Don’t follow a Mercedes, and other recalls

Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y

While Carlos Tavares may have resigned yesterday, according to one Italian rumor taking with him an absolutely massive bonus, that does not change the weekly list of recalls, which includes one Stellantis note (backup cameras not working on 2023-24 Grecals and 2024 GranTurismos) along with some recalls to other cars which may be worrying to … Read more

Official: Carlos Tavares resigned, leaving Elkann in charge

Carlos Tavares

Known for his severe cost-cutting, Carlos Tavares, Stellantis’ first chief executive officer, is apparently going to leave office earlier than expected. Tavares had told reporters he would remain through 2026, and the company only announced the start of its search for a replacement in October. Less than one hour ago, Bloomberg’s Albertina Torsoli, Daniele Lepido, … Read more

Jeep Commander arriving in Mexico (corrected)

Mexican Jeep Commander

The Jeep Commander, sold for some time in Brazil, is going on sale in Mexico and other countries. While it has the same name as China’s lengthened Cherokee, this is more like India’s Jeep Meridian; it’s based on the Compass. The new Commander sells for around 735,000 pesos—roughly half the price of the Grand Cherokee … Read more

2024 Dodge Durango SRT 392 returns to dealerships

Dodge Durango 392

When the 2024 Dodge Durango Hellcat was announced, many readers complained that they wanted something between the 5.7 Hemi and the extreme Hellcat. Today, on Thanksgiving Day, Stellantis announced that these people could get what they wanted, the 2024 Dodge Durango SRT 392 AlcHemI, honoring the final 6.4 liter high-performance engines. A version of the … Read more

Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Collectors Edition Debuts at the LA Auto Show

The 2025 Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition

The new Fiat 500e has proven to be a popular option for prospective EV owners who are interested in a small, inexpensive and efficient city car. They are surprisingly comfortable and fun to drive – which is why I added one to my personal fleet alongside my Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my new 2025 … Read more

Two more Jeep recalls this week

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve

Jeep had two more recalls this week, both affecting 2024 models. The Jeep Wrangler can have inoperative trailer lighting, but only 34 vehicles in the US (and presumably a handful elsewhere in the world) are affected. This only affects vehicles made from January 24 through March 18, 2024, with the tow package but with the … Read more

Stellantis Formally Introduces the STLA Frame Chassis Platform

STLA Frame

Earlier this week, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares hosted an online press conference to formally introduce the STLA Frame chassis platform – the chassis that will serve as the underpinnings for the upcoming Ram REV and Ramcharger. We have not gotten any new details, but the formal introduction suggests that we are getting closer to the … Read more

Ram Teams Up with NFL Legend J.J. Watt for New Ad Campaign

The Ram Truck brand has just introduced a new advertising campaign that works with retired NFL legend J.J. Watt that promotes both their new pickups and the charitable foundation that carries the linebacker’s name. “The Ram brand’s defining tenet is ‘built to serve,’ and our trucks help deliver on that promise every day,” said Raj … Read more

Tailfins resurrected

Tailfins web site

Some more-experienced (older) readers may recall, among the very early Internet car sites, one named Tailfins which covered a variety of then-modern and classic cars, with special sections for slant six, V8, and 2.2/2.5 four-cylinder power. (Don’t look for tailfins-dot-com, it’s long since moved on to a domain squatter.) The site was set up by … Read more

GM laying off 1,000 people globally

General Motors GM Flint Metal Center

General Motors told news organizations that it was laying off a thousand people around the world, mostly salaried workers with some hourly people. The layoffs were announced by email. According to MSN, some of the layoffs were due to poor performance, while others involved changing priorities. GM has been cutting back on some projects, such … Read more

Durango sticking to V8s, adding features for 2025

2025 Dodge Durango Hellcat Brass Monkey (STLA pics)

With today’s announcement of the 2025 Dodge Durango lineup, it seems that the Hurricane twin-turbo six is not going to join the big Dodge SUV. The 2024 engine lineup is still available for 2025, from Pentastar V6 to supercharged Hellcat—and the 5.7 remains between them, possibly because sales of the 2024s were insufficient to go … Read more