of 28 miles per gallon (mpg) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – a benchmark unsurpassed by any minivan on the market. It is also 12 percent better than the vehicle Pacifica replaces.