“It’s a Jeep thing” may possibly be a statement that pick men and women at Fiat-Chrysler don’t understand—but let’s hope not.
As quoted by Automotive News, Jeep CEO Mike Manley says that the subsequent-gen Wrangler, which is due in 2017, would require to compete with “soft” SUVs and that not all Wranglers want to be as capable off-road.
“You can not sell 19,000-plus retail Wranglers [in May] to folks who just want to go off-roading,” Manley told the industry paper. “Why would, for example, somebody else’s SUV that’s really an on-road ‘soft’ SUV not be for me a genuine target for Wrangler?” But ahead of JK and TJ owners light effigies at the subsequent Jeep Jamboree, Manley knows that the Wrangler enjoys a thick-as-blood fan base who are far more loyal than the Secret Service. Later in the AN article, he states that “one thing that [Jeep] will not do is dilute what Wrangler stands for.”
As for the redesign, new powertrains and lighter supplies are practically assured. The Wrangler could advantage from far more gears and, as we were told by Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, possibly aluminum construction. Though the 2.8-liter diesel in European Wranglers performs nicely, Manley is on record saying that sales of the Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel require to improve prior to any new Jeep diesels arrive stateside. A 4-cylinder gasoline model might make sense if Chrysler can sort an engine, possibly by way of turbocharging, that is burlier than the 2.4 found in the new Cherokee.
But we’re not certain why the Wrangler—which is amongst the very very best vehicles extant in terms of resale value—needs to target “soft” competitors when the new Renegade and the Cherokee give lots of ammo in that fight. To that end, Automotive News speculates that the Wrangler’s strong axles could be ripped out for a lighter independent setup.
We believe, however, that Fiat-Chrysler won’t ruin its very lucrative icon, 1 that remains in high demand and which—like the Mercedes-Benz G-class—succeeds not in spite of its archaic technologies but because of them. In addition to, if the company—which produces every little thing from LaFerraris to Dodge Darts—screws up the Wrangler, its executives from both sides of the Atlantic could want to use a single to head for the hills.
Subsequent Jeep Wrangler Could Target “Soft” SUVs—But It Will not Be Ruined (We Hope)
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