Check out our Queer4Cars YouTube Video on the event
FCA holds an annual event at their Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan for journalists to give them a taste of what the brand has coming to dealer showrooms as well as a taste of future products with upcoming launch dates.
What’s New
Most of the FCA line is well established, and new often means tweaks to horsepower, 
which often translates into dollars, as horsepower sells well. Ram Trucks have been refreshed over the last two model years, and their products are doing well, challenging their competitors in the market. Jeep continues to power sales and profits for FCA. And with the recent Gladiator launch, Jeep’s mid-sized pickup truck benefits from having Ram in the family.
Fiat, Alfa, Chrysler have been lagging in new products, with Voyager, a lower cost 
nameplate variant of Pacifica, a being the most recent. Maserati was not on the field for this event, but the muscle power leader, Dodge, and SRT put out for display a meaty wide-bodied Charger with some muscle-bound Hellcat power and ScatPac V-8 Hemi.
Leave it to the Dodge Boys to show that the love for American Motor Muscle is still alive at FCA with both Challenger and Charger, vehicles that you can raise a family in and be the fastest down the drag strip at the same time. Even if the sheet metal is basically the same for most of the recent decade, both of these machines continue to pump iron.
Off-Roading
We gladly reconnected to the Jeep Brand, one that has a long history with this writer. Taking to the off-road trails with Brandon Girmus in a stock Gladiator. Having the pickup’s marketing manager show off his baby from the navigator’s seat was a lot of fun, as he knows which buttons and switches to apply, and when to use them. Plus, we got to talk about the completion of his recent history project an early Military Jeep, and his desire for a Forward Control. No doubt we will see him working on one of those soon.
Work and Play, It Is What You Haul
One of the benefits of having muscle power and the might of the FCA brand is that 
towing thing becomes easy. Be it with a Ram Heavy Duty Truck pulling a massive piece of construction equipment, a Dodge Durango pulling a swift race-ready Challenger, or a Jeep Gladiator pulling a really nice boat. Was also a highlight. One might think the experience is pretty much the same no matter the tow vehicle, Not so at all, each provided very different experience to the driver. And yes, pulling with a Cummins Diesel, Rocks.
Flashing Lights and Sirens, It’s the Cops
Taking to the test track, we got the behind the wheel of two of Dodge’s police pursuit vehicles. The Charger and the Durango. And we see why so many departments put these into their fleets. Fast and furious and dedicated to the job, FCA 
makes sure they offer what Officers of the Law need when it comes to their rolling office and detention facility. Police vehicles are very focused on the job at hand, without any fluff.
Road Course
Abarth, taking to the track in a six-speed 124 Spider with the top down made you want to spend more time, topless in Pure Michigan style. Throaty and growly, agile and comfortable, this little 2-seater was more fun around the test track that should be allowed by law. 
While our opinion is that FCA has an aging fleet of vehicles, they still produce ones that have a lot of value and merit in the marketplace. FCA’s has some very dedicated employees who love what they do, and it shows when they talk about the products. Kudos to FCA that they instill that kind of pride in their employees, as it is not easy to earn, especially in today’s world.
Words and Images by William West Hopper
Mr. Hopper currently serves as the President of the Washington Automotive Press Association and has been reporting and working in the automotive industry throughout his career, starting in heavy trucking, then managing a Telco Fleet, and now reporting on the latest news from the automotive industry.
FCA invited Mr. Hopper to attend 2019 What’s New event providing transportation, food, and lodging. This is not compensation for reporting about the brand or the event. His opinions expressed here are his own.
The first vehicle driven was 
Why would anyone drive a Pickup Truck? Why NOT? Nothing says power like being behind the wheel of a pickup truck. Nothing says tough guy, like cruising in a four-wheel drive pickup truck! The absolute utility of being able to haul stuff and people at the same time is a game changer.
The F-150 Lariat, a mid-line trim level pickup is not the basic work truck, nor is it the high-horsepower sport monster that is the Ford Raptor. The four-door Super Crew Cab provides plenty of room for five full-size adults, with bucket seats in the front and seating for three in the rear with 60/40 fold-up second-row seats provide seating and or cargo space in the rear of the cabin.
Interior space is more than you might expect, from the storage bin in the center console between the front seats big enough to stow a lunch box or laptop. Door-mounted map pockets or fold up one side of the rear seat to use the area underneath to hide things away. The 10-way power heated and cooled leather-trimmed driver and passenger seats are wide enough for the burliest of guys and soft enough to cuddle the gals. Adjustable pedals with memory help the driver no matter how long their legs might be.
Nothing about the interior of the F150 says spartan work truck. With soft touch plastics surrounding the cabin, a plush carpet and leather trim give the truck a luxury feel. Easy to read gauges, both digital and analog with switches and controls at easy reach make piloting this rig a piece of pie. It is the little things like a heated leather steering wheel and heated and cooled seats, both welcome when the weather turns.
An all-new Bang & Oleson PLAY™ Premium Audio System by HARMAN is available. SYNC® Connect. B&O long a leader in sound systems backed by Harman’s engineering for automotive premium audio systems provides a concert hall experience in a pickup truck. Thes voice-activated system lets you talk instead of fiddle with knobs.
Fog lamps and Side mirror mounted spotlights illuminate what you may want to see on or beside the road. While ambient lighting inside the truck provides a warm glow when you want. LED cargo lighting in the bed of the pickup is a big help when loading cargo in the dark.
There are a number of trim levels you can choose in an F150: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch,® Platinum, Limited, and the muscle truck, Raptor. Our Lariat test truck was equipped with enough luxury and eco-boost power for every day or long hall driving.