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Just-Auto reported that German publication Handelsblatt wrote that DaimlerChrysler is discussing the sale of a majority stake in its steering gear operation, MB Lenkungen, to ThyssenKrupp. Nobody other than DCX - we assume Mercedes - buys from MB Lenkungen at the moment, making it difficult to recoup development costs.
We have a rundown of the 2003 model year changes for all Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles. Click here to see what's new! There are some pleasant surprises, such as revised Neon transmissions (both of them), a Hemi option on the Ram 1500, greater availability of the 3.8 V6 on the Grand Caravan and of the 545 RLE transmission, and several interior and feature updates.
We're still compiling 2003 model changes, but here is the list for the Neon. Finally, Chrysler has changed the fifth gear ratio on manuals to provide better gas mileage and lower noise - and has apparently retuned the rather poorly implemented four-speed automatic. Ready?
Photos of the 2003 Neon are officially available (and we will post them later today). The compact car, which at times has been Dodge's best seller (and was "hot" when new), now has a front clip which makes it look more like a Dodge Caravan than an original 1995-99 Neon. The hood is lowered a bit so that the fenders rise up in sports-car style (e.g. original Tiburon), a sportier appearance than the 2000-2002 look. The Neon is scheduled to be replaced in 2005 or so.
It will be announced to the media on September 5.
Chrysler's Huntsville electronics plant has, according to Dow Jones, found many possible takers, with Siemens visiting this week and Visteon and Delphi also considering taking it over. The plant, which makes electronics parts for Chrysler, has recently won quality awards. Dow Jones suggested this was a good thing because, somehow, buying from other people saves money (and we always thought those suppliers made a profit!).
Dan Minick wrote: "Automotive News had a good article on the new look for dealers under the 'alpha project'. Lots of glass, high ceilings, arched entryways, white signage with the Chrysler wing logo, Jeep block letters, and Dodge Ram logo." He also pointed to Detroit News' "sneak peak" advance photo of the 2004 Durango (click here). It has, as expected, more Ram-like styling, as opposed to PowerBox or Power Wagon concepts. However, styling reflects the new Ram family, which may disappoint many people. Detroit News wrote that the wheelbase would be expanded nearly ten inches, with an interior increase of 24 percent, but that the overall length would stay the same. The Durango will fit eight passengers, or, with the rear seats folded, seven-foot-long cargo.
For two years, most new cars have included strengthened loops in the seats and the rear deck (or a similar location) to support a new type of child seat, in what is called the LATCH system. While it may not be as safe as the European system, it is almost certainly safer than using seat belts in most cases. However, child seat manufacturers, whose concern for human life appears nominal at times, have been slow to actually make child seats which use this system - one year ago, only two LATCH child seats were widely available, and one of them was simply an existing child seat with an extra set of buckles - not exactly taking full advantage of the system, and also, one would think, not so expensive an addition that other seats could not have it. However, the hammer will come down on September 1 - LATCH will be required on most child seats sold in the United States, and on all new vehicles. Government figures show that nearly 80 percent of child seats are installed incorrectly, a number which could be cut in half (to a still-depressing 40 percent, apparently) with LATCH.
Built-in car seats were available on many models for a time in the 1990s, but these seem to have largely disappeared except in minivans. Because integrated car seats (for children roughly one to three years old) are generally far safer than aftermarket seats, it is worth seeking these seats as well. (One is in our 1995 Neon).
Chrysler, police departments, and other automakers frequently sponsor child seat safety inspections. Parents are urged to seek assistance, since most believe they are installing child seats correctly - but are not.
Cleveland, a town dominated by Ford - it not only hosts the famous engine plant but seems to have the world's highest proportion of Fords on the street - is the latest civic body to have decided that the Crown Victoria police package, known as the Police Interceptor, is unsafe for police duty. The city filed a class action suit against Ford, on behalf of law enforcement agencies across Ohio, regarding the potential for fuel tank fires. There are seven separate fuel tank fires in 2000 and 2001, all leading to injuries or deaths, listed in Cleveland's suit (none in Ohio). In June, Ford agreed to start looking at ways to make the car, in production now for many years, safer.
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