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Chrysler races to upgrade its lineup

In a bid to improve its lineup before a fleet of new Fiat-based vehicles arrives in 2012, Chrysler Group is rushing new features and equipment into 15 reworked vehicles. The equipment, such as a Fiat dual-clutch, six-speed transmission and a new Chrysler V6, will boost fuel economy, improve driving dynamics and spiff up drab interiors, all areas in which Chrysler has fared poorly in consumer surveys. All the vehicles will be on sale by the first quarter of next year.

Autoweek in review: This week's highlights

Here's a rundown of what you might have missed at Autoweek.com the past few days: --Automakers brought goodies galore to the SEMA show floor in Las Vegas. Check out all our coverage at the Autoweek SEMA show page. --After negative reception of the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic launched last spring, Honda is saying the next refresh for the Civic could be as soon as 2013, which is about a year ahead of schedule.

Changan Honor

The production version of the Changan Honor was unveiled at the Guangzhou motor show last month, six months after the concept was announced. The production version has stayed true to the concept car, with the Honor's exterior being similar to the company's most recent range, which has adopted a large front grille and rising side feature lines from Changan's MPV range. It represents the traditional MPV/minivan format, with a relatively flat waistline, generous glasshouse and two-box proportions.