Stellantis North America announced yesterday that Mark Allen, in charge of Jeep exterior design for the past 30 years, will retire at the end of this month. Today is the end of the month, so this is the final day in the Stellantis Product Design Office for the man who has overseen decades of Jeep exterior design. [Read more…]
Two companies coincidentally reported steering column issues. Ford recalled 2023 Ford F-250 through F450 trucks for loose or missing bolts, while Jeep recalled 2021-23 Grand Cherokees due to incorrectly made ThyssenKrupp steering columns. The problem can cause drivers to lose control… [Read more…]
Jeep has staked out a unique niche in the midsize pickup market, good enough for a #3 share in 2022—with 77,855 sales, most likely exceeding Jeep’s original expectations. That is not likely to remain Mopar’s only midsize pickup, though; a new Dakota or Ram 1200 has long been rumored to be under active development for global sale.
The new pickup would most likely replace the Mitsubishi L200-based Ram 1200, which was never sold in the United States or Canada. As such, its primary competition in North America would likely be the Toyota Tacoma, which had 237,323 sales in 2022—absolutely dominating the market, with the #2 Chevrolet Colorado only reaching 89,197 sales (adding the GMC Canyon version brings that to 117,016, which is still less than half the Tacoma). [Read more…]
Midland Radio, a leader in two-way radio communications, is collaborating with Jeep starting with a new T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack. Midland is used by many off-roaders, and has sponsored the Jeep Jamboree. The $135 T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack is a by-product of Midland’s T71 license-free handheld. It includes up to 38 … Read more
The Jeep Gladiator was introduced for consumers who wanted a Wrangler-based truck, and Jeep provided pretty much exactly what many people had asked for. The Gladiator looks a great deal like the Wrangler inside and out and is almost as off-road-capable as the Wrangler, so it comes as little surprise that the midsized Jeep pickup has sold very well.
However, since the Gladiator came onto the scene, the Wrangler has gotten an array of new options and/or features that are not available for the Jeep pickup. The most reasonable requests focus on offering the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and the 4xe hybrid package from the Wrangler. The 4xe package has helped the Wrangler become the bestselling plug-in hybrid in the U.S. market and, having driven the hybrid Jeep, it seems like a drivetrain that would work nicely in the Gladiator. On the more extreme end of things, more than a few Jeepers with deep pockets would gladly pay big money for a Gladiator Rubicon 392, but so far, we have only seen the incredible V8 package in the Wrangler. [Read more…]
Ward’s Automotive is one of the older journals covering automotive news. Its Ten Best Engines awards have been eagerly followed each year, and there is usually at least one Mopar engine on it. A newer award is the ten best interiors and user experiences; Stellantis has one winner, a Jeep, which would likely astound a time traveler coming in anywhere from 1941 to 1990. [Read more…]
A couple of days ago, photos from the Illinois Toll Road’s social media feed made a stir as a car carrier loaded mainly with new Jeeps was clearly on fire. Two Wranglers were most badly burned, and one of them was a 4xe, which could have stirred some anti-EV hate. An inquiry to Stellantis North America media relations yielded no answers. [Read more…]
A woman listed as “missing” with the police was found under water, protected by a Jeep Wrangler. A fisherman in Marion County, Texas, reported a submerged vehicle around forty feet from a boat ramp to the sheriff’s office. The dispatcher sent deputies and a tow truck, and as the operators were preparing to fish the … Read more
Earlier, we reported on the Jeep Wrangler’s infotainment system updates, which include giving each and every model the same huge center screen—a screen kept horizontal and in “widescreen” format, so that it doesn’t stick up out of the dashboard. It’s a nicely integrated setup which fits right in, but while it adds utility on trails and on the road, it’s hardly the only improvement. Indeed, Jeep seems to be trying to greatly increase the value proposition of the Wranglers without dropping prices—and that includes adding a new, less-expensive 4xe option. [Read more…]
Today, Christian Meunier, CEO of Jeep (global), unveiled the 2024 Wranglers. It was an unusual reveal, focused largely on emotion for the first ten minutes or so—the spirit of Wrangler, the Wrangler family, the Jeep wave, Jeep events and gatherings, groups of Jeepers helping in crises, and the “duck duck Jeep” tradition, giving credit to … Read more
The new 2024 Jeep® Wrangler is being upgraded for 2024 with new capability, safety, and technology features…. For 2024, Jeep is adding its first full-float Dana 44D rear axle, an optional 100:1 crawl ratio, Warn winch, and increased 5,000-pound towing capability. These features were not included in the rumor posted at Stellpower last month. Jim Morrison, head of Jeep North America and a long-time “true Jeeper,” said that the full-flat rear axle makes it easier to upsize the tires, a common owner upgrade. Indeed, Wrangler customers often installed heavy-duty full-float rear axles already; now they can be installed at the factory, albeit only on the Rubicon.
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On the evening of March 31, 2023, Adam Schindler piloted his white Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk down the quarter mile at ATCO drag strip in just 8.629 seconds, reaching a speed of 163.43 miles per hour and setting the world record for the quickest quarter mile time by a Trackhawk. On the record run, Schindler’s … Read more
On April 5, Jeep and Ram both have unveilings at the New York Auto Show. Ram starts off at 9:20 am, followed by Jeep in the early afternoon.
Reveals for Jeep can be fairly extensive; the Recon was already unveiled some time ago, but it could be shown in person this time, as it was for dealers (leading to some “spy shots” of the Recon making the rounds and surprising people). Likewise, the Wagoneer S was shown quite some time ago and it might have been updated and deemed ready to be shown to a wider audience, in person. Then there’s the little Avenger, sold in Europe, and finally the long-awaited 2024 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. One source revealed a good deal of possibly valid information about the 2024 Jeeps (mainly UConnect upgrades), but while dealers can order them, they can’t see the details. [Read more…]
Jeep made Wrangler frames with an extra stud, requiring a big recall to avoid ruptured fuel tanks—but first, the other embarrassing gaffes from around the globe:
Honda managed to put on side-view mirrors that may “detach,” on 2020-21 Pilots and Ridgelines, and 2020-22 Odysseys and Passports (oh, and the speedometer cable—remember those?—may be “incorrectly routed” on ’22 NVA110B motorcycles). Nissan put the wrong door latches onto 2022 QX50s and 2023 QX55s. Volvo has a “false warning message” on the emergency call system for most 2023s. [Read more…]
Jeep has officially unveiled the concepts for the 57th annual Easter Jeep Safari which takes place on April 1-9, 2023 in Moab, Utah. Here they are—all seven of them on one page, including one 1978 “SJ” Cherokee merged with a Wrangler Rubicon to form an entirely new beast; an all-electric Wrangler; a purple-pink model; a two-seater Grand Wagoneer with a popup camper built in; and a few others. [Read more…]
The 57th Easter Jeep Safari will be held on April 1-9 in Moab, Utah, and as is always the case, the Trail Rated brand will introduce a spread of new off-road-ready concept vehicles. Leading up to the massive off-road festival in Utah, the brand will tease these concept vehicles with a series of artwork. With … Read more
