Recall Alert: Approximately 215,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group issued six separate recalls affecting around 215,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to the automaker, the following vehicles are affected:

• 61,400 model-year 2007-08 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs. Chrysler has stated that it's recalling two-wheel-drive versions of these vehicles in order to brace a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. "Chrysler Group is unaware of any collisions or injuries associated with the condition," the automaker said in a statement.

2014 Jeep Cherokee Video

Yeah, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee — now bowing at the 2013 New York International Auto Show — bears a resemblance to the froggy-faced Nissan Juke. But give Jeep credit for an uncharacteristic departure as it replaces the Liberty with the first Cherokee in a dozen years.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Those squinty, high-set LED running lights and low-lying headlights aside, Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder observes that the side and rear profiles are as mundane as most SUVs. The automaker keeps things interesting with new innovations: a nine-speed automatic transmission and optional 271-horsepower, 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6. The interior is impressive and tech features abundant, though the claustrophobia-inducing backseat and cargo space fail to honor the "midsize SUV" designation. Watch the video below.

2013 New York Auto Show: What to Expect

Billed as the nation's "first and largest-attended" auto show, the 113-year-old New York International Auto Show also may be the most ironic — hosted by the only U.S. city in which more than half the residents don't own a car. But that fact won't be reflected on the expo's 900,000-square-foot show floor, set to feature more than 1,000 vehicles, including a host of North American and world debuts.

The show runs March 29 through April 7 at New York's Jacob Javits Center, 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets; hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children 3 to 12, free for kids 2 and younger, and $13 per person for groups of 20 or more.

One eagerly anticipated New York debut is the redesigned 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The Liberty replacement trades in the Cherokee's previous boxy, trucklike appearance in favor of narrow, sweeping headlights, a modern-looking seven-slot grille and a creased hood. In addition to the Cherokee's sleek look, Jeep said the SUV boasts improved off-road capability and significantly improved fuel economy.

Amid Rise of Crossovers, Jeep Wants Class-Leading Capability

In January, Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne outlined dozens of forthcoming models for the automaker's smorgasbord of brands — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, SRT, Fiat and soon-to-come Alfa Romeo. The Jeep brand got quite the overhaul: an updated Compass and Grand Cherokee, which we've seen, plus a Liberty replacement this year and five more additions or redesigns and a refresh through 2016.

If Mike Manley gets his way, none of them will be a shopping-mall crossover.

"We're very clear on what makes a vehicle a Jeep, and one of the things that we've said is we'll always offer segment-leading [off-road] capability," the 48-year-old Jeep division CEO said. "I wouldn't want to create crossover vehicles."

Manley spoke with us at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which runs through Feb. 18. Besides heading up Jeep, he's also the chief operating officer for Chrysler's Asia-Pacific region.

Chrysler-Fiat Plans 47 New or Updated Cars by End of 2016

Chrysler-Fiat will introduce, redesign or update 47 cars over the next four years, the automaker said Wednesday in a financial presentation to analysts. Among them are six Alfa Romeos from Fiat's upscale European division, plus seven new Fiat-branded models. Chrysler also encompasses the Dodge, Jeep, Ram and SRT brands.

The pipeline goes well beyond what Fiat had planned when it took a government-brokered stake in Chrysler in 2009. In September 2012, the automaker unveiled 66 future models at a private dealer meeting in Las Vegas, and we don't know how many of these 47 cars overlap with those. At that meeting there were just two Alfas, however.

The new plan eliminates four Fiat-built cars — two Chryslers and two Dodges — and moves the timing back by one to three years on nine models. All told, there are 16 refreshes and 31 new cars between now and the end of 2016. We've already seen five of them — the refreshed Compass and Grand Cherokee, plus Fiat's new 500L and the Ram HD and chassis cabs — and an SRT Grand Cherokee is also in the works. That still leaves 42 to come. Naturally, all of this is subject to change. Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne called the plan "a living document," the Detroit News reports.

