2011 Dodge Charger First Test - Motor Trend

2011 Dodge Charger First Test - Motor Trend

Dodge's story, and believe you me that they're sticking to it, is that when the first generation four-door Charger happened, they first designed the car and then some out of touch marketing dude slapped the Charger badge on its rump. This time around, for the 2011 mega-refresh, Ralph Gilles and friends have decided to inject a little bit of actual Charger heritage into its thuggee sedan.

[Read more: Motortrend]

Ram: What's New for 2011

Ram: What's New for 2011
What's New for Every 2011 Ram Truck

2011 Dodge Dakota: Yes, the Dakota is still called a Dodge, even though the brand has been renamed Ram, which is also currently the name of the only other vehicle the brand sells. But none of that really matters because 2011 represents the final year for the not-quite-full-size Dakota anyway. And in its final year the Dakota comes with standard side curtain airbags and antilock brakes. It's also now available with Hunter Green Pearl and Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl paint. Our choice would be the latter, since we like all five of the things in its name.

2011 Ram 1500: The Ramiest of Rams, the Ram pickup truck is not substantially changed for 2011 (it was all-new not long ago, remember). There are a couple of new trim levels. One is the Outdoorsman, which combines trailer towing upgrades with off-road hardware to create a Ram that's equipped for hunting and fishing right off the lot. It replaces the TRX4 trim level. Ram has also introduced the Laramie Longhorn edition, which is the cowboy-fanciest pickup you ever did see. It's got two-tone exterior paint, many badges, leather seats with cowboy-filigree detailing and seatback pockets that look something like saddlebags. Intended to compete with Ford's King Ranch F-150, the Longhorn also comes with a very long list of standard equipment. Ram 1500s can be had in two new colors, Hunter Green and Deep Cherry Red, and are offered with a new Garmin navigation system and power folding mirrors.

2011 Ram 2500/3500: The heavy-duty Rams also get versions of the Outdoorsman and Laramie Longhorn (what is it with these people and steer anyway?) to complement the SLT, Power Wagon and Laramie trim lines. There are new interior colors and two new exterior colors (Hunter Green and Deep Cherry Red) along with new wheel options. A spray-in bedliner is now available as well.

[Read more: Edmunds Inside Line]

Chrysler: What's New for 2011

Chrysler: What's New for 2011

2011 Chrysler 200: No, you may not call this newly named-for-2011 sedan the Sebring. The 200 is Chrysler's attempt to make you forget about the homely and unloved Sebring. Until a proper midsize sedan can be fashioned of Chrysler and Fiat pieces, this face-lifted, renamed, juiced and nice-ified Sebring is all the company has to offer. That the company felt it needed to shoot the official pictures of the 200 in the dark is not entirely encouraging. Much more encouraging is the new 283-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that replaces the Sebring's lackluster V6 and comes mated to a six-speed automatic. A 173-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder is the standard motor and comes, for now, with a four-speed automatic. Chrysler says that late in the 2011 model year the 2.4-liter motor will be offered with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Sebring's suspension system has been retuned for better handling. Its interior has been substantially upgraded from the cost-cutting bad old days under DaimlerChrysler. And for good measure, Chrysler has gone on a holy crusade against NVH in this new sedan.

2011 Chrysler 300: Like virtually all of Chrysler's various cars, trucks and vans, the 300 sedan received a heavy facelift for 2011. It still has the short, stocky proportions that made it such a hit many years ago, but Chrysler's designers have now added LED marker lights up front and slightly shinier taillights out back. The interior has been completely refreshed as well. There's a new navigation system, better looking trim and even air conditioned seats.

2011 Chrysler Town & Country: Did you know that the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country minivan was offered with three different V6s? What the hell? For 2011, there is one V6 available: the new 283-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that debuted in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That engine is bolted to a six-speed automatic. Fiat-controlled Chrysler has also subtly face-lifted the big box, making it look, well, less boxy. More importantly, the company has designed a new interior to replace the woefully cheap horror show that soiled the inside of the old van. Chrysler says it also reworked the van's suspension, which dearly needed it.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Production starts on Mopar 426 'Elephant' Hemi V8 crate motor — Autoblog

Production starts on Mopar 426 'Elephant' Hemi V8 crate motor — Autoblog
Chrysler continues to successfully trade on its history with the introduction of the new 426 cubic-inch Generation III Hemi crate engine. When your past is filled with some of the most illustrious engines to ever roar down a drag strip, around an oval or under the hood of a muscle car, it's smart to capitalize on it. So with that in mind, production of the 426 crate engine has swung into action.


