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Fiat Chrysler target 850k sales in China by 2018

Behind the vanguard of numerous Jeep models, two Chryslers, a smattering of Fiats and Alfa Romeos and local production through a joint venture with Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAG), Fiat Chrysler wants to increase sales in China more than six-fold by 2018. The group sold 130,000 cars in China in 2013, the aim for 2018 being 850,000 cars.
Ultimately it's expected that the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Wrangler, Renegade, the coming Grand Wagoneer and a sub-Renegade-sized crossover will either be built in or exported to the People's Republic. The Chrysler Town & Country and 300 will join the export list in 2016 and 2018 respectively, according to a report in Automotive News.
With a number of those vehicles not in production or perhaps even envisaged yet, and others not due on the local market until 2018, it will be interesting to see how Fiat Chrysler plans to achieve the target in the specified timeframe. The joint venture with GAG builds two products now, the Dodge Dart-based Fiat Viaggio launched two years ago - supposedly designed just for China - and the just-launched Fiat Ottimo, a hatchback version of the Viaggio. Fiat projected 300,000 Viagio sales in its first two years, that number has been adjusted downward to 94,000 and there doesn't appear to be an analyst alive that sees a good future for Fiat in China's overrun mainstream market. Still, last year's 130,000 group sales in China is a huge jump from 2012 sales of 66,000 units, but less than half the 300,000 units it projected.

Macron and Le Pen decry 'shocking' Stellantis CEO pay

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger in the French presidential vote, Marine Le Pen, on Friday both decried as “shocking” the multimillion euro payout to the CEO of carmaker Stellantis. Stellantis CEO Carlos TavaresÂ’ remuneration package of 19.15 million euros just a year after the company was formed became an issue as Macron and Le Pen campaigned ahead of the April 24 runoff vote. Polls show purchasing power and inflation are a top voter concern. Stellantis was formed last year through the merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Centrist President Emmanuel Macron, perceived by many voters as being too pro-business, called the pay package “astronomical” and pushed for a Europe-wide effort to set ceilings on “abusive” executive pay. “ItÂ’s shocking, itÂ’s excessive,” he said Friday on broadcaster France-Info. “People canÂ’t have problems with purchasing power, difficulties, the anguish theyÂ’re living with, and see these sums. Otherwise, society will explode.” Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who enjoys support from many working-class voters, called for bringing in more workers as shareholders. “Of course itÂ’s shocking, and itÂ’s even more shocking when it is the CEOs who have pushed their society into difficulty,” she said Friday on BFM television. “One of the ways to diminish this pay, which is often out of proportion with economic life, is perhaps to allow workers in as shareholders.” Stellantis continued to back the package despite a 52.1% to 47.9% vote rejecting it at an annual shareholders' meeting chaired from the Netherlands, where the company is legally based, on Wednesday. The company, citing Dutch civil code, noted that the vote is advisory and not binding. The company later said in a statement that it took note of the vote, and will explain in an upcoming 2022 remuneration report “how this vote has been taken into account.” In the 2021 report, the company identified peer group companies that it used as a salary benchmark, including U.S. companies like Boeing, Exxon Mobile, General Electric as well as carmakers Ford and General Motors. Stellantis, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, Opel and Maserati, reported net profits last year had tripled to 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion). The French government is the third-largest shareholder in Stellantis, with a 6.15% stake through the Bpifrance Participations S.A. French public investment bank.

2015 Jeep Renegade to start at $17,995, Trailhawk rings up at $25,995

Prices for the 2015 Jeep Renegade have leaked onto a enthusiast forum ahead of the official embargo on pricing and driving impressions, which breaks at 12:01 AM Friday. They come from a video interview with Jeep CEO Mike Manley, that was allegedly set live accidentally. It's since been pulled down. At this point, it's unclear if the listed prices include any destination charges, so they could climb slightly higher or lower. In its most basic form, the two-wheel-drive Renegade Sport will go on sale for just $17,995. For that price, you get, um, not a lot. Really. The entry level Renegade doesn't even offer standard air conditioning – it's part of a package that includes heated power mirrors and cruise control. The $21,295 Latitude adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, standard 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, five-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, a six-speaker stereo and USB connectivity. The top-end Renegade Limited, meanwhile, starts at $24,795 and makes standard items of the heated, powered leather seats, dual-zone climate control, seven-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster, auto-dimming mirror and 18-inch wheels. The Limited also adds a number of aesthetic tweaks that spruce up the Renegade's exterior, including brightwork around the grille, mirror caps, taillights and roof rails. The above prices, of course, are only for the front-drive Renegade. Add $2,000 to the above prices for all-wheel drive. You won't need to add that to the all-wheel-drive-only Trailhawk, which starts at $25,995 and comes with a slew of off-road features, including a bespoke front and rear fascia, with the former sporting the world's most adorable pair of red tow hooks. Mechanically, there's an exclusive version of the brand's Active Drive all-wheel-drive system that includes a 20-to-one crawl ratio and a dedicated Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system and 17-inch wheels. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to Ruby Red accents. While we have basic trim prices, we're still without more specific details, including the cost of marquee options like the My Sky roof, as well as the plethora of options packages that will be available when the CUV arrives in dealers. We'll have our full review of the all-new Renegade available when the embargo on driving impressions breaks Friday. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these prices. Are they where you expected them to be? Higher? Lower? Have your say in Comments. Related Video: