Chrysler adding WiFi, data to ho-hum '09 fleet

Chrysler's added a few features to get geeks' motors running over the years, but internet access is definitely a fresh direction. Apparently cars rolling off the line this and next year will have some kind of cellular data access (we're not yet sure if that's through an straight MVNO or piped through machine to machine data service like Jasper Wireless) and in-car WiFi first as an option, and then eventually standard. Details are sparse but we hear kids can spend, like, hours on the Facebook and the MySpace, so chalk another one up to team parents keeping team back-seat occupied.

[Via Autoblog, thanks Andrew]

[Jennifer @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:42PM]

nice

[Raheem @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:08PM]

Good comment.

[Chris @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:13PM]

Nice reply Raheem.

[Raheem @ Mar 24th 2008 11:06AM]

Cheers.

[martin @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:44PM]

so is the wifi what the car uses to connect or does this mean i can follow a 300c around and get free broadband

[stiltskin @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:58PM]

hahahahaha

[Flashpoint @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:45PM]

CHRYSLER IS INSANE - They must be planning their own bankruptcy.

First of all, the Chrysler 300/ Magnum/ Charger and Sebring were "decent" cars during their launches (with the 300 being strongest) but Chrysler has made a huge mistake not redesignin gth einterior from the cheap plastic it was to something more like crafted leather and less plastic cheapness [ think CTS redesigned for 08]

The 2008 Chryslers have undergone virtually no changes this year with the exception of the offering of backseat TV, auto cruise control and slightly nice light fixtures.

Are they insane? Why are the offering an SRT8 CHALLENGER when gas prices for Premium unleaded are $3.60? Why haven't they worked on the HEMI engines to get more fuel economy?

The real power players this year will be Hyundai's Genesis and Lincoln's MKS.

My girlfriend owns a Chrysler 300 and though its a good car, Chrysler is quickly headed down the wrong path. They need better quality control.

[Alex Padilla @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:16PM]

My mom has an '05 or '06 Town n' Country, and I must say, it's a pretty good vehicle. Before that, she had a LeBaron that she got in 94. She drove that thing to the end, and her minivan is holding up quite well also, considering she's been putting a ton of miles on it.

Though I have to agree with you. For the most part, automobile manufacturers need to focus on offering more cars for the average consumer. Sure, it's nice to have luxury, but at what cost, exactly?

[Citrico @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:52PM]

Chrysler actually might be able to turn things around, but the new management hasn't had enough time to really do anything yet, and pretty much every decision made before they showed up was the wrong one. To their credit, they have canned some lame ducks (Crossfire!) and apparently upgraded the interior to the new Journey at the last minute to get it at least tolerable (haven't been in it though, so I can't quite judge how much of a difference was made.)

And, since you referenced the new CTS, GM's recent hit parade didn't happen overnight either. The newer, less stupid management has been around for a few years now, and they needed time to implement projects and make design changes before they could get a lineup that they could be proud of. Maybe the next Sebring will be a dramatic step up like the new Malibu, but they need to design it first, and since the old management was stupid, it's going to have to start from the beginning. Great products don't happen overnight, it's going to be a while before Chrysler is on the right track again, if they ever are.

[Zach @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:54PM]

hemi and fuel economy?

did you really just say those two words in the same sentence?
the oil companies car companies and government are all (unfortunately for us) in a very large bed together, and until that bed is erm. punctured. we won't be seeing fuel efficient american cars.

35mpg is not fuel efficient, though we may have come to believe it to be.
when i see over 50 (as in what they get in europe if i'm not mistaken) i'll be pleased.
and don't complain about small european cars just cause you drive a ford f-150 gallons a mile pickup cause you have a small dick.

[Citrico @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:39PM]

Yeah, big evil conspiracy, one which would have no clout if consumers didn't want large, excessive vehicles in the first place.

Big oil certainly doesn't complain about SUVs and trucks, car companies love them because the profits are huge, not because big oil tells them they should push them. And why are the profits huge? Because people want the stupid things and are willing to pay a premium.

If people in America bought small cars, car companies would sell them here. Blame whoever you want, it's the consumer's fault.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 24th 2008 12:31AM]

Americans want big, powerful cars. The only reason why most Americans who buy small cars actually buy small cars is out of necessity because of fuel prices. The Challenger is not designed to be a high volume car. People who can afford to buy and drive the Challenger will buy it even if gasoline prices hit $4 per gallon or more. It's not a matter of 'blame', it's a matter of capitalism. The only mistake Chrysler may be making with the Challenger is if they can't sell the amount they plan on selling. The other factor is that the Challenger may have a "halo effect" on their entire line, making their brand desirable. It's a hot car. I would buy one in a second if I could afford it.

[derX @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:47PM]

That's a visual I did not need.

[Luke @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:49PM]

WiMax would be nice...

[Luke @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:53PM]

...for the kids in the backseat of course!
...maybe for the center console in the front too?

[Flashpoint @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:49PM]

I think the Wifi will likely be piggybacking the data channels they are using for their backseat TV. Unlike GM, Chrysler doesn't have Onstar or any other pay for play service right now with the exception of Sirius entertainment. Most likely they'll just add a wireless router in their larger vehicles like the Pacifica and the Town&country.

[the_ori @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:51PM]

Before you know it, people will be driving, talking on the cellphone, watching a DVD, and playing the flash version of Portal all at the same time.

[Raheem @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:09PM]

Come on, flash? We can get a 360 in there too!

[xchekox @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:59PM]

I like the idea.. and not everyone has to have a 3g adaptor in theri lappies.... Plus, you can use your car as a cellular WIFI router when in garage...

[Blaktornado @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:00PM]

Well the internet IS for porn, after all.

[Ellianth @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:13PM]

officer, i wasn't browsing the internet while driving. My finger hurts and i was using my freshly charged laptop to warm my hands.

[Chicksta @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:19PM]

I guess this could be cool if it had some sort of interface to, say, grab feeds from online and then do a text-to-speech transfer of your real-time emails, etc. But you could do that with other technologies instead. And yeah, I am already on facebook too much as-is, and I'm nowhere near being a teenager anymore :(

[Trumpetman319 @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:33PM]

This is a good idea but where can you use wifi...when you are in the driveway or sitting next to a coffee shop I agree you need wimax because when there is no signal who wants to listen to the kids whine?

[Chicksta @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:01PM]

if you don't want to listen to the kids whine, then why don't you either not have kids, or learn how to be a parent? Is there anything that people actually appreciate and don't complain about?

[Trumpetman319 @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:52PM]

I don't have kids and I would not be caught dead driving a Chrysler anyway. I like when car drive not when they have more electronics in them then a Radioshack

[Stewart @ Mar 24th 2008 1:31PM]

Sometimes kids just happen.

[Joshua Walters @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:40PM]

If they pull this off, Im totally buying one. I will then proceed to sell my house, and sleep in my car.

[dizilbdog @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:59PM]

How about adding diesel engines Chrysler so I can use some bio-diesel, I could use better gas mileage not the internet in my car...

[kojo87 @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:26PM]

yeah no kidding. diesel needs to be a more prevalent form of fuel. this is just another reason im looking to buy a Volkswagen and not a Chrysler. i'll take a VW R36 please!

[Bradley @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:05PM]

I know most people automatically think of surfing the web, but my first thought was internet radio. I think it would be great if these had an lcd screen setup with pre-installed bookmarks to Pandora and last.fm. Or even better, to have the capability to listen to BBC Radio 1 (or any of their other 10 stations they have on the web) without having to pay for Sirius.

[Virtuous @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:18PM]

If given enough time Chrysler's CEO, Robert Nardelli, will drive the company in to oblivion. He almost single-handedly wrecked Home Depot.

[kojo87 @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:29PM]

does this mean i can run BitTorrent in my car and get pulled over for downloading a cam of Drillbit Taylor?

[agroupofletters @ Mar 24th 2008 1:19AM]

just saw that movie and honestly, it's not worth the bandwith

[Blue Sunshine @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:37PM]

They need all the help they can get considering that the Sebring had the most recalls out of any other car in 2007. I had a 1999 300m and I'll never go back to a Chrysler ever again.

http://www.miscgarbage.com

[happy_penguin @ Mar 24th 2008 12:47AM]

Recalls aren't necessarily a bad thing. At least they are fixing potential problems. Naturally, it's best to build vehicles which are perfect to begin with but things happen. Manufacturers have been caught in the act of hiding known problems. It was just a few years ago that Mitsubishi got nailed for this. But the fact is, all cars are built a lot better than they were 20 or 30 years ago. Having the "most" recalls is relative. Chrysler is building a product that is leaps and bounds better than they did a few decades ago.