[Video from Chrysler]

The new Mopar 426 Hemi Crate Engine is all-aluminum and carries ratings of 540 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque for a $13,675 price tag. The engine made its debut at the Performance Racing Industry show in Florida, and was joined by other performance enhancing Mopar goodies. Pieces big and small, from valvetrain tie bars and cylinder head stud kits to aluminum engine blocks, W2 cylinder heads and rear strut tower braces for the Challenger/Charger/300, were all shown off at the show which ran from December 9-11. What it means for the leadfoot-at-large is that Chrysler loves its enthusiastic fan base as much as they love its products

[Read more: Autoblog]
[Read more: Chrysler]

2011 Jeep Compass Receives "Grand" Facelift: Official Details and Photo Gallery - Carscoop

2011 Jeep Compass Receives "Grand" Facelift: Official Details and Photo Gallery - Carscoop
The Chrysler Group has officially revealed the refreshed for the 2011 model year Jeep Compass crossover, which will go on sale in the U.S. within the next few weeks. In a similar fashion to its sister model, the 2011 Patriot, which looks like a smaller Liberty / Cherokee, the 2011 Compass bears a strong resemblance to Jeep's flagship, the new Grand Cherokee.

In fact, the SUV's restyled front end appears to have been directly lifted off the larger Jeep model. The new headlamps and the traditional Jeep grille with seven slots are joined by redesigned hood and fenders, additional body cladding, new brightwork throughout the exterior and slimmer roof rails.

At the back, the 2011 Compass gains LED tail lamps, new body-color rear spoiler and some trim updates. The newly designed standard 17-inch aluminum wheels, and 18-inch aluminum or chrome-clad wheels that are available on Limited models, complete the exterior makeover.

Inside, the interior is identical to the latest Jeep Patriot meaning buyers of the Compass will be greeted by higher-grade materials including soft touch front-door trim panels with a padded upper surface, a new center armrest and a three-spoke Jeep steering wheel with integrated controls for the radio, cruise control, available handsfree phone and other vehicle functions.

For 2011, the Jeep Compass will be offered with a choice of two powerplants. The base 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol provides 158 horsepower and 141 lb.-ft. (191 Nm) of torque, and can be hooked up to either a continuously variable transmission (CVT2) or a five-speed manual gearbox, in which case it returns 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Those looking for more power can opt for the 2.4-liter unit, which produces 172-horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of torque. Again, buyers can choose between the CVT and the 5-speed stick shift. Oddly enough, Jeep claims the larger displacement unit returns the same exact mileage as the 2.0-liter model.

The new Compass is available in three drivetrain configurations, including the standard front-wheel-drive model, the Freedom Drive I with full-time, active four-wheel-drive system with lock mode, and the Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package that comes with a four-wheel-drive system and a second-generation continuously variable transaxle with low range gearing (CVT2L).

Finally, Jeep's newcomer also boasts a retuned suspension for 2011, with higher spring and damping rates, added rebound springs, and an increased diameter of the rear sway bar.

The new Compass is built at the Chrysler Group's Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, with the first examples set to arrive in Jeep showrooms in December 2010.

[Read more: Carscoop]

2011 Chrysler 300 interior image arrives on web — Autoblog

2011 Chrysler 300 interior image arrives on web — Autoblog
If you've been itching to see exactly what the designers at Chrysler have cooked up for the next-generation 300 interior, itch no more. A photo of the car's cabin has managed to sneak past the watchful eyes of Chrysler bosses and make its way to the web, and from what we can tell, buyers can expect to see plenty of the company's new-found attention to detail inside. Attractive wood trim accents the door panels, dash, center stack and steering wheel, and it looks like the new 300 will make use of the same delicious touch screen navigation system that we played with in both the 2011 Dodge Charger and 2011 Dodge Journey.

The changes easily take care of the much harped-on interior of the current generation 300. Expect to see the big sedan bow with a 292-horsepower version of the new Pentastar V6 as well as a 360-horsepower 5.7-liter V8. Chrysler hasn't said whether or not an SRT8 version is in the cards, but we'd be surprised if we didn't see a muscle-bound version of the vehicle show up in the near future.

[Read more: Autoblog]