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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 compromises with France, moving Renault merger bid forward

FRANKFURT/PARIS – Renault directors were preparing to review Fiat Chrysler's $35 billion merger offer on Tuesday, after the Italian-American carmaker resolved differences with the French government overnight, three sources said. The compromise on French government influence over a combined FCA-Renault may clear the way for Renault's board to approve a framework agreement beginning the long process of a full merger, unless new issues surface at the meeting. France, Renault's biggest shareholder with a 15% stake, had been pressing for its own guaranteed seat on the new board and an effective veto on CEO appointments. But after late-night talks with FCA Chairman John Elkann, the French government has accepted a compromise that would see it occupy one of four board seats allocated to Renault, balanced by four FCA appointees, the sources said. Renault would also cede one of its two seats on a four-member CEO nominations committee to the French state, they said. Renault, FCA and the French government all declined to comment on the discussions. The same evening that the compromise was was negotiated, activist hedge fund CIAM wrote to the board of Renault to say it "strongly opposed" a planned $35 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler. Calling the deal "opportunistic," the fund said the current deal terms strongly favored Fiat Chrysler and offered no control premium. (Reporting by Arno Schuetze and Laurence Frost; additional reporting by Giulio Piovaccari in Milan and Simon Jessop; editing by Jason Neely and Rachel Armstrong) Government/Legal Chrysler Fiat Mitsubishi Nissan Renault merger

The minivan, reinvented | 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid First Drive

In the 1980s, minivans succeeded station wagons as the vehicle of choice to move families. The Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, and Plymouth Voyager broke that ground, and Chrysler has owned the segment for most of its existence. Though still popular with practical types, minivans have been ceding ground to crossovers for a while, and after 30 years, minivan evolution has slowed, with only the occasional noteworthy feature like a built-in vacuum making headlines. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the next big idea in the segment. In fact, we think its plug-in hybrid powertrain is the biggest minivan idea since the original. Yes, we're excited about a hybrid people mover. For 2017, Chrysler has reworked, refocused, and renamed its minivan effort, ditching the Town & Country moniker in lieu of the Pacifica nameplate. The odd recycled name aside, it's not only far superior to Chrysler's outgoing minivan, but, with most of the competition several years old, the new Pacifica is easily the current class leader. But while the minivan's practicality is undeniable, they're not always the most efficient. It's a wonder, then, that no competitor has packaged a hybrid system into a minivan before – especially Toyota, given its dominance in hybrid everything else. Toyota does offer a hybrid minivan in its home market, but the Sienna's only calling card is that it's now the sole American van to offer all-wheel drive, something Chrysler gave up when it started hiding the seats in the floor years ago. Owing in part to its newness, the non-hybrid Pacifica was already one of the most fuel-efficient minivans on the market, with ratings of 28 miles per gallon highway, 18 city, and 22 combined. Add in the hybrid equipment, with its 16-kWh battery pack providing 30 miles of electric-only range, and the new Pacifica Hybrid achieves an astounding 84 MPGe, trouncing everything else in the segment (because, again, it's the only hybrid van). When working as a hybrid and not in EV mode, the Pacifica Hybrid nets a combined rating of 32 mpg. On a full tank and a full charge, it has a range of 566 miles. The hybridized version weighs 650 pounds more than a standard Pacifica. That's after some of the added weight from batteries and motors has been offset by a hood, sliding doors, and liftgate made from aluminum instead of steel. The suspension has been adjusted well enough that you don't really notice the added mass driving down the road.