[Fargus @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:10PM]

Wow, its amazing how many posts are bashing them for trying something new. Also, why the hell wouldn't they make an SRT version of the rebirth of the MUSCLE car?!?! If you want gas mileage, go drive a prius. Something tells me the people buying the challenger could care less about how much gas mileage they are getting from their 425 horsepower BEAST!

[tokyo_suicide @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:34PM]

nice name.

[kojo87 @ Mar 24th 2008 3:07AM]

yeah i understand there is a trade off between mileage and power but come on. my buddy's suped-up 89 Mustang gets like 10mpg and has over 500hp. sure its badass but is that really worth it? there are plenty of cars that get decent gas mileage with more than enough fast for most people.

[Trumpetman319 @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:56PM]

I totally did not think of that that is a good idea

[Bill Law @ Mar 24th 2008 12:36AM]

Wow... Charge the Caravan using a USB Port too! Cool!

[Student Driver @ Mar 24th 2008 1:13AM]

Wow, and I was thinking they might add "cars that are worthwhile" to their fleet. Well, I guess this is a start.

As for the 50mpg thing, just make sure you know if it's imperial gallons (about 5L) or US gallons (about 4L) as that will make a world of difference. It will be a bit longer before the US will see cheaper cars that can really hit these numbers, but when we do it will actually rocket beyond them. Why? Because diesel (or diesel hybrid) would be a great way to do it, but the US (and soon-to-be EU) regulations are pretty strict on diesel emissions. Many vendors are using alternate chemical injection systems (like Mercedes) and particulate filters to pass them. Well, this stuff costs quite a bit and it's easier to offset it in a larger vehicle. This is coming with Mercedes new SUVs where the cost isn't that much of a shock, but a $21,000 Honda Fit might not sell that well even if it could get 60mpg (US) due to its size and weight with similar engine technology.

VW is feeling the US out with a Jetta SportWagen on their website claiming mid-fifties mileage using a 2.0L diesel, so imagine what smaller cars will do (or combining with start/stop and battery power). But, it costs money, and a lot of money during initial development. So, if you really want it, let them know and actually BUY it, rather than complain when we don't see it. It's coming, just make sure your credit rating is ready. ;-)

[kojo87 @ Mar 24th 2008 3:11AM]

im waiting on the VW diesels before i buy my first real car. either the Passat R36 or Golf R36. i have a 97 Golf and a 84 Rabbit and i'll be the first to say VW knows how to make engines that last. the odometer broke on the Rabbit at 160k and that was three years ago. if only that thing ran on diesel...

[Bluejay & Cardinal @ Mar 24th 2008 1:19AM]

Hmm YEP patent infringement. the car is not mine but i drive an e350 (my moms) I have an HTC touch w/ the $99 plan i get 2 mbps in some spots w/ my sony vaio ux-280p car mounted while listening to alex jones omfg i thought of it first who's the old lady now

[Bluejay & Cardinal @ Mar 24th 2008 1:23AM]

oh i forgot i got a

CradlePoint CTR350 WiFi Router USB EVDO
w/ a 12 converter

NO CAIN for me if i offer u free internet

[ecobore @ Mar 25th 2008 9:28PM]

wifi is not going to turn a pigs ear into a silk purse!

[Daimyo Nintendo @ Mar 24th 2008 10:11AM]

Great now all Chrysler has to do is start building cars that aren’t
shit and don’t fall apart or break down every 15,000
kilometers…then they are really on a roll. Chrysler…ALL AMERICAN
CARS ARE SHIT! European cars are the way to go. I wont even touch
and Asian car, ewww gross! (This coming from a Canadian who has had a BMW 325i, a Ford, A Chrysler 300 Limited, and now a 328xi BMW.) I will never touch an American car again lol, never.

This is nothing compared to the proposed BMW and Apple deal. What a
sweet deal that would be. BMW = Sexy, Apple = Sexy, BMW+Apple=DOUBLE
SEXY.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 24th 2008 7:54PM]

You're ignorant:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/09/buick-ties-lexus-for-top-spot-in-jd-power-2007-vehicle-dependabi/