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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Jeep

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Jeep Patriot EV

It remains to be seen how serious Cerberus is about keeping Chrysler LLC going or if anyone else will step forward to take control of the Auburn Hills-based company. While the gang in the executive suite determine the company's fate, the engineers at the ENVI division have their shoulders to the grind-stone turning out a fourth electric vehicle for the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. This time the team has applied it's extended-range electric-drive powertrain to the Jeep Patriot. Like the earlier Town and Country EV, this one has an electric motor driving the front wheels, in this case a 150 kW unit. A lithium-ion battery pack of indeterminate capacity gives the Patriot EV a claimed 40-mile range per charge.

A surprisingly small 60-hp internal combustion engine/generator combo keeps the Patriot going after the battery is depleted for up to 400 miles. Since the Patriot is a rebodied Caliber, it seems plausible that if the lights are still on by the time we get to Chicago or New York, we might see an ER-EV version of the Dodge at some point, too. Unfortunately, unless the economy picks up and Chrysler's mainstream lineup is improved, the efforts of the ENVI team might all be for naught.

Gallery: Jeep Patriot EV

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot EV joins the ENVI lineup

Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot EV joins the ENVI lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Euro, Videos, MINI

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the MINI Cabrio

Well, here's one car we'll all be able to cover in Detroit come January. BMW has officially announced that the second-generation MINI Cabrio will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show. No need to wait to place orders; you can do that now. The Cooper ragtop is priced at $24,550 while the Cooper S convertible costs $3,000 more. Customer delivery kicks off on March 28.

So, what's new? Well, for one, the new Cabrio looks like the current-gen Cooper. Likewise, it shares the hardtop cars' 1.6L engines -- 118 hp NA for the Cooper, and 172 hp turbo for the Cooper S. The Euro-market cars get BMW Efficient Dynamics features including brake regeneration and stop/start. The U.S.? Not so much. Out back, the fold-down tailgate's hinges are now internal, giving the car's tush a smoother look. The fixed roll hoops of the current car have been replaced by a pop-up system behind the back seat. This makes for a good-looking, clean top-down profile and should improve rearward visibility for the driver. Speaking of the top, it can be operated at speeds up to 20 mph or so, and it fully disappears in just 15 seconds. The sliding sunroof feature can be utilized at even higher speeds -- up to 60 mph or so. Stability control is standard equipment.

Inside, the current MINI instrument panel is employed, and drivers with a hankering for extraneous gimmickery can order up the "Openometer", a secondary gauge that mounts next to the tach. It monitors how much time you clock with the top down. Yeah, yeah -- useless. You know people are gonna eat it up. Follow the jump for a video and MINI's full PR (now updated with the U.S. version).