Ram

The next step in the proposed US$50 billion ($73.5 billion) merger of Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and the PSA Group could be complete by the end of 2019. According to internal emails seen by Reuters and Automotive News, the PSA Group and FCA have formed multiple working groups to come up with a legally-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the merger.

General Motors has seven car brands. Volkswagen Group has ten. With the planned merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA, the two companies will have them beat with a combined stable of thirteen brands. And according to PSA CEO Carlos Tavares, there are no plans to get rid of any of them.

Queensland's Maracoonda Automotive has issued a recall for converted Dodge Ram utes sold between 2004 and 2010 as part of the ongoing Takata airbag campaign. As with all Takata notices, a combination of high temperatures and humidity can cause airbag inflator propellant to degrade over time.

According to his lawsuit, Reid Bigland, head of US sales for Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and chief of the Ram brand, says he has been cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into the company's sales reporting practices, including allegations it had wrongfully inflated numbers.

Discussions initially focussed on Fiat Chrysler (FCA) using platforms and technologies from Renault have reportedly morphed into something more complex and wide-ranging. Multiple sources have told The Financial Times the talks between FCA and Renault are on-going, with a lot of structures and options currently being evaluated. The sources have cautioned the discussions could still fall apart and yield no deal.