2015 Jeep Renegade Is A Turbocharged Global Crossover

The 2015 Jeep Renegade is Chrysler-Fiat’s first attempt at adding a crossover vehicle to the iconic American brand, and it could become Jeep’s most-important vehicle. With a wide range of engine options to help it compete in a variety of markets, the 2015 Jeep Renegade is a big deal wrapped in a small car.

While the Renegade broke cover Sunday when early pictures leaked, now we finally have all the important deets, including engine specs and transmission options. There’s actually 16 different powertrain combinations, including a four different gasoline engines (at least two of which are shared with corporate cousin, the Dodge Dart) and a pair of Fiat diesel motors that the U.S. won’t be getting, at least for now. No hybrid model, at least not yet.

Among the engine options is a 1.4 liter turbo with 160 horsepower and 184 ft-lbs of torque, and a bigger 2.4 liter, 184 horsepower four-banger with 177 ft-lbs of torque and 2,000 pounds of towing capacity. The smaller, turbo engine will come mated to a six-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels, though a new all-wheel drive system will be available that disconnects the rear wheels when not needed, improving fuel economy.

While the horsepower and towing may be kind of wimpy for a Jeep, engineers made sure purists don’t have too much to complain about by giving the Jeep Renegade 8.7 inches of ground clearance and the Jeep Active Low 4×4 system. More geared towards off-road rock crawling than snowy highway driving, the Active Low system offers a 20:1 crawling gear ratio, making for a total of five driving options for drivers who select this feature.

Fuel economy guesstimates haven’t been launched yet, though the smaller four-banger should be good for over 30 MPG highway. Alas, America will miss out on the higher-MPG diesel engines, as well as a Stop-start system that will come standard on European models, including its cousin the Jeep Cherokee. That could change though, as word of a diesel-powered Wrangler seem to indicate that Jeep could embrace more efficient engines down the road.

But for now at least we’re getting a turbocharged engine and a manual transmission, something the Jeep lineup has seriously lacked, and all in a pretty good-looking, Jeep-badged package. I have a hard time complaining about that, even if the styling is a little soft for my personal taste.

Sounds like a surefire winner for the latest entrant in the crossover segment.

Source: Jeep

Chrysler Gets OK From VEBA, Chrysler-Fiat Merger is Go!

After years of co-habitation, Fiat finally made an honest woman out of Chrysler and bought out the remaining shares in a $4.3 Billion deal with the UAW’s VEBA trust. Chrysler got the OK from VEBA to go ahead with the merger on New Year’s Day, with the final details still being hammered out by the two parties.

Hopefully, the merger will increase the likelihood of the next Chrysler 200 having more in common with the Lancia Delta than with the old Chrysler Sebring, and a new, 40 MPG Chrysler 100 coming stateside to battle the hot-selling Buick Encore and new-for-2015 Mini Cooper in the premium-compact class. Worst case, we’ll get a proper multicam Ferrari hybrid system in a new-age Dodge Stealth sportscar, which- seriously, you guys- would not suck.

Here’s the official news from the PR Newswire. Check it out, then let us know what Chrysler/Fiat crossover specials you hope to see stateside in the coming year in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

DETROIT, Jan. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust (Trust) is pleased to confirm that an agreement has been reached between the Trust's Independent Fiduciary and Fiat North America LLC regarding a purchase of the Trust's entire equity interest in Chrysler Group LLC.

We are very pleased that Fiat and the Trust's Independent Fiduciary were able to work together to reach an agreement on this important matter. The team at Brock Fiduciary Services worked with extraordinary diligence and professionalism to achieve the best possible outcome for the Trust and the retirees we serve.

"This agreement is in the best interests of the Trust's UAW Chrysler retiree members and their families who rely on the Trust to provide vital health care benefits," said Robert Naftaly, chair of the Committee that governs the Trust. 

The Trust provides medical benefits to more than 117,000 UAW-represented Chrysler retirees, surviving spouses and dependents, and will provide post-retirement benefits to eligible UAW-represented Chrysler employees and their dependents upon their retirement. 

The UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust is the largest non-governmental purchaser of retiree health care benefits in the United States, providing health care benefits to over 779,000 UAW retirees and dependents from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

SOURCE UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Unveiled: 240 HP, Higher Fuel Economy

Chrysler-Fiat took the wraps off its long-anticipated 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the first light-duty pickup truck to be offered with a diesel engine in many years.

The new diesel pickup uses the same 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 already fitted to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel utility vehicle.

In the pickup truck, it's rated at 240 horsepower and a substantial 420 pound-feet of torque.

The turbodiesel V-6 powers the truck through a new eight-speed automatic transmission, also fitted to most other Ram 1500 models (including the base 305-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and optional 395-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 gasoline engines).

Other fuel-saving elements of the Ram 1500 line include active grille shutters, engine stop-start technology, and aerodynamic panels underneath the truck that give it what Chrysler says is the lowest coefficient of drag among all full-size pickup trucks.

The new diesel Ram pickup will have what Chrysler terms "best-in-class fuel economy," but final EPA ratings have not yet been released.

The price of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is $2,850 higher than a comparably equipped Ram 1500 fitted with the Hemi V-8 gasoline engine.

Chrysler says that the truck will pay back the increased cost in three years or less.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will arrive at Ram truck dealers this fall.

Source: Green Car Reports