The Jeep Cherokee, Past and Present
March 15, 2013 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
Jeep made a huge announcement recently, proclaiming the return of the beloved Jeep Cherokee for the 2014 model year. This SUV was first launched in 1984 and had more of the original SUV look, with the design similar to a large box. The Cherokee inspired many SUVs before it was replaced by other small SUVs. [...]
Jeep Introduces Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition
November 30, 2012 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
Though the Jeep brand has more than seven decades under its belt, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is celebrating its first decade in production. It was 10 model years ago that the Jeep’s stroke of genius raised the bar in the off-roading world with the introduction of the Rubicon. Since then, the Rubicon has won several [...]
Larson Dodge Becomes New Source For Lifted Trucks
September 14, 2012 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
There are several advantages to having a lifted truck or lifted 4-Wheeling SUV besides how much fun they are to drive and their good looks. Larson Dodge is Tacoma’s new source for lifted Dodge RAM trucks and Jeeps, as they are now available brand new. A lifted truck gives you more ground clearance, which is [...]
Jeep Introduces the Mighty FC Concept
March 31, 2012 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
The Jeep auto company revealed 6 concept vehicles last week in order to promote the Moab Easter Jeep Safari gathering. The Moab Easter Jeep Safari is a early off-roading event that happens every year around Easter time. This year it runs from March 31 to April 8th in Maob, Utah, a place famous for its [...]
Jeep Reaches Facebook Milestone
February 29, 2012 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
Jeep has reached a huge milestone in its fanbase today. It is now the only domestic car brand to have over 2 million fans on Facebook. No other US brand even comes close to this amount of fans. Facebook is currently the largest social media site connecting with hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Jeep [...]
AMP Electric Vehicles Announces the Electric Jeep Grand Cherokee
January 3, 2012 by PGI Auto · Leave a Comment
Jeep has always produced some of the best adventure vehicles. Now, those with adventure and their carbon footprint in mind, will see the car of their dreams at the Detroit Auto Show happening this month. AMP Electric Vehicles, which specializes in converting gas-powered SUVs into electric SUVs, will be introducing the completely electric, battery operated [...]
Jeep Mopar
December 15, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Aftermarket , SUV , Jeep Jeep enthusiasts have been asking for a Wrangler pickup for years, and 2011 is the year they finally got their wish – at least in kit form . The only thing that could keep the JK-8 Independence kit from being a success is the $5,499 price, which doesn’t include assembly. But it appears that the serious Jeep fans are all-in, and Mopar is stepping up to meet demand. Wards Auto reports that Mopar’s original estimate of 200-300 kit sales was trumped by 400 dealer orders. Team Mopar is reportedly stepping up to meet the demand, as President Pietro Gorlier tells WA that more kits are on the way. Gorlier adds that Mopar continues to be cautious about sales expectations in part because the kits are so large and difficult for dealers to store in any real numbers. Early demand for the kits, which is also available for the Wrangler Unlimited , also shows Chrysler that a next-generation Wrangler truck could take the market by storm. Gorlier points out that Jeep President Mike Manley has gone on record as saying that the next redesign of the Wrangler could include a pickup option, though no definite plans have been announced. Mopar pickup kit for Jeep Wrangler a hot seller, coming early originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
2013 Dodge Dart
December 8, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hatchback , Chrysler , Dodge Dodge might have teased us with a few images and some initial powertrain details on the 2013 Dart , but Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has provided even more in an interview with Reuters . According to Marchionne, the Dart is one piece of a larger puzzle for Chrysler in 2013, and the all-new Dart – based off a widened and stretched Alfa Romeo Giulietta – will hit 40 mpg thanks to a host of new engines and transmissions. As previously reported , the turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir fitted to the Fiat 500 Abarth will grace the top of the Dart range, but Dodge also plans to fit modified versions of the 2.0 and 2.4-liter World Gas Engine, comically rebranded as the Tigershark. When the Dart debuts, a Fiat-sourced six-speed dual-clutch transmission will feed the front wheels, but later in 2013 Dodge will reportedly offer a nine-speed automatic gearbox supplied by the ZF Group and manufactured in South Carolina. ZF officials claim fuel economy will be boosted between 10 to 16 percent over the dual-clutch ‘box, and that should put it handily in the 40 mpg range. And that last bit is important, as Fiat will receive its final five percent of Chrysler stock from the feds when it produces a vehicle with a 40-mpg rating. Marchionne: 2013 Dodge Dart will have optional 9-speed auto, hit 40 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
2012 Passat Alltrack
December 7, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler , Ford , GM , UAW/Unions According to a top researcher, labor costs for salaried employees at Chrysler , Ford and General Motors will surpass those of workers represented by the United Auto Workers for the first time next year. A report in Automotive News says the calculation was performed by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and made public at a recent conference. Sean McAlinden, chief economist for CAR, explained the math like this. The Big Three’s 66,000 salaried employees make an average of $122,500, or just over $8 billion in wages. That’s a little more than the $7.9 billion that 115,000 hourly workers will take home at roughly $69,000 each. Until 2009, McAlinden said, hourly employment had a decisive edge in total compensation, but plant closings and a paring down of the blue collar workforce have left salaried employees accounting for about 37 percent of the Big Three’s American workers. Is this just another sign of a shrinking UAW, or something more significant? It’s hard to say, but the article hints that salaried workers could be the next targets for cost-cutting: “McAlinden said a recent pledge by General Motors CEO Dan Akerson to cut vehicle platforms by half and consolidate advertising with fewer agencies recognized that salaried labor costs are mounting.” White collar salaries to overtake UAW labor costs next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Europeans could be receiving diesel Cadillac
November 29, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , Chevrolet , Chrysler , GM , Jeep , Kia If you ask us, this 25 Hottest Products for 2011 list in Advertising Age isn’t exactly packed with automotive excitement. But with Dove soap, Malt-O-Meal, and Goldfish crackers also claiming spots, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s a Chevrolet Cruze , rather than a Camaro headlining the “America’s Hottest Brands” issue. Besides the Cruze, the venerable sister pub to Automotive News points out the Kia Soul and Jeep Wrangler , seemingly more for their marketing campaigns than anything else. Kia’s hamster ads are legendary, while Jeep’s marketing deal with the Call of Duty video game franchise has proven successful. The Cruze, on the other hand, is an actual hit for General Motors – topping 200,000 sales through October, and ranking as the company’s top-selling car. While that certainly makes the Cruze worthy of recognition, sales have begun to cool now that its newness is wearing off. While GM’s marketers can give themselves a brief pat on the back for making the list, clearly they still have work to do if they want to land on the 2012 version of the Ad Age list. Cruze, Soul and Wrangler among America’s 25 Hottest Products for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
