02 Chrysler Town & Country on 2040-cars

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Federal grand jury issues subpoenas to U.S. FCA dealers

Despite an attempt to clarify and backtrack, it seems the investigation into Fiat Chrysler Automobile's false sales reporting is picking up steam. According to Automotive News, FCA dealers and regional offices have received subpoenas ordering them to supply documents and testimony to a grand jury in Detroit. Of course, the dealers are objecting to the request. They claim the subpoenas are too broad and would require them to hand over too much personal information, like personal phone numbers of dealer employees going back years. The group wants to make it clear that FCA has clarified its sales reporting and that the issue is with the manufacturer, not dealers. The dealers say that FCA employee records and testimony should be enough. It's rumored that a dealer group is the one that sparked the investigation in the first place. FCA confirmed on July 18 that it indeed was under investigation by a number of federal agencies. Although they've clarified their position regarding sales reporting, the fraud investigation continues full steam. Related Video:

Chrysler touts Pacifica Plug-in minivan's lower emissions

Put the words "Chrysler" and "minivan" together, and the concept of lower greenhouse-gas emissions may not immediately come to mind – especially given today's news about FCA sister brands Ram and Jeep. Among mass-market automakers, Chrysler and its sister companies (namely Dodge and Ram) have long lagged its competitors in fuel economy, with little in the way of drivetrain electrification. Now, though, Fiat Chrysler says it's taking steps to make some green-vehicle progress via its new Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid minivan. Namely, the automaker says the minivan, which can go 33 miles on electric power alone, generates 31 percent less emissions than previous-generation Pacifica, and 24 percent less than the 2017 model-year gas-powered variant. The Pacifica Plug-in, which will be the first hybrid minivan to be sold in the US, has a fuel-economy rating of 84 miles per gallon equivalent, and can go as far as 566 miles on a full tank and full electric charge. That full charge takes about two hours with a 240-volt charger, and 14 hours from a standard, 110-volt outlet. That means that over the lifecycle of the vehicle (estimated at 120,000 miles), the plug-in minivan, which will compete against models such as the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, may cut emissions by 21 metric tons of carbon dioxide relative to the gas-powered version. That is the equivalent to the annual emissions of about 22 US households, or, as Chrysler put it, 14 commercial flights to Los Angeles from Detroit. Chrysler is pricing the minivan at about $43,000 (or about $35,000 once the $7,500 federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles kicks in) and will start selling the model by the end of March. Take a look at Autoblog's First Drive impressions here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: First Drive View 19 Photos News Source: Fiat Chrysler via Green Car Reports Green Chrysler Fiat AutoblogGreen Exclusive Emissions Fuel Efficiency Minivan/Van Hybrid chrysler pacifica

Chrysler readying Hellcat V8 with Viper-like power

A monstrous supercharged V8 engine could be in store for Chrysler and SRT products, if recent rumors are to be believed. Allpar is reporting that the forced-induction V8 - Chrysler's first, if this goes down - could make its debut this summer.
The story goes that the Hellcat would be based on a 6.2-liter Hemi engine, rather than on the existing 5.7- or 6.4-liter versions of the company's vaunted mill. In any case, the general consensus is that the motor will have gobs of power. Modest estimates call for between 500 to 570 horsepower, with some outliers predicting a figure as high as 600 hp. That figure would put the output would place the Hellcat awfully close to that of the 640-hp V10 in the SRT Viper, too. Allpar contends that a slightly lower powered version would allow Chrysler to keep costs below that of the more powerful Ford Shelby GT500, which might be a sweet spot.
The Hellcat could debut in a number of SRT products. SRT versions of the Charger, Challenger and 300 are all up for grabs, as is the rumored SRT Barracuda.