Chrysler has just issued a recall for 87,000 Jeep Wrangler models due to a risk that they could catch fire.

The recall resulted from an investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), which was prompted after stories of burning Wranglers made headlines.

While reports of fires on 2007 through 2012 model year Wrangler have been made, the recall only affects 2010 model year models equipped with an automatic transmission. According to Chrysler the vehicles could catch fire as debris can become lodged between a skid plate and the car’s catalytic converter. To meet emissions requirements, Chrysler changed the location of the catalytic converter for 2010.

Recalled models will have their skid plate replaced by a skid bar, a design Chrysler implemented later in 2010 and which has been used since.

In total, 87,000 Wranglers have been recalled, including 68,000 in the U.S. and 6,000 in Canada.

Chrysler will be contacting owners and will replace the part free of charge.

Thanks to data from automotive research firm Polk, we were able to compile a list of the top 10 most popular automakers for buyers aged 18 to 34 – roughly the Gen Y set.

There are quite a few surprises on the list, most notably that Scion is missing. The Toyota spin-off brand was designed to target specifically that age group but weren’t even on the top 10 that were most successful at targeting young buyers last year. Also, you may be surprised by the differences between the top cars for teens and the automakers that made it onto this list.

Starting off the top 10 is MINI, the British automaker known to make fun and compact, yet functional cars. The Cooper models has a near cult following in the automotive community and with just over 10 percent of its buyers between 18 and 34 years old, it’s obvious that the younger Gen Y embrace what MINI is all about.

“The Jeep brand is committed to China and therefore we must design and tailor our vehicles to the specific tastes and preferences of chinese consumers,” said Jeep Brand CEO and COO for Asia, Mike Manley.

Mechanically identical to a China-market Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, the Jeep Wrangler Dragon design concept features a gloss black paint scheme as well as a black body-color three-piece hard top. Trim pieces across the vehicle are plated in bronze-gold details including the grille slats, headlamp surrounds, golden accents on matte black wheels, as well as golden Jeep badging front and rear. Rather than the customary “Trail Rated” emblem aft of the front fenders, the special Dragon design concept proudly displays a golden Chinese character for “dragon” instead. Other golden trims include a pad-printed engine cover, bolts for the fuel-filler door and the taillamp assembly, and wheel center caps.

Finally, the Wrangler Dragon design concept makes the biggest statement with a tone-on-tone dragon decal that runs along the length of the vehicle as well as another dragon decal on the gloss-black spare tire cover. An LED exterior lighting package completes the luxurious tone of the bespoke Jeep Wrangler.

The theme continues in the interior as the Wrangler Dragon design features glossy piano black surfaces with golden highlights.

While only a design study, the Wrangler Dragon design concept seems essentially production ready. Depending on its reception at the Beijing auto show and the demand from the Chinese, Jeep just might make it a reality.

GALLERY: Jeep Wrangler Dragon design concept

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is the latest addition to the Altitude special edition family from Jeep, and the full details on the new Wrangler are out. 

The Altitude package adds some paint and plastic to give the Wrangler unique style. A body color hardtop, paint matched center bumper sections, 18-inch alloy wheels painted black with a matte Jeep badge make up the Altitude edition package along with a Mopar black fuel door and a black tone on tone hood graphic. Deep cherry red, black, bright white and bright silver metallic are the four paint colors offered with the special edition package.

Inside, the Altitude package offers all black leather offset with red stitching. The vent rings, steering wheels spokes and passenger side grab handle are all blacked out as well to complete the contrast.

The special off-roader is based directly on the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, and uses the same drivetrain: a 3.6-liter V6 engine that puts out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

The Wranger Unlimited Altitude special edition is slated for a limitied production run of only 4,500 units, and will be on sale by May, 2012.

The Wrangler Unlimited Special Edition sells for $35,595 for 4×2 models and $37,595 for 4×4 models.

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Now that you know Toyota is the top brand for cheating men, what other automakers are on the list?

According to the 2,520 men that were surveyed at AshleyMadison, a website dedicated to affair-seeking men and women, Mercedes-Benz came in 10th place with 2.9 percent. Even though it’s in the top 10 list, the small percentage of affair-seeking men driving Benzes clearly proves one thing: if you’ve got a Mercedes, chances are you’ve got the trophy wife that keeps you happy with it.

For the 46th Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, Jeep and Mopar brought out six concepts, with the most interesting design being the Mighty FC Concept.

Paying homage to the Jeep Forward Control built from 1956 to 1965, the Mighty FC features a full-size cargo bed with a custom front clip and roof from the Mopar JK-8 conversion kit. Massive 40-inch tires were wrapped around Hutchinson 17-inch headlock wheels giving it plenty of traction. And while the concepts certainly looked great, the Mighty FC decided to put on a show crawling through Moab.

The rock-ready concept had no issues taking on the rugged Moab terrain alongside its inspiration, a 1964 Jeep Forward Control.

This is one Jeep concept we would love see become a reality, the Mighty FC is definitely a winning design.

Watch the video after the break.

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Chrysler has announced its plans to bring a pair of new concepts to the Beijing Motor Show, one of which is a custom 300C and the other looks to be a modified Jeep Wrangler.

Both vehicles look to sport custom accents catered to the Chinese market, with gold-themed graphics to celebrate the ‘Year of the Dragon.’ The 300C concept looks to feature a blacked-out exterior, a different front bumper, mesh grille, and new wheels.

The Wrangler is the concept with the black and gold exterior further accents by dragon graphics and unique lighting. The interior also features gold accents on the steering wheel, instrument cluster, and door handles.

Chances are both these concepts will be available strictly for the Chinese market if they make their way to a limited production.

GALLERY: Chrysler Beijing Auto Show Concepts

Diesel engines offer unique advantages, with plenty of torque making tiny power plants more useable in small cars, while making modest size engines a functional alternative to much larger gasoline ones in SUVs. Towing, after all, is not something hybrids are known for. Additionally, diesel engines can provide fuel economy closer to that of a hybrid, without any of the worries surrounding new technology; plus, there’s no battery pack compromising passenger or storage space.

With those advantages, not to mention a push by automakers to meet increasingly strict corporate average fuel economy standards, a slew of diesel models are set to arrive on our shores in the near future. If you’re considering the switch to diesel power, here are a few options you’ll soon be able to consider.

Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTEC

The new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTEC is a hearty four-cylindered alternative to most V6s found in crossover utility vehicles. Compared to the GLK350, the gas powered version of the German crossover, the GLK250 has 112 less horsepower, but 96 more lb-ft of torque. There’s no official EPA numbers on what the new GLK250 BlueTEC diesel will get, but last year’s European GLK diesel gets around 36 to 38 mpg in mixed driving conditions. European numbers are always much higher than EPA ones, however, so expect something closer to 30 mpg – still a very impressive rating.

Devin Lindsay, a Senior Analyst from IHS Automotive talked to us about alternative powertrains and their significance in the future. He said “Typically German manufacturers have had a presence when it comes to diesel vehicles.”  That said, the GLK250 isn’t unexpected. These next diesels, however, are.

Chevrolet Cruze Diesel

The Cruze Eco with a standard six-speed manual transmission is the most fuel-efficient gas-powered/non-hybrid vehicle in America, with an EPA-rated 42 mpg on the highway. A member of GM’s Powertrain communications team told us that the diesel Cruze is early in development, and can’t comment on the new car’s fuel economy estimates. But rumors of its diesel have been flying, some calling it the Eco-D, with Chevrolet apparently targeting 50 mpg on the highway. Not much is known about the upcoming diesel, but if its European sales are any indication, it could be quite popular; the diesel Cruze in Europe sold 33,000 models last year. It’s also currently available in Australia as the Holden Cruze CDX (above).

Cadillac ATS Diesel

Looking to rival the BMW 3 Series in all ways, a diesel powered version of the new Cadillac ATS is a must. At the car’s reveal at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, however, Caddy dropped a bomb, announcing that it would also offer a diesel-powered version for our shores.

If a diesel Cadillac sounds interesting to you, hopefully you’re patient. Cadillac hasn’t given a release date for the car and has only said it will be offered some time during the current model’s product cycle.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

Jeep has been showing off its diesel powered vehicles at all the major auto shows, but always carefully mentioned that it was for Europe and Non-U.S. markets. However Chrysler recently announced that it hired an extra 1,100 workers to help get a diesel version of the Grand Cherokee to the U.S. The European-spec diesel grand Cherokee gets about 28.4 mpg combined using the European equivalent of our EPA test – again, a more lenient test. The old Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD (on sale in America from 2007 and for a few years after) got a rating of 17/22 mpg, so look for slightly higher numbers for this new model.

Mazda Skyactiv Diesel

Mazda will be bringing a diesel engine offering to the North American market for 2012 and 2013. It’s expected to make its way into several models with Mazda first showing a Skyactiv-D engine in the Takeri concept (top), which will inspire the next-generation Mazda6. It also wouldn’t be much of a surprise to tsee the same engine dropped into the new CX-5 compact crossover. Mazda expects it to get 43 mpg highway, which is quite comparable to some hybrids available on the market. Additionally, Mazda has touted start-stop technology that will help optimize fuel efficiency.

We’ve actually already driven the new Skyactiv-D engine in a prototype Mazda6 (read it here) and came away thoroughly impressed. Making somewhere around 160 hp and over 300 lb-ft of torque perhaps the best feature is that it revs higher than competitors, up to 5200 rpm, with no torque fall-off, allowing it to feel more like a powerful gasoline engine.

So there you have it, five new diesel offerings heading our way, but will it make that big of a difference? According to hybridcars.com diesel take-rate in January, is still below that of hybrids, although hybridcars.com editor Bradley Berman says things are improving with, “A number of clean diesel products enjoyed higher sales as compared to a year ago.”

One thing holding back further proliferation of diesels in the US is cost, but according to Lindsay at IHS, automakers may be willing to shoulder some of that burden in order to help promote diesels in the short term as a solution to rising Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards. However, innovations in diesel are coming to a crawl thanks to CAFE standards that provide credits for electric and hybrid cars.

