Jeep

Jeep has unveiled another Grand Cherokee variant, designed to keep the ageing full-sized SUV fresh amid competition from lower- and higher-priced rivals. The Grand Cherokee is sitting on 2037 registrations to date in 2019, down 30.2 per cent on the same point in 2018. Jeep has already unveiled the Upland, Night Eagle, S-Limited, and S-Overland models to keep buyers interested this year, but the Summit is the most expensive model yet.

FCA Australia has issued a recall for the 2019 model-year 'KL' Cherokee over concerns the airbags may not "function as required in a crash". The American SUV specialist reports that certain vehicles may have a "loss of communication between an acceleration sensor and the occupant restraint controller (ORC)". If the condition occurs, Jeep says "the airbag system may not function as required during a crash, increasing the risk of injury of vehicle occupants".

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia has issued a recall for the older-generation 2008 Jeep Cherokee, over a fault with the windscreen and quarter glass. According to the manufacturer, “the windshield and/or quarter glass may have been installed using an incorrect urethane adhesive”. If the condition occurs, FCA says the glass could separate from the vehicle while in motion, which poses a hazard for the driver and other road users, also increasing the risk of an accident.

Bill Ford, chairman of Ford, has revealed he had discussions with Sergio Marchionne, then-CEO of Fiat Chrysler (FCA), about merging the two companies. At the EcoMobility conference in Tel Aviv, Ford revealed to journalists, including those from Automotive News Europe, he had a "number of dinners together [with Marchionne] talking about ... whether Ford and FCA would be a good fit". Saying "the timing certainly wasn't ideal", the discussions didn't end in a deal.