New Cherokee but Chrysler's up for sale

This is the all-new Jeep Cherokee (or Liberty, as it's known in the States) which will be going on sale later this year.

It's new from the ground up and features both a higher quality interior than the current car, and all-new suspension which, according to Jeep, "contributes to the all-new 2008 Jeep Cherokee's blend of on-road ride comfort and nimble, confidence-inspiring handling."

The design is described as being more rugged and square sided, and indeed, seems to owe more to the 'classic' Cherokee of the late eighties and early nineties than to the current round-headlight model. Only one engine is confirmed at the moment, and that's the same 3.7-litre V6 petrol as found in the current Cherokee. Presumably, when it comes to Europe (sharing components with the Dodge Nitro 4x4) it will feature the same 3.0-litre V6 diesel as found in the Grand Cherokee.

Well, we say presumably, but by the time the new Cherokee arrives on these shores, Chrysler is likely to be under new management. DamilerChrysler bosses have confirmed that they are now in official discussions with interested parties about selling off Chrysler, which posted a $1.5-billion loss last year. The slump in sales is being blamed on the US market's shift towards smaller, more economical models.

At the moment, there are three key bidders in the running for Chrysler (and its Jeep and Dodge brands). Blackstone and Cerberus are two rather sinister-sounding venture capital groups, and Cerberus apparently was one of the bidders for Aston Martin earlier this year. Also in the running is Magna-Steyr, a Canadian-owned components group which already builds all of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge's European market models under licence. There's also a possibility of Chinese ownership, as Chrysler has recently announced a tie-up with Chery Motors to co-produce the new Dodge Hornet supermini. And don't rule out Hyundai. It has its all-new Genesis V8 rear-wheel-drive flagship model ready for launch and is known to be considering setting up a premium brand for the model, a la Lexus. But an established brand like Chrysler would sit easily on its nose (a replacement for the 300C?) and would massively expand Hyundai's production capacity and dealer networks.

But with an imcomplete model line-up, quality woes and a hefty $8-billion price tag, Chrysler may find it harder to pair up with a suitor than it might think.

Three-Way Chevrolet

Chevrolet had already released pics of its Trax small car concept, but now the Trax is part of a trio, along with the Beat and Groove. They're all being shown at the New York Auto Show this week, as GM mulls the possibility of selling small, 1.0-litre engined cars in the States. You can also bet pretty safely that one of these designs (our money's on the Trax) will form the basis for the Chevrolet Matiz replacement.

But this is where it gets interesting. The Trax is an obvious evolution of the current Matiz's styling, given an SUV-esque makeover. But what of the Beat and the Groove? Officially, Chevrolet is asking members of the public to vote on which they think is the best design, which will then be put into production. But to our eyes, the Beat looks a lot like a production-ready Opel Agila replacement (indeed, it looks a lot like the Trixx concept car of a couple of years ago). And the Groove? Well, is it just us, or does it have a certain air of Saab about it?

All three cars have been designed in GM's facility in Incheon, South Korea in what was the old Daewoo HQ. They also debut three new engines, a 1.0-litre petrol, a 1.0-litre diesel and a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol.

We'll keep you up to date on production versions.

Carens gets longer warranty

Kia is extending the warranty on its seven-seat Carens MPV from three-years unlimited mileage to five-years unlimited mileage, and interestingly, it's backdating the warranty for all Carens purchased from September of last year.

As long as you stick to the servicing schedule with Kia main dealers, the warranty is fully transferable on to the next owner. One thing though; if we can have a seven-year warranty on the Ceed, why not on the Carens?

Oil by phone

We've all done it. Peered at the label on a can of oil, and desperately tried to remember if it matches what the handbook said before the dog ate the handbook. And then we just tip it into the engine anyway, secure in the knowledge that modern technology can sort it all out once it's in there. Can't it?

Well, no, it can't and that's why Castrol is now offering customers a Multi-Media Messaging service to show them which is the right oil for their car even when they're out buying it.

By texting the word OIL to 57778 motorists are able to select the make, model and engine type of their vehicle and receive a best oil recommendation and also for those that want maximum protection a trade-up suggestion. They also receive the corresponding pack shot image to make off-the-shelf selection even easier.

“The user experience is excellent. This is immediate and the recommendation comes back straight away. This means it can be used at point of purchase, which is good news for the consumer and the retailer,” said Rob Stroud, Castrol's Marketing Manager for Passenger Car Markets. “The result is that when a motorist buys their oil they are confident in knowing they have selected the right product that meets the specific requirements of their vehicle.”

Everybody out at Aston

As with the nurses, so with Aston Martin. 656 members of the TGWU who work for Aston at its Gaydon factory have voted to take strike action in protest over projected pay rises. Fellow workers, members of the Amicus Union, are to vote on the issue on Thursday.

It means a bumpy start for Aston's new Anglo-Kuwaiti owners, and new chairman David Richards. Still, he's an ex-accountant and Aston's boss Ulrich Bez has experience of the German unions, so expect this to be sorted reasonably quickly.

More Subaru News

As well as showing off the new Impreza saloon and hatchback at the New York Auto Show, Subaru is also taking the opportunity to facelift its slow-selling Tribeca 4x4. It's a car that has never been sold in Ireland, probably because it a) didn't have a diesel engine option and b) had a major run-in with the ugly stick.

Now though, the nose has been massaged into a much more appealing shape, the flat-six engine has grown from 3.0 to 3.6-litres and economy has improved by 10%. Subaru will be hoping that this might increase sales from the paltry 18,000 it has shifted so far, stateside. And with the advent of the all-new 2.0 flat-four diesel (also to see service in the new Impreza, see below) we might get to see this version of the Tribeca on Irish shores, eventually.

Sing It From The Mountain Top

Seventy years after the first man climbed the world's highest volcano, Ojos
del Salado in Chile, two JeepR Wrangler Unlimited vehicles set a new world
record by climbing 6,646 meters (21,804 feet) to the volcano's rim. The
achievement, certified by Guinness World RecordsT, is not one that is likely
to easily be beaten.

It is the second highest mountain in the
Western Hemisphere (6,892 meters / 22,597 feet), and now dubbed the "highest
parking lot in the world". Over five exhausting days in March, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited vehicles carried a team from Extrem Events (Germany), led by Mattias Jeschke, from the base of the inhospitable volcano in the Chilean Andes to the highest point that a four-wheeled vehicle has travelled.

"This was exactly the challenge to separate the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
from all other 4x4 vehicles. A climb like this in not just off-road, but
extreme conditions, is a testament to the performance of the vehicle's
powertrain, suspension and overall quality. We are very proud that Wrangler
Unlimited was the first vehicle to be able to complete such a rigorous
challenge, and believe that it really does set the vehicle apart from its
competition," said George Murphy, Chrysler Group Senior Vice President of
Global Marketing.

During the trip, the team endured hurricane-strength winds, temperatures
that reached minus 30 degrees Centigrade (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) and
the thin air of such high altitudes, as it manoeuvred over malicious
glaciers, fissured rock cliffs and volcanic sand. The last stretch of the
climb was the most grueling. Both Wrangler Unlimited vehicles had to cross a
glacier, parts of which were so smooth that any travel by foot required
spiked shoes. At the far end was the glacier field, a fissured ice area
strewn with razor sharp snow penitents. It was here that the vehicle's 3.8L
V-6 engine and Goodyear's MT/R tires proved their true capability, and made
the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited the first vehicle to ever cross the Ojos del
Salado glacier.