1998 Dodge Ram 3500 on 2040-cars

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How good would this look as a Dodge? New Peugeot 408 is a cool EV crossover coupe

Americans have long lusted after the forbidden fruits of the automotive markets: Vehicles offered elsewhere but not sold here in the United States. When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, former parent to Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and others, joined forces with PSA (Peugeot and others), there was hope that Americans could get hold of some quirky French cars as part of the deal. That hasn’t happened, at least not yet. As it turns out, Europeans get just as many boring crossovers as we do, though Peugeot thinks it has a solution with the new 408, an aerodynamic compact crossover with style for days. While we seriously doubt a rebadged 408 would ever show up on our shores, it's easy to imagine how a vehicle looking something like this on the same electrified platform could spawn a viable product for the American market. Squint a bit and "new electric Dodge Intrepid" comes to mind.  Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that France would come out with a new vehicle that seems well-matched to the American market. Utility vehicles made up 46% of new vehicle sales in France in May, matching the sales numbers of sedans in the country. PeugeotÂ’s banking on the fact that many people want the space and usability of a compact SUV but tire of the styling and ubiquity of the vehicle type. The fastback shape provides a more dramatic design look without completely sacrificing the characteristics that make SUVs so popular.  Peugeot offers a traditional SUV in the 3008, but the 408 is sleeker and more aerodynamic. The automaker says that the 408 “offers a feline stance and unique allure, engineering excellence focused on efficiency and intelligent electrification, as well as the emotions provided by cutting-edge technologies dedicated to driving pleasure and instinctive use." Two plug-in hybrid powertrains will be offered first, producing 180 and 225 horsepower. A standard gas model will also be available with a 130-horsepower engine. All variants get an eight-speed gearbox, and Peugeot says an electric model will come later. No Stellantis brand in the United States currently offers a purely electric vehicle.  Peugeot will build the 408 at its plant in Mulhouse, France, for the European market. The vehicle will go on sale early in 2023 and will later become available in China. Related video: Featured Gallery 2023 Peugeot 408 Green Green Dodge Citroen Crossover Future Vehicles

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.

2015 Dodge Charger configurator opens up shop

Itching to get your hands on a new 2015 Dodge Charger? Your day is almost nigh, my friend While you're waiting, you can spec out how you'd want your muscle sedan to look as Dodge has included the revised four-door in its online configuration tool. Though it's not the most impressive or interactive of configurators we've seen, the site lets you choose any color you want (from the limited array available anyway) along with all the key options packages and such. First you'll need to choose a trim level though, but we're afraid the Hellcat version isn't part of this site, and the SRT site hasn't launched a configurator yet for the world's fastest production sedan, so you'll have to choose between SE, SXT and R/T trim levels. Related Video: