Mopar Insiders Articles

FIRST LOOK: 2021 Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392: The Most "American" Vehicle On The Market... This might be the most important year for the iconic Jeep® Wrangler in over a decade. As a global pandemic continues, there has never been a time better for the beloved American brand to tout its outdoor adventure attitude as social distancing has been pushing us farther and farther apart. But with new competition on the horizon with the launch of the Ford Bronco, the Wrangler’s first true competitor in decades, Jeep has created the most diverse lineup ever for the Wrangler. One of those models is the new 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392. https://moparinsiders.com/first-look-2021-jeep-wrangler-unlimited-rubicon-392/

Alfa Romeo Drops It’s Giorgio Architecture For Next Generation Models: New STLA Large Architecture Will Underpin New Giulia & Stelvio... The Alfa Romeo brand has been making a lot of headlines lately, as the brand is in the middle of a reinvention. According to a report from Automotive News Europe, the Italian automaker’s new CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Italian journalists during a roundtable event that it will be dropping the brand’s award-winning unibody rear-wheel-drive ‘Giorgio’ architecture that currently underpins the Giulia and Stelvio. The brand will switch to the recently announced ‘STLA Large’ architecture which will underpin D & E-Segment unibody crossovers, SUVs, and cars, including the next-generation Dodge Charger...

Hennessey Pits A Durango SRT Hellcat Against The Mid-Engine Corvette C8: Can The 710 Horsepower Dominate America's Mid-Engined Sports Car? You might remember that the other day we posted a video from Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), showing a stock 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat taking on a stock 2021 Ford Mustang GT500 in a quarter-mile drag race. While the 710 horsepower all-wheel-drive (AWD) could produce a massive lead of the starting line, the much lighter 760 horsepower pony car would pass the seven-passenger SUV just before the finish line. Thus, proving that the hefty Hellcat-powered Durango can run with the fastest muscle cars in today’s market...

It’s April 26th (4/26)! Happy HEMI Day! Putting Smiles On Faces Since 1951... Today is April 26th (4/26) or as many of us, Mopar fans affectionately call it, HEMI Day! Of course, the reference comes from the legendary 7.0-liter (426 cubic-inch) HEMI V8 built from 1964 through the 1971 model year. Dubbed the “Elephant” due to its huge size and power output, the 426 HEMI became a legend on the street and track. https://moparinsiders.com/its-april-26th-4-26-happy-hemi-day/

By The Numbers: Full-Size Truck Sales Q1 2021: Breaking Down The Full-Size Truck Market Through The First Quarter As we do at the end of every quarter, it is time to break down the full-sized truck sales market. Automakers are continuing to struggle with production due to the semiconductor shortage, which has caused option package changes, production slowdowns, and even resulted in vehicles being built and then held for missing parts. Even so, there were some big winners and losers in the full-sized truck market. https://moparinsiders.com/by-the-numbers-full-size-truck-sales-q1-2021/

Jeep® Brazil Introduces 2022 Compass Turbodiesel Lineup: Ordering Is Now Open In Brazil... Jeep® Brazil has officially opened up its pre-ordering for its new turbodiesel-powered 2022 Jeep Compass lineup this week. According to the brand, the Compass models with the TD350 (the Brazilian was of saying turbodiesel with 350 Nm of torque) will be available on the same pre-order website as the 80th Anniversary Edition gasoline-powered models. https://moparinsiders.com/jeep-brazil-introduces-2022-compass-turbodiesel-lineup/

Next Level Is Offering A Jeep® Gladiator 6×6 For $132,000: California Company Offering Factory Appearance 6x6... We have seen a number of six-wheel-drive (6×6) Jeep® Gladiator conversions over the past couple of years. A new company named ‘Next Level’, is entering the market by offering 6×6 versions of certain SUVs and pickup trucks. The Irvine, California company’s first vehicle to be featured is the popular midsized Jeep Gladiator. https://moparinsiders.com/next-level-is-offering-a-jeep-gladiator-6x6-for-132000/

FIAT Brazil Launches It’s Updated Toro Pickup For 2022 Model Year: Better Looks, More Content, & Better Performance... As the pickup market continues to grow at a rapid rate in Brazil, the FIAT brand has become the truck leader in the country. With 55.1% of the country’s marketshare in the pickup segment, the Italian brand has found success with its subcompact Fiat Strada pickup, which is the best-selling vehicle in the country. The second best-selling pickup, it the larger Toro pickup. Since it was launched in 2016, the Toro has sold over 300,000 units and continues to be a popular option across Latin America, even under the RAM banner where it is marketed as the Ram 1000...

Our Best Look Yet, Of The New Jeep® ‘Project 598’ SUV: Seven-Passenger SUV Hits The Streets With Its Production Body... Brazil is the second-largest market for the Jeep® brand, so it’s no surprise that Stellantis is paying extra attention to the marketplace for the continuing growth of the iconic American brand. Currently, the brand’s two most popular vehicles in the country (the Compass and the Renegade), are built there as well. The two compact SUVs are about to be joined by another vehicle codenamed ‘Project 598’. https://moparinsiders.com/our-best-look-yet-of-the-new-jeep-project-598-suv/

Stellantis Will Cut Shifts From Grand Cherokee & Durango Plant: Temporary Layoffs Are Coming This Week, Due To Ongoing Semiconductor Shortage... Employees at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in Detroit, Michigan are facing temporary layoffs due to the ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips. The plant currently is home to the updated 2021 Dodge Durango (WD) and the popular 2021 Jeep® Grand Cherokee (WK2). Stellantis management confirmed the decision yesterday, which will continue through the rest of April to the end of May. https://moparinsiders.com/stellantis-will-cut-shifts-from-grand-cherokee-durango-plant/

Dodge Offers Software Update To Help Stop Charger & Challenger Thefts: Is It Enough To Stop Most Thieves? You might remember our article a few weeks ago about the constant string of theft of HEMI-powered Dodge Charger, Challenger, Durango, Ram 1500, or Jeep® Grand Cherokee models. So many thefts that the Michigan State Police released an internal document going into details about the ongoing problem to other police agencies across Michigan and the … (read full article...) https://moparinsiders.com/dodge-offers-software-update-to-help-stop-charger-challenger-models/

Alfa Romeo Launches New Brand Headquarters In Italy: Centro Stile, Won't Be Just For Design Anymore... Like the Maserati brand, the Alfa Romeo brand is in the middle of a reinvention period of the brand. With the recent merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot S.A. (PSA) completed to form Stellantis, CEO Carlos Tavares put Jean-Philippe Imparato (who formerly oversaw the Peugeot brand) in charge of the iconic Italian brand back in January. Imparato has since introduced several new key managers to the brand, hoping that it will continue to grow Alfa Romeo in key markets like North America and China. https://moparinsiders.com/alfa-romeo-launches-new-brand-headquarters-in-italy/

TFLCar Catches The New 2022 Jeep® Grand Cherokee 4xe Out In Public: Listen To It Quietly Drive Away... In January, the Jeep® brand unveiled its all-new three-row Grand Cherokee L (codenamed WL75) lineup. While those vehicles are getting ready to start arriving in dealer showrooms, the iconic American brand is currently testing its two-row Grand Cherokee (WL74) model in several places across the United States and Europe. We have seen numerous models out on public roads in recent months, but our friends at The Fast Lane Car (TFLCar) stumbled upon one of the new electrified two-row models which may be one of the most important parts of the fifth-generation Grand Cherokee’s lineup...

Is RAM Building A New Midsized Pickup Truck? Will It Come To The U.S. & Canada? It’s been a decade since the RAM brand axed the midsized Dodge Dakota from its lineup. The Dakota, once a leader in the segment for being the first to offer a V8 engine option as well as the first true four-door offering, became too expensive and ended up becoming too close in price to the bigger Ram 1500 model which ultimately leading to its demise. https://moparinsiders.com/is-ram-building-a-new-midsized-pickup-truck/

2021 Jeep® Wrangler and Gladiator 80th Anniversary Editions Arrive In Mexico: The Special Edition Series Finally Arrives On The Other Side Of The Rio Grande... The Jeep® brand has been celebrating its 80th anniversary with a series of special edition vehicles for the better part of a year now. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator 80th Anniversary Editions are the first special editions of the Jeep brand to reach the Mexican market celebrating eight decades of off-road capabilities, innovation, and an unwavering sense of adventure. Each of the 80th Anniversary Edition models is limited to just 80 units per model for the Mexican market. Each unit will be available exclusively in Granite Crystal Metallic...

FIAT Opens Ordering For Its New Tipo City Sport In Europe: European Market Can Now Order Sporty New Hatch & Wagon... The FIAT brand is revamping its current world portfolio with an array of new production vehicles and updated ones. One of those vehicles, the Fiat Tipo has become one of the most admired vehicles in its segment across Europe. FIAT has sold more than 670,000 units since its introduction in 2016, making it an important part of the FIAT Europe lineup, with 70% of its sales coming from outside the Italian market. https://moparinsiders.com/fiat-opens-ordering-for-its-new-tipo-city-sport-in-europe/

Dodge CEO Talks About The Future Of SRT With Autoweek: Electrification Is A "Great Thing For SRT"... Back in February, we discussed the newly formed Stellantis group’s decision to disband the Street & Racing Technology (SRT) division. While a lot of people refused to read into the details, the SRT lineup is alive and well. The SRT engineering team has since been reorganized within the company to work on high-performance vehicles across the new company’s fourteen different brands. https://moparinsiders.com/dodge-ceo-talks-about-the-future-of-srt-with-autoweek/

Maserati Unveils Its 330 Horsepower Levante Hybrid SUV: New Electrified SUV Makes Debut In Shanghai & Online... The Maserati brand kicked off this morning with both a physical and digital unveiling of its new Maserati Levante Hybrid. The physical debut took place at the Shanghai Auto Show in China, while most of the world was treated to a virtual launch from a dedicated website. https://moparinsiders.com/maserati-unveils-its-330-horsepower-levante-hybrid-suv/

Dealer Allocation Opens For 2021 Jeep® Grand Cherokee L Laredo & Altitude Models: 5.7-liter HEMI V8 Now Available On Overland & Summit Models... In February, we released details thanks to our dealer sources that the Jeep® brand had opened up ordering on selected packages of its highly-anticipated three-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. At the time, ordering was only available for dealers for select pre-configured packages for Limited and Summit models. Then Overland models became available for ordering. Now, our dealer sources are telling us that Jeep has now opened ordering for the entry-level Laredo and sporty Altitude models as well...

Maserati Teases New Levante Hybrid On Social Media: Will Make Its Debut On Monday... As the Maserati brand is in the process of reinventing itself, we are getting our first peek at the next vehicle to enter the premium brand’s lineup. Maserati teased its upcoming Maserati Levante Hybrid across its social media accounts on Friday. The Levante Hybrid SUV will be the second electrified model from the Italian automaker, following in the footsteps of this year’s Maserati Ghibli Hybrid sedan. https://moparinsiders.com/maserati-teases-new-levante-hybrid-on-social-media/