Lindsay helps shed some light on why European brands like BMW or Mercedes-Benz go diesel. “Diesel is still quite expensive per gallon. Since those BMWs or Mercedes-Benz owners would be putting premium gasoline, it’s not that big of a difference from diesel, which has efficiency advantages.” Some diesels also use a urea treatment which helps keep diesel emissions clean. This is an additional item to maintain and can add costs.

But more options in the market should help bring the costs down. In that regard, diesel could soon become the choice you’ll be making in your next car purchase.

Taking the top off your Jeep just got easier. Rugged Ridge has just introduced its first-ever PowerTop for the 2007-2012 JK Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

The hydraulic PowerTop lowers or raises the convertible soft-top in as little as five seconds with just push of a button. That means if it starts to rain while you’re out for a drive, you don’t have to get out to put the top up.

The Rugged Ridge PowerTop kit fits all four-door Jeep Wranglers built from 2007 to 2012 and comes with everything needed to make the JK Jeep a convertible without losing storage space and cargo areas. Each kit comes with a heavy-duty, high-quality Haartz Stayfast top with a tinted 30mil rear window, mounting frame, hydraulic system, wiring harness and step-by-step installation packet, and is backed by a three-year warranty.

The Rugged Ridge PowerTop is available online and through select Jeep retailers for $4,999.99. For more information, you can visit the Omix-Ada website.

Having shared a gallery as well as a walk-around video of the six concepts featured at the Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, new photos have just been released of the Moab concepts in action.

An annual showcase of upcoming, potential Jeep products, the Moab Safari is a great way for the iconic brand to connect with its core audience. Unlike other concepts, however, these Jeeps are not meant to sit in rotating pedestals in convention halls. At Moab, Jeep spent the week demonstrating its vehicles and gained a lot of instant feedback from its die-hard community of Jeep 4×4 fans.

Present at the event was Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of the Mopar brand. He said, “We have several thousand accessories and performance parts, and you can see many of these parts displayed on the vehicles today, especially two new entries in the portal axles that you can see here and the Hemi. conversion kit. At Mopar, 2012 is a very big year for us. I mean, it is our 75th anniversary so we celebrate 75 years of history and obviously we enter the next 75 years at least with the ambition of becoming an important contribution to our vehicles.”

Check out the gallery below to see the Jeep concepts in action:

GALLERY: 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari

[S0urce: www.off-road.com]

At least that’s the news according to statistics released by the two American automakers. Chrysler said it sold 34 percent more vehicles this March, versus the same period last year, delivering some 161,381 cars and trucks, versus 121,730 in March 2011.

Jeep and Ram truck demand was particularly strong, with gains of 35 and 22 percent respectively. Ford said it had seen sales grow by some five percent with sales reaching 222,884 units last month versus 212,295 in March 2011.

Despite declines in Buick and Cadillac sales, General Motors said it had seen overall demand grow by 12 percent in March to 231,052 units, largely fuelled by sales of small cars. Don Johnson, GM’s vice president of US sales remarked that,”the economic recovery and a deep bench of fuel-efficient cars and crossovers have been driving our sales for more than a year, but the combined impact has never been stronger than it was in March.”  The General said it sold a record 100,000 vehicles last month that get at least 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

A number of analysts believe the growth in auto sales last month can be partly attributed to this year’s unseasonably mild winter, which had consumers flocking to dealers earlier than the traditional spring selling season; other factors include a plethora of new models hitting the streets as well as lower unemployment statistics and easier access to credit for many.

Many industry observers are keeping a close eye on gas prices to see if they have an effect on auto sales this year; as currently they’re around the $4.00 gallon mark, traditionally seen as the tipping point which consumers change their car buying and driving habits.

Nonetheless, the outlook remains generally optimistic. “Barring any future shock related to geopolitical issues in the gulf region and further upward pressure on the price of oil, we believe sales will continue on a solid pace for the balance of the year, said John Humphrey” J.D. Power and Associates senior vice president of global operations.

[Source: New York Times via Auto News]

Armed with the “Queen of the Nürburgring” Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 attempted to portray itself as a serious performance machine by taking on the Green Hell.

The results may be a bit disappointing though, especially compared to its closest competitor that has ran the ‘Ring which is the BMW X6 M. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 turned in an 8:49 time, which compared to the X6 M’s 8:24 seems… a little bit embarrassing.

Nonetheless, SRT is happy with the results still bragging that the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is “one of the fastest SUV in the world.” Packing 470-hp under the hood, there’s no doubt the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a great performer, it just might not be the most ideal vehicle to take on the Nordschleife without any other modifications.

The two-time 24 Hours of Nürburgring champion Schmitz however called the SRT8 a “house on wheels” that “just stuck” while she piloted it through the course.

In the Grand Cherokee SRT8′s defense however, it is faster than the Porsche Cayenne GTS and the Range Rover Sport V8 supercharged.

Watch the two videos of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 at Nürburgring after the break.

[Source: DriveSRT]

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