Author: Josh Myatt

Staying ahead of the game. Despite being the sales leader in its segment for five years running, Dodge will make a change to its Charger lineup. New for 2019, Dodge is repositioning the Charger lineup into six distinct, attitude-infused models: SRT® Hellcat R/T R/T Scat Pack SXT SXT All-Wheel Drive (AWD) GT The new lineup offers a full range of performance and powertrain options for every modern muscle-car customer. “Despite a shift toward utility vehicles in the United States over the past decade, the Dodge Charger and Challenger continue to buck the trend,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America. “Charger and Challenger retail sales have increased 70 percent since 2008, and since the launch of Scat Pack in August 2014, high-performance model sales increased from 4 percent to more than 25 percent.” The 2019 Charger SRT® Hellcat adds four race-inspired technologies to go along with its race-like performance from its HEMI® V-8 engine. Launch Assist uses wheel speed sensors to watch for driveline-damaging wheel hop at launch and modifies the engine torque to regain full grip, all within mere milliseconds. Line Lock engages the front brakes to hold the Charger SRT Hellcat stationary, but leaves the rear wheels free for a burnout to heat up and clean the rear tires. … Read More

Is there anything more essential to the driving experience than music? Whether on your morning commute or on a road trip, nothing helps the time fly by faster than turning on your favorite tunes. Now FCA US LLC launched a new summer campaign to highlight the Apple Music experience available in name-brand vehicles. This year’s edition will break across Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT®, Jeep® and Ram and channels and will feature artists OneRepublic and Alice Cooper. OneRepublic headlines the push, collaborating with Jeep brand for its Summer of Jeep campaign. The multiplatinum and Grammy®-nominated band will use the campaign as a launch for their brand new single, “Connection.” Additionally, Alice Cooper will star for Dodge, while the Brothers Osborne appear in a Ram brand campaign. The new DeJ Loaf and Leon Bridges track “Liberated” is featured in FIAT brand online advertisements. “With this new campaign, Interscope continues our relationship with the FCA-crafting campaigns that speak to the power of music,” said Steve Berman, Vice Chairman Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “Our diverse roster and FCA’s respect for the magic of artistry and the creative process are evident in the new Summer of Jeep spot featuring OneRepublic.” The campaign highlights the Apple CarPlay feature available in any new FCA US LLC brand vehicle. This feature allows customers to do anything from listen to music and … Read More

We all want to get the most out of our purchase. Especially when it comes to our car. Going into every vehicle purchase, there are a variety of different aspects we’d love to have in our new ride. Though every customer has his or her unique preferences, a long and affordable life cycle is one feature most everyone can agree on. We want to take our car on a scenic road trip for a vacation, not make multiple visits to our local mechanic. No one wants to make one of the biggest investments of their lives only for the vehicle to break down in a couple of years and cause a lifetime’s worth of buyer’s remorse. Value and economic performance took up a portion of an Automotive Performance Index (API) study conducted by the Automotive Science Group (ASG), a research organization founded by an environmental policy consultancy, Eco-innovations LLC. By the end of the study, ASG awarded the 2018 FIAT® 500L with Best Economic Performance vehicle. According to ASG’s annual study, the 500L is the lowest-priced vehicle in its class with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $20,995. On top of its affordable purchase price, it also scored as the lowest cost of ownership when considering operating costs across the first 6.5 years of its life cycle. On average, the … Read More

One final drive. While the Dodge Viper may no longer be in production, that doesn’t mean it still can’t take one final spin around the block. Well, around the auction block. Fans, bidders and waves of nostalgia traveled through the Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut as the last ever 2017 Dodge Viper as well as the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT® Demon went out to the highest bidder. The winning bid not only got one, but both, of the last-produced vehicles that possessed a combined 1,485 horsepower (840 on the Dodge Challenger, 645 on the Dodge Viper). Most importantly, 100 percent of the auction proceeds were donated to the United Way. “We know the power of the Dodge Viper and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon to put a smile on people’s faces; we’re smiling today because we know the power of this donation to the United Way,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA US LLC. “These particular vehicles mark the end of their eras as the last vehicles of their kind to be built; it’s rare to have just one such vehicle cross the auction block, much less a pair at the same time.” Beahm indeed had much to smile about as the spirited bidding war concluded with the pair being … Read More

