U Spy: Lancia Grand Voyager CRD Snagged on Michigan Highway

Remember the rebadged Chrysler Town & Country minivan that debuted at the Geneva auto show in March this year as the Lancia Grand Voyager? How can we forget, we hear some of you cry out loud.

Well, the…Italian Grand Voyager may have yet to appear on the firm's official webpage and Fiat's press division may still have that single image showing a Town & Country photoshoped with Lancia badges (no, really, 6 months after we reported it, the Italians continue to display the same digitally manipulated picture…), but the minivan has made its appearance on the road.

But not where you'd expect. The Lancia Grand Voyager was spotted by autoscardesign reader Molly S. travelling alongside a light-blue Chrysler minivan on the M-14 highway in eastern Michigan.

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Posted on 15.38 / 0 comments / Read More

Nearly 300,000 Chrysler and Dodge Minivans Recalled Over Airbag Issue

The Chrysler Group has issued a recall on 299,718 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 model year to fix a problem that could cause the airbags to deploy unexpectedly.

The automaker said that the issue is related to the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) modules that controls the airbags. According to Chrysler, the OCR module may have been exposed to moisture. If this happens, it could lead to the airbag warning light going on while in some cases, the airbag could deploy for no reason.

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Posted on 14.28 / 0 comments / Read More

New Ram Cargo Van is a 2012 Dodge Caravan for the Pro

The Chrysler Group’s Ram Truck division has lifted the wraps off its latest offering, the new Cargo Van or simply Ram C/V, which is nothing more than a 2012 Dodge Caravan in LCV guise with solid panels in the place of the rear windows and a flat load area.

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Posted on 08.49 / 0 comments / Read More

Chrysler Group Recalling 248,000 Crossovers and Minivans Over Engine Shutoff Risk

More than 248,000 Dodge Journey crossovers and Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2010MY are being recalled because of a defect that could allow the ignition key to move from the run to accessory position while driving and cause the engine to shut off.

In a notice on the government safety agency's website, Chrysler said there are approximately 32 customer complaints and 465 warranty claims for the affected vehicles alleging inadvertent engine shutoff while driving, adding that the company is aware of 2 alleged rear-end collisions related to this problem.

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Posted on 10.35 / 0 comments / Read More

Dodge Unveils Sporty R/T Versions of Charger, Challenger, Journey, Durango and Grand Caravan

The Chicago Auto Show is the stage for the world premiere of an entire lineup of new R/T performance models from Dodge. The brand's performance moniker, which stands for Road & Track and has been in use since the 1960s, has now been applied on the latest iterations of the Charger saloon, Challenger Coupe, Journey crossover, Durango SUV and the Dodge Caravan minivan. Every R/T model receives exclusive exterior and interior design cues plus performance enhancements including special exhaust tuning and a sport suspension.

“Our Dodge R/T models give buyers the chance to stoke their love of driving while still taking care of their families and responsibilities. Driving these R/T models will absolutely leave a smile on their face,” said Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles.

Beginning with the 2011 Charger R/T, the sports sedan comes with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with four-cylinder mode Fuel Saver Technology returning 370 horsepower and a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) performance in less than 6 seconds. It is available in both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. The MSRP for the 2011 Charger R/T is $30,170 (excluding an $825 destination charge).

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Posted on 04.58 / 0 comments / Read More

Jeep to Revive Grand Wagoneer Nameplate with New 7-Seat SUV, Marchionne Says Commander was "Unfit for Human Consumption"

In talking with reporters on Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chrysler and Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to bring the Jeep Grand Wagoneer nameplate back to life with an all-new seven seat SUV model, based on the underpinnings of the recently launched Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

“It's time we gave the market an upper-scale Grand Wagoneer,” said Marchionne. “You'll see it in January 2013.”

As expected, reporters asked Marchionne how the Grand Wagoneer would differ from the seven-seat Jeep Commander, which Chrysler killed last year. The CEO's answer was piercingly honest: “That car was unfit for human consumption. We sold some. But I don't know why people bought them.”

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Posted on 07.34 / 0 comments / Read More

Dodge Announces Pricing on 2011 Models Including Challenger, Charger and Durango

Over the past few weeks, the Chrysler Group has been revealing information and pictures on a slew of all-new or refreshed models for 2011. Now, it's time to let out the pricing details beginning with Dodge and its 2011 model year Durango SUV, Charger, Journey, Grand Caravan, Avenger and the Challenger.

You can read the full details in the press release after the jump, but for those that want the skinny, here are the starting prices for the new models:

New Durango from $29,195; Charger SE with the new 292HP 3.6-liter V6 from $25,170; refreshed Journey crossover with 283HP V6 $22,245; Grand Caravan from $24,995; Avenger from $19,245 and Challenger from $24,670. Also, the new limited edition 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 with a 470HP V8 starts at $42,555.

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Posted on 08.44 / 0 comments / Read More

Dodge Continues Product Onslaught with 2011 Grand Caravan, will be Available in R/T form

After tossing out the facelifted 2011 Avenger earlier today, Dodge has now unveiled the revised 2011 Grand Caravan. If you have been following the news on the Chrysler Group's 2011MY products, you won't be surprised to know that the changes on the Grand Caravan can be summed up in the following points: Pentastar V6; overhauled interior; re-tuned suspension and subtle exterior mods.

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Posted on 09.17 / 0 comments / Read More