News Rally: Paris Show Debuts, Renegade in Texas, Wrangler Production Move?
In this news rally: Red Vapor Grand Cherokee SRT and Wrangler Stealth Euro debuts – Renegade at Texas State Fair – Wrangler production may be moving?
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Red Vapor Makes Euro Debut
By Justin Banner
During the Paris Auto Show on October 2nd and 3rd, Europe got a taste of the Red Vapor edition of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Slated to be the fastest and most powerful Jeep built by the manufacturer, it’s aggressive, fast, and it’s the Jeep most Corvette and M-badged owners don’t want to see beside them in a drag race.
However, while the SRT versions of the Challenger and Charger get to see Hellcat action, the Red Vapor makes due with a 470-horsepower, 470-lb-ft Hemi V8 that punches out to 6.4 liters.
The 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT was able to hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds with five fewer units of horsepower and torque, so expect that time to drop closer to the 4.5-and-under zone with the power bump.
The Red Vapor package comes in three colors: Redline Red Pearl, Brilliant Black, and Bright White. The SUV also features 20-inch black-chrome “Goliath” five-spoke wheels, black painted badges and grille inserts, a dark-red engine cover, and a backlit “SRT” logo on the steering wheel. Pricing starts at $65,390 in the U.S.
Jeep Debuts “Stealth” Concept in Paris
By Detroit Steel
It looks like that Red Vapor Edition Grand Cherokee SRT covered above wasn’t the only cool thing Jeep had up its sleeve for the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
The brand also rolled out a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon dubbed the “Stealth” concept that’s bound to generate some buzz here on the forum. Key features on the diesel-powered Jeep include a huge suspension lift and 37-inch tires on 17-inch wheels, classic half-doors, vented hood, a windshield-mounted light bar, flat-top fenders and Rubicon X trail bumpers.
One of the nicest features to me is the Iron Peltrox paint, which gives the show Jeep that true “Stealth” appeal.
Even better, most of the accessories on the concept can be duplicated here in the U.S. with parts from Mopar … aside from that coveted diesel engine; that’s pretty much a Europe thing — well, at least for now.
Source [TruckTrend.com]
This Renegade Played (the Texas State) Fair
By Derek Shiekhi
Given the rugged terrain of Texas, it’s natural that an off-road-capable brand such as Jeep does well here. Its Grand Cherokee has been named the Texas Auto Writers Association’s “SUV of Texas” three years in a row. It’s also won the distinction of “Full-Size SUV Of Texas.” At the recent Texas State Fair, Becky Blanchard, Jeep brand manager, said the land of longhorns “is a strong market for Jeep, and Dallas, in particular, is one of our top ten markets in the U.S. for sales.”
The fair also marked the 2015 Renegade’s first official appearance in the Lone Star State. Compared with the Ford Super Duty trucks and Ram pickups at the event, the cute ute seemed out of place, especially given the fact that it was an Italian-made vehicle with the badge of a famous American manufacturer on its hood. However, the Renegade wasn’t meant to fit in with such workhorses — it was meant to look at home in the Jeep display, which it increasingly did as Blanchard’s presentation progressed.
It wore the round headlights and seven-slot grille of its American-made siblings. X-shaped elements in its taillamp housings recalled the markings seen on vintage military gas cans. The entry-level rig was even coated in a Jeep heritage color: Colorado Red.
Blanchard said the Renegade will be available with either a 160-horsepower, 1.4-liter turbo four paired with a six-speed manual transmission or a 184-horsepower, 2.4-liter I4 mated to a nine-speed automatic. Official fuel economy numbers aren’t out yet. However, Blanchard did say that the Renegade will be another “30-plus-mile-per-gallon Jeep.” A choice of two My Sky Open-Air Roof systems will allow Renegade buyers to take in the sun, the moon, and the stars. Both will feature removable panels that can be stored in the vehicle’s rear cargo area, but only one will have a power tilt/slide feature. The setup makes me think of a combination of no top and a hard top on the Wrangler Unlimited.
Of course, it’s not enough for Jeep to design the Renegade to (loosely) resemble its other vehicles and call it a day. It has to make the diminutive dirt-and-rock rambler capable of performing well in settings tougher than grocery store parking lots. Jeep will offer the Renegade in Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk trim lines. Two four-wheel drive systems will be available: Jeep Active Drive and Jeep Active Drive Low. The latter will be found on the Trailhawk. Blanchard said that variant “will be the most capable small SUV ever.” A 20:1 crawl ratio, a Rock mode for its Selec-Terrain system, a 0.8-inch lift, an off-road suspension, tow hooks, skid plates and hill descent control should help make the “Trail Rated” machine a true Jeep.
Only time will tell if the Renegade is a good idea, but Jeep has reason to believe its new model will have an opportunity to attract plenty of buyers. Blanchard mentioned an estimation that more than two million units will be sold in the small SUV segment – which will include the Renegade – in 2015. Almost a quarter of a million of those transactions are expected to take place within the United States.
One way of potentially moving a greater amount of vehicles is to expand into different classes; the Renegade, when it goes on sale early next year, will allow Jeep to compete in one that’s new to it. The automaker has a reputation for making rigs that can conquer unfamiliar territory. Let’s hope the Renegade turns out to be just such a machine in the land of small SUVs.
via [Chrysler] and [Automotive News – sub. req’d]
Wrangler Production May be Moving
By Jonathon Klein
Back and forth, back and forth. That’s what happens within the auto industry every single day. Thousands of issues arise from certain situations or certain goals and no automaker is immune to them.
We all know and love the Jeep Wrangler: it’s America’s only “real” capable off roader that’s directly from the factory. It has been produced in the Toledo, Ohio plant for decades. It’s almost become tradition, like Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Corvette. Now, however, due to gas mileage rules and regulations, the next Wrangler’s production, and indeed overall design, might change rapidly.
According to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne speaking to the press at the Paris Motor Show, “If the solution [to the mpg matter] is aluminum, then I think, unfortunately, that Toledo is the wrong place [and] the wrong setup to try and build a Wrangler because it requires a complete reconfiguring of the assets [and] that would be cost-prohibitive.”
So, will the Wrangler still be a Wrangler if it were built outside of Toledo?