Here's how it breaks down:

New Jeeps on Horizon, but Old Names May Resurface

The Chrysler-Fiat product collaboration will continue in the next couple of years as both companies develop new offerings based on common architectures — the next brand to get the attention of company planners is Jeep.

Coming to the New York Auto Show in March will be the replacement for the current truck-based Jeep Liberty, and the big question is whether or not Jeep will keep the Liberty name or revert back to an old favorite: Cherokee. "There are clearly only two options for the name of this vehicle: It's either going to be Cherokee or it's going to be Liberty," Jeep brand CEO Mike Manley recently told industry publication Wards Auto. "We are going to make that decision in the very near future. Both of them are historical names, Cherokee more so than Liberty."

Going with the Cherokee name over Liberty would seem a logical choice, given the massive popularity that the old Cherokee still enjoys among loyal Jeep fans and the more favorable brand equity it has over the Liberty name. Cherokee is also the name that the Liberty has used in overseas markets, so it would require no changes abroad. However, the name conjures a very specific image for Jeep fans: a boxy trucklike SUV. Spy shots of the new vehicle, however, suggest a much more modern and carlike profile.

The new midsize SUV is expected to ride atop a larger version of the compact U.S. wide Fiat platform that currently brings us the Dodge Dart. It will also spawn replacements for Chrysler's midsize cars, but that's not all that's coming from Jeep in the next two years.

Recall Alert: 2002-03 Jeep Liberty, 2002-04 Grand Cherokee

Chrysler is recalling 744,822 model-year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles and model-year 2002-04 Jeep Grand Cherokees due to a problem with the airbag-control module, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall affects Liberty vehicles manufactured between Jan. 9, 2001, and March 28, 2003, and Grand Cherokees manufactured from Feb. 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the airbag module could fail, causing the front and side curtain airbags or the seat belt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated. This increases the risk of an injury.

Chrysler will notify owners in January, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag-control module at no cost. Owners can contact Chrysler at 800-247-9753 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Discontinued Cars See Deep Discounts

The transition from one model year to the next usually foretells the demise of a few good worn-out nameplates. Come 2013, say goodbye to models like the Mitsubishi Galant, Kia Sedona and the Hyundai Veracruz.

While there’s probably not much love lost for these mediocre models, they will likely be deeply discounted and appealing to frugal shoppers.

The dying midsize Galant, available only with a single four-cylinder powertrain and plenty of standard features, is one of the most deeply discounted models on the list. It can be had for the low price of about $19,100 (including destination) after discounts. Mitsubishi consistently has offered $3,500 cash back on Galants during the past few months.

Chrysler Gives Dealers Sneak Peek of 66 Future Cars

Chrysler unveiled 66 cars in its product pipeline at a private dealer meeting Monday in Las Vegas, Reuters reports. One dealer said it "was like a lovefest" as representatives from some 2,600 global dealerships — the vast majority based in the U.S. — beheld a two-tiered stage of future products at the MGM Grand hotel.

Among the cars that dealers shared with Reuters:

• A redesigned Chrysler 200 that departs from the current Sebring-derived 200. Dealers said it looks a lot like the 2013 Dodge Dart.
• A subcompact Chrysler 100.
• A subcompact Jeep crossover, plus redesigns of the Compass, Patriot and Liberty that follow styling cues of the current Grand Cherokee.
• Two Alfa Romeo cars that Chrysler will sell in Fiat showrooms.

Chrysler officials wouldn't comment to Reuters on the story, but during the last closed-door dealer meeting about future products — in Florida in 2010 — the automaker unveiled the current 200 and Town & Country, along with the Jeep Patriot and Fiat 500. The reporting on that meeting turned out pretty accurate, so we're inclined to think these products are legit. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Jeep Liberty

The 2012 Jeep Liberty is an off-roader made for those filled with wanderlust. But its ride was so jarring that Cars.com Family contributor Sara Lacey found it exhausting, and its V-6 engine had to work hard to manage highway speeds, causing Sara's wanderlust to wander off.

2012 Jeep Liberty Review