Tag: delays

Report: Chrysler delays 2014 Jeep Cherokee media launch

Filed under: Jeep

2014 Jeep Cherokee

Chrysler is making the unusual move of delaying the first media drives of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which were slated to start next week in Seattle. And while something like this is a rare occurrence, and one that most of the Autoblog staff can’t recall happening this publicly or so close to the event itself, it won’t effect the actual on-sale date of the new Cherokee, which is set to hit showrooms in September.

“Over the last couple of weeks during final quality and durability testing, we have discovered the opportunity to further improve powertrain calibration,” Chrysler told Automotive News. This marks the second notable delay in the Cherokee’s short life, after production was delayed for roughly a month earlier this summer.

Still, we’d rather Chrysler make sure the Cherokee is ready for primetime before flying media in from around the country. It shows a willingness to get things right the first time, rather than offering media drives and then tweaking the car after the fact.

A simple look at the Cherokee’s powertrain is all that’s needed to understand how big of a deal it is. Everything under the oddly styled CUV’s hood is new, from a tweaked 2.4-liter engine to a new 3.2-liter V-6, to the first use of Chrysler Group’s new nine-speed automatic, developed jointly with ZF. The pressure to get this right must be immense. We’ll find out if Chrysler succeeds in September.

Chrysler delays 2014 Jeep Cherokee media launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chevy delays next Cruze until 2015

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet

2016 Chevy Cruze - front three-quarter view

The Chevrolet Cruze has proven to be a popular global car for General Motors. So popular, in fact, that the General is in no rush to replace the compact and is using the opportunity to build more engineering changes into the car’s design. Originally, we were expecting the next-gen Cruze to debut late next year for the 2015 model year, but according to Reuters, Chevrolet has pushed this timetable back by about a year. With the new Cruze now set to go on sale in December of 2015, it will likely carry a 2016 model year designation.

Other than riding on GM’s new D2XX platform, we have had little intel about the next-gen Cruze, so we have no clue what changes are being made to the car. What does seem evident is that Chevy is looking to prevent the Cruze launch from suffering the same kind of flop as the 2013 Malibu, which required emergency updates just one year after its launch. As the article points out, the Cruze has helped spur GM’s post-bankruptcy turnaround, and by the 2014 model year, it will be the oldest car in its US portfolio.

Chevy delays next Cruze until 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus delays Elan until 2016, Esprit on track for 2013

Filed under: Concept Cars, Lotus

lotus elan concept car

Lotus Concept Cars – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite the barrage of concepts presented at the Paris Motor Show, Lotus still has lots of planning ahead as it maps out the future. Five concept vehicles were revealed in 2010:the Elan, Elise, Elite, Esprit and Eterne. We’ve got an update on two of them.

Car and Driver says that the Lotus Esprit should arrive by 2013. The Elan, however, has a murkier future. Forget 2013; it’s been speculated that we might not see it until 2016. Blame the Lotus Evora.

Orignally, Lotus planned to shut down the Evora so that it could give way to the Elan. Now, Lotus management has decided that the Evora deserves a traditional model cycle. Should the Evora continue into a second generation, it puts the Elan’s existence into question. If a second-generation Evora isn’t developed, a next-generation car, then new Elan will arrive and fill in the open lineup spot.

Lotus delays Elan until 2016, Esprit on track for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 May 2011 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Car and Driver details ten years of Alfa Romeo delays

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Alfa Romeo, Fiat

Alfa Romeo U.S. launch delayed... again

Fiat has been talking seriously about bringing Alfa Romeo back to these shores since early 2000, making a decade of delays in the brand’s relaunch. Most recently, the company’s debut has been pushed back to sometime in 2013. To commemorate the anniversary of Fiat’s colossal history of setbacks, Car and Driver put together a time table of the promised Alfa Romeo launch.

The story begins on March 27, 2000, when Fiat announced it had partnered with General Motors to bring Alfas to the States by 2003. The first delay came less than a year later, when Fiat and GM announced that Alfas would move through Cadillac and Saab dealers starting in 2005.

Obviously, none of that came even remotely true. In 2002, the relaunch got pushed back to 2007. In 2004, it was killed altogether. The Italians changed their minds again in 2005, going back to 2007 as the year of the Alfa. Need we go on? The promises, cancellations and delays have carried on this way through two wars, two presidents, an economic nosedive and the odd oil crisis thrown in for good measure.

At this point, we’d really like to believe that we’ll see an attainable Alfa in the USA by 2013, but history makes the time table hard to believe. Head over to Car and Driver to see a full infographic of Fiat’s waffling.

Car and Driver details ten years of Alfa Romeo delays originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler delays planned expansion of Toledo plant

Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat

Jeep

It’s no secret that Chrysler’s future plans are in a constant state of flux right now. After all, the automaker just went through a ridiculously fast bankruptcy where bits and pieces were shed before stewardship was handed over to Italy’s Fiat. It’s only natural that Chrysler’s new management would need some time to get itself organized.

According to The Toledo Blade, Chrysler decisionmakers are still up in the air as to how the Toledo North Assembly Plant figures into the company’s future roadmap. Previously, Chrysler said the Ohio facility would build three new SUVs based on Fiat’s C-Evo platform to replace the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro.

Apparently, however, Chrysler has three plants that could build the new ‘utes – Toledo, Belvedere, Illinois and Sterling Heights, Michigan. The reality is that the Pentastar really only needs two of them to handle the project. Alternately, all three could build the vehicles using fewer shifts. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess which, if any, of these facilities will be left out in the cold, and what the resulting employee impact will be.

[Source: The Toledo Blade]

Report: Chrysler delays planned expansion of Toledo plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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