Ram’s heavy duty recall, Kia’s hefty EV concept, Rimac Nevera gets down and dirty

Stellantis recalls 222,410 Ram HD trucks over fuel pump issue

Intake: If you own a 2019 or 2020 model year Ram Heavy Duty pickup or chassis cab model with a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel, keep an eye on your mailbox. Stellantis is issuing a voluntary recall for Ram HDs produced between October 18, 2018 and November 13, 2020 for issues with the high-pressure fuel pump that were subject to inadvertent wear that may contaminate the mechanisms with metal shavings, causing the vehicles to stall. Stellantis is unaware of any related injuries or accidents related to the faulty pumps.

Exhaust: Ram Spokesperson Trevor Dorchies emphasized to Hagerty that Stellantis was conducting its own internal investigation into the issue before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to probe the matter. Of course, recalls happen from time to time; no automaker is immune. Truck owners—particularly heavy duty customers who use their vehicles hard for various towing and hauling needs—will appreciate Stellantis’ quick action on the matter. Stellantis said it will begin notifying affected customers next month and will replace the faulty pumps free of charge. If you have additional questions, you can call 1-800-853-1403.

Kia wants to build this edgy, Telluride-sized electric SUV

Intake: Hot on the heels of the highly successful Telluride, the Concept EV9 previews what that three-row SUV’s battery-powered successor might look like. Shown at the L.A. auto show, the Concept EV9 leans heavily into the Telluride’s boxy exterior styling, with additional geometric creases and angles concentrated around the fenders, wheel wells, and rear fascia—even if the front fascia is reminiscent of the tiny Soul’s. Inside is the minimalist, screen-filled interior you’d expect from a concept vehicle: acres of glass, a steering wheel that shuns the mundane concept of circle, no buttons to be seen, and elegant chairs upholstered in bone-colored fabric with backs slim as eggshells. A fun feature of said seats: The front- and second-row seats swivel to face each other, and the third row can rotate to face out the rear of the vehicle. Kia claims a maximum driving range of 300 miles complemented by a 350-kW charging system that can replenish the SUV from 10 to 80 percent capacity in 20 to 30 minutes.

Exhaust: The Telluride (and the Stinger before it) prove that Kia is continuing to chase its upmarket ambitions, and a handsome, spacious, near-silent family-hauler would go a long way in making the Korean brand feel aspirational for upper- to middle-class suburbanites. The three-row template makes sense from an engineering standpoint, too: Despite the aero sacrifices of such a high-riding design, the 122-inch wheelbase means lots of battery storage space—and thus more range. 

Watch a Rimac Nevera hit the rough stuff

Intake: The first “perfectly built” Rimac Nevera has gone on a little off-road adventure before its scheduled destruction via crash test. Despite multiple prototypes being built and tested for thousands of miles on the road and track, the $2.3 million electric hypercar has never before strayed from the bitumen. Mate Rimac wanted to give this car a special send-off, saying, “When life gives you lemons make lemonade, so when you’re already going to crash it why not do something with the car that you’d probably never do, and have somme fun before it goes into a wall?” Watch the video above to see him hoon through the forests and the building site of the ever-expanding Rimac campus in Croatia.

Exhaust: Mate Rimac may have just invented hypercar rallying–a sport that could out perform WRC and Extreme-E. We’d certainly watch it, wouldn’t you?

DeSoto drove off into the sunset 61 years ago

Intake: On November 18, 1960, just two weeks after the 1961 DeSoto was introduced, Chrysler announced the termination of the DeSoto marque. First introduced in 1928, the original midsized DeSoto was an immediate hit. A total of 81,065 cars were sold in 1929, an inaugural record that stood until Ford introduced the Falcon in 1960—ironically, the same year DeSoto closed up shop. Five years earlier, in 1955, the DeSoto lineup was redesigned by Virgil Exner, who gave all of Chrysler’s cars his “Forward Look” styling. Sales increased significantly, but DeSoto couldn’t keep the momentum going, and by 1961, its only model was considered uninspired at best.

Exhaust: In hindsight, the late-1950s recession that hit Detroit was an especially inopportune time for DeSoto. Not only were potential customers pinching their pennies, Chrysler’s more upscale Windsor was cheaper than anything DeSoto offered in the early ’60s. Six decades after Chrysler shut down production, the only DeSoto that many folks are familiar with is the 1948 Custom Suburban that Mr. Cunningham drove on Happy Days.

This Outlaw Aurelia is a 304-hp resto-mod rocket

Intake: British classic car restorer Thornley Kelham caused quite a stir when it announced that it would be building a run of nine “outlaw” style Lancia Aurelias. Giving the classic Lancia a California chop upset a few purists, but there’s no denying that this is a meaner Aurelia as a result. The first six cars were powered by a 2.8-liter V-6 with 177 hp apiece, compared to the original car’s 119 hp. The final three machines will be treated to a 3.2-liter Busso V-6 instead that’s good for 304 hp. The last cars will also be considerably lighter as they’ll use hand-formed aluminum in place of steel for the sleek bodywork. Dubbed “The European CSL”  each car takes 5000 hours to complete and features a sumptuous leather interior with modern power steering and air conditioning included.

Exhaust: The European CSL Aurelia is the template for a run of different cars, says co-founder Simon Thornley. “The European CSL is the first of a new line-up of projects we have developed to launch in the coming years that will be badged as ‘The Europeans’ by Thornley Kelham. As with the Aurelia commissions, these will be built around iconic performance cars, developed with fresh designs, upgraded performance and a meticulous eye for detail.”

Production-spec Cadillac Lyriq spied in the wild … in China

Intake: Keen-eyed attendees of the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show were treated to special sighting just outside the main venue: a Chinese-spec Cadillac, camo-free Cadillac Lyriq. The future flagship of the Cadillac brand was spotted by Car News China complete with a 33-inch curved screen, GM’s Super Cruise system, and a chrome emblem at the rear proclaiming that the SAIC-GM joint venture is the creator of this luxury crossover.

Exhaust: Electric cars are extremely desirable in China, whether your budget aims for SAIC-GM’s $4,500 Mini EV, or something on the pricier end—like the Cadillac Lyriq. But Car News China has concerns with Cadillac’s initial offering of a single motor (with only 346 horsepower), and an interior not on par with Chinese Luxury EV startups. The Lyriq’s exterior styling may be accepted there, but its de-camouflaged body could be a more difficult pill to swallow stateside when it becomes available here in the first half of next year.