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Researchers who busted VW cheating say FCA's diesels dirty, too

The Wall Street Journal today reported on an upcoming report from West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels Engines and Emissions, which is the same lab that investigated Volkswagen emissions cheating. The report, which will be released in a matter of weeks, alleges that 2014 and 2015 model year Jeep and Ram vehicles with diesel engines emit excess pollution. But it does not specify whether the company used defeat devices. Since the report discusses Jeep Grand Cherokees, and that engine is also available in the Ram 1500, it's safe to assume that one of the implicated engines is the EcoDiesel V6, a unit actually produced by VM Motori. It's unclear whether the report covers any of the Cummins engines used in heavier-duty Ram pickups. This report comes on the heels of a federal investigation into FCA's diesel vehicles. That investigation focused on the EcoDiesel engine used in 2014-2016 vehicles. The feds were seeking a fine of up to $4.6 billion. The EPA and the State of California also previously accused FCA of using a defeat device on the same vehicles back in January. FCA, for its part, alleges that the WVU study might have been commissioned by people interested in suing the company, and disputes the testing methodology, according to the WSJ. We've reached out to WVU to confirm which engines are implicated in its study and will update this post when we have more to share. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: The Wall Street JournalImage Credit: REUTERS/Gary Cameron Government/Legal Green Jeep RAM Diesel Vehicles ecodiesel

Chrysler investing $20M in Toledo plant to support 9-speed auto production

In 2011, Chrysler announced a $72-million investment in its Toledo Machining Plant to modernize production of the eight- and nine-speed torque-converters for automatic transmissions made there. That upgrade work won't be finished until Q3 of this year, but Chrysler has already announced a further $19.6-million investment to increase production capacity for the nine-speeders.
The extra units will be necessary because the nine-speed transmission they'll be mated to is going into three popular models: it will debut on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, then go into the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart. The company predicted that this year alone it would sell 200,000 units equipped with the nine-speed tranny, and it is spending some $374 million in addition to the investment in Toledo to upgrade production capacity for it.
The work attached to this new investment won't begin until Q3 of 2014, and it will be finished by the end of that year. There's a press release below with all the details.

2014 Jeep Compass/Patriot sing their swan songs with a six-speed automatic

Unless the governor, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, gives them a reprieve, the 2014 Jeep Compass and Patriot are expected to meet their makers sometime next year. Should they perish, it's a shame that it would happen just as they've shed the continuously variable transmission that was their major bugbear, and just as the Compass has gotten its best looks yet.
Both will roll with a proper six-speed automatic transmission, courtesy of PowerTech. Noise-resistant gears and tuning by Chrysler boffins should alleviate the unappealing sounds that were given off by the older CVT. Unless, that is, you choose to have either model equipped with Freedom Drive II; the serious off-road package, available on both baby Jeeps, will still come with the CVT. The base transmission on the entry-level Sport trim remains the five-speed manual.
Otherwise, it's minor changes for the Compass, set off by the new 18-inch wheel option, trim pieces around the car and a back-up camera. The Patriot gets seat-mounted airbags, but is carryover otherwise. With their expected demises perhaps a year away, not much has changed otherwise. Engine choices comprise the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 158 horsepower and 141 pound-feet of torque or the 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 172 hp and 165 lb-ft.