No worries all year-round. While the summer brings lots of sun and maximum A/C usage, our vehicles must be ready to brave any road condition at any moment. It’s never a fun feeling to not know how your car will fare when inclement weather rolls in. Having something we can drive confidently in any season of the year can bring a world of comfort to our daily routines. That’s why FCA US LLC had a banner day at this year’s Winter Vehicle Competition hosted by the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA), taking home more awards than any other manufacturer at the event. The 2018 Dodge Durango, along with the 2018 Ram 1500, 2018 Jeep® Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, all took home honors at the event hosted by media members across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Testing and scoring on vehicles took place in Middleborough, Massachusetts, with experts evaluating on how each withstands the variety of weather conditions faced by the northeast U.S. every year. NEMPA awarded the Dodge Durango with one of its highest honors, the Winter SUV of the Year. “The Durango has the ability to handle everything New England weather can throw at it,” said John Paul, NEMPA president. “With seating for seven, engine choices that can satisfy just about any … Read More

Always improving. When it comes to auto purchases, every brand needs feedback to see what features of their vehicles are working and what needs improvement. No one ever wants to make a new purchase and see that familiar issues still have not been fixed. Quality improvement is a major area of focus for FCA US LLC and that dedication was put on display in J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS). FCA US LLC improved on its initial quality at a faster rate than the industry average for the third consecutive year, with Jeep® brand leading the way with more than a 10 percent growth from its IQS score last year. “We are pleased to see that the company’s initial quality improvement has outpaced the industry average for three straight years,” said Scott Garberding, Head of Quality, FCA US LLC. “We have continued to improve and we have more work to do. We are highly focused on satisfying our customers by continuing to bring new technologies and products to market, with improved quality and reliability.” J.D. Power goes through an extensive and intricate process to determine its scores and rankings. The IQS produces its results from more than 75,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Users included in the study complete … Read More

Racers, start your engines! Car enthusiasts and race fanatics will have the chance to be in paradise as Dodge brings drag racing and thrill-ride experiences to Pontiac, Michigan. This August, “Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge” kicks off a week-long celebration of classic vehicles and car culture in southeast Michigan. This year’s festival will feature drag racing at the 87-acre M1 Concourse, broken out into two classes, Big Tire and Small Tire. Up for grabs will be a $30,000 purse with $5,000 going to the first-place finishers in each class. And the fun does not end at the race track. Along with the drag races, attendees will get a chance to get in the passenger seat of the 707-horsepower Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger SRT® Hellcat models. Participants can either join on the M1 Concourse skid pad and go on a drift adventure in the Charger, or go to the north loop of the M1 track and see firsthand just how fast the SRT Hellcat can go. Returning fan favorite activities include dyno testing, show ‘n’ shine, flamethrower and wheelstander exhibitions, ‘Roadkill’ stunts, kidszone and more. “Last year, more than 40,000 enthusiasts celebrated performance car culture at ‘Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge’ in an epic kick off to a week of cruising events,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands … Read More

Uncomplicate. Often it’s easier said than done. But, fortunately, that’s not true anymore when it comes to making your monthly car payment to Chrysler Capital (CC). Our redesigned MyAccount will take your car-payment experience to a new level, including easier navigation, seamless payment options and an enhanced mobile experience. Chrysler Capital is a program of Santander Consumer USA and Chrysler Capital LLC. “Making it easier for our customers to make payments was our priority in redesigning MyAccount,” said Randy Bockenstedt, SC executive vice president of servicing strategy. “Our customers have too many other things going on in their lives to worry about making their car payments.”       “The website redesign will simplify and significantly enhance the customer experience,” said Wayne Nightengale,  executive vice president of servicing. “These changes will empower customers to maintain their accounts at a time and in a way that is most convenient for them,” Nightengale said, “providing multiple safe, secure and seamless options to make their monthly payments – and strengthening our brand.” The upgrade should be apparent from the first time customers log in to and use the new MyAccount. Easy-to-read dashboard Get an Account Summary, including Amount Due, Next Payment Due date, Account Balance, Account Maturity date and more on your easy-to-read dashboard. You want a Payoff Quote? No problem. Just click … Read More

Get your popcorn ready. With the school year wrapped up and temperatures rising, the summer months always bring cinema’s biggest blockbusters. This year has already brought one of the highest-grossing movies of all time in The Avengers: Infinity War followed by the Star Wars origin story extravaganza, Solo. Even more big-budget popcorn films are set to release in June, with two of them being cornerstone franchises from major studios that have recently highlighted FCA US LLC vehicles. The Incredibles 2 America’s favorite family of superheroes returns in the sequel to the 2004 megahit, The Incredibles. In The Incredibles 2, the second Disney Pixar installment picks up right where the original left off with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, alongside their children Violet, Dash, and toddler Jack-Jack, coming off their first superhero victory as a family. As they move forward, Elastigirl is getting recruited for more world-saving rescue missions, and it’s up to Mr. Incredible to look after all three kids while she’s gone. Of course, when one of your kids is shooting laser beams out of his eyes, that may not be the easiest job. When it comes to preventing chaos among the youngsters, there may be no better option than the Chrysler Pacifica, as shown in the cross-branded ads for both the film and FCA US LLC brand. As Edna … Read More