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Fiat Chrysler CEO says final merger talks with Peugeot going well

BRUSSELS — Fiat Chrysler's chief executive Michael Manley said on Wednesday that merger talks with Peugeot owner PSA  to create the world's No. 4 carmaker are progressing well and he hopes to have a deal within 12-14 months. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of an industry meeting, he said he doesn't expect any major obstacles that could delay a final agreement. "Talks are progressing really well," Manley said about negotiations with the French carmaker ahead of a briefing by the European automotive association (ACEA), of which he is president. His comments come a month after the two carmakers agreed to a binding deal worth about $50 billion to combine forces in response to a slowdown in global demand and mounting costs of making cleaner vehicles amid tighter emissions regulations. Manley's timeline for completing the deal by early 2021 is in line with a forecast made by the companies in December. Fiat and Peugeot are now getting into the details of how the merger will work, including choosing which vehicle platforms — the technological underpinnings of a vehicle — will fit which products in a combined company. Because customers in different locations still prefer vastly different cars, there is room for multiple platforms in a combined group, Manley said. "That global platform is an elusive beast," he added. "This concept of a massive global platform in my mind is almost a myth, but that doesnÂ’t mean to say weÂ’re not going to recruit significant volume." Related Video:    

2019 Ram 1500 pickup shows its full face in spy photos

We're only a couple of weeks away from the 2019 Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck's public reveal at the Detroit Auto Show, but we're still getting little sneak peeks of the new Ram. In these spy photos, we get the last piece of the truck's front fascia puzzle, the badge. (UPDATE, January 2018: Here are the story and photos from the 2019 Ram's full reveal at the Detroit Auto Show.) As expected, the Ram logo fits in a little space between the split chrome bars in the middle of the grille. We're still not sure if this horizontal bar grille will be the only version or if there will be an assortment as there is on the current model. This iteration is the only version we've seen so far. These shots also show how this grille integrates nicely with the headlights. The turn signal LEDs line up with the gap in the chrome bar, the lower portion of the bar lines up with the lower running lights, and the upper portion lines up with the main headlight element. The rest of the truck will be fully revealed at the Detroit Auto Show. We know it will feature a 5.7-liter V8, which will probably be accompanied by at least a gasoline V6 if not a new version of the EcoDiesel V6, too. It may also be shown with the previously spied split tailgate. For additional peeks at the pickup, check out these previous spy shots, as well as our renderings. Related Video:

Peugeot E-Boxer seems like it would make a nice electric Ram ProMaster

Though electric cars, and especially pickup trucks, are the hot zero-emissions battlefield, there's another sector that's heating up: commercial vans. Startups such as Rivian and Bollinger have announced plans for vans, and Ford has shown a prototype of an electric Transit. It seems Stellantis is slightly ahead of the curve, though, as it has revealed details of its electric vans with the Peugeot E-Boxer. And the reason you should care is that the E-Boxer and gas-powered Boxer are nearly identical to the American-market Ram ProMaster and Italian Fiat Ducato. Powering the E-Boxer is a single electric motor at the front. It's not particularly powerful with just 122 ponies, but it has a more respectable 192 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 68 mph, which would probably need to be raised if these vans were offered in the U.S. Supplying power is one of two available battery packs: The shorter models get a 37-kWh battery that is rated for 124 miles of range on the WLTP cycle; longer models get a 70-kWh battery rated by WLTP for 211 miles. Those numbers would likely be lower in American EPA testing. While the range isn't incredible, enormous range likely isn't as important for delivery vans that might operate locally. These vans also come with DC fast charging in case more range is needed quickly. Though not quick, the Peugeot E-Boxer doesn't sacrifice on practicality. No cargo space is sacrificed for the electric powertrain, so you can fit just as much into one as a similarly configured gas model. Payload capacity is comparable to the gas vans, even the V6 ProMaster, too, with a maximum of 4,167 pounds. This number does vary based on configuration, just like cargo space. Peugeot will offer it in four different lengths with three roof heights as well as chassis and cutaway cab models. So it's just as configurable as the regular version. With some adjustment to how quick the E-Boxer can go, it would seem like it could be offered in the U.S. and beat some competitors to the punch. It's all built on the existing Ram ProMaster platform that we get here. And electric power would seem appealing to businesses that need delivery vans: lower fuel and maintenance costs. Time will tell if Stellantis sees things the same way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2018 Volkswagen California Review