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2018 Wrangler info from FCA dealers meeting (diesel, colors, debut, power sliding top, etc.)

Alvin R

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I'm confused. What's the base engine?
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The Great Grape Ape

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Uh, the 3.6L/manual is listed as standard...

And you realize these are from someone's notes or recollection later back at their hotel, right? This is how this cloak and dagger stuff works.
Ah, read that different at first blush, too focused on the lack of Turbo in the description.

Interesting that the base engine wouldn't have the base transmission, kinda limits the ability to lower the entry/base MSRP.
It does better lock in the fleet MPG with the wider spread of the AT transmission, so for CAFE purposes alone it makes sense, saying the Wrangler gets XX MPG.... based on 3.21 axle auto 4cylinder, which may end up being the top selling configuration in the fleet despite being the least desirable of enthusiasts.

Interesting to see if torque plays a role there, having inverse implications (less VW Tiguan, More GM Equinox?)
 

The Great Grape Ape

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Word is 2 door JL Sahara is being discontinued because "sold too few and no real need for it."
I don't disagree that it's a bit of a strange-duck for the Wrangler community, but the 2dr Sahara outsells the 2dr Rubicon, but if they're gonna drop one of the two, then dropping the 2dr Sahara makes more sense than dropping the Rubi.
It does make the Sahara no longer a trim level, and more of a 'special edition package' (ala Willys etc) only avaialable on the JLU, and now everything will either be Sport with a package add-on or Rubicon with a package add-on, and likely the bases for engines, transmissions, and axles split along those lines.

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Billy

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Makes the Sahara a true grocery getter...
 

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The Great Grape Ape

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Then you just get a Sport and add a body color hard-top which might no longer be locked-in and available to Sport without a Sahara split. This would actually address more people's issues with not being able to add X,Y,Z to the Sport and being forced into higher trim levels, but that's kinda why trim levels exist... to extract more marketing money through tiered pricing.

You're gonna get it from either side wtih the marketing splits, but most people just want a system where it's a base model and then you can add any feature you want to that base, but get discounts by adding it as ABC-package. If this is the start of that it makes it more configurable, and less need to add "the junk" of other packages/trims.
 

Aaron

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Does this mean there won't be a power soft top? Please, can someone confirm this is still happening, and will be available from the beginning! I can't believe the one thing truly revolutionary about the JL, power tops, won't be available from day 1. It's utterly incomprehensible.
 

The Great Grape Ape

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Yea I guess dealers can order, but it would stop the public from ordering without being able to see how it looks, and all the features. Also if dealers have photos or renderings of it and sales materials its going to 100% leak, so why not just do a press launch. This whole "Launch" seems half-assed.
Also love how this assumes that dealers should just max out their orders in November to fill showrooms with zero public feedback, and with no guidance on engine choice, trim level, etc.

Makes more sense when there's just one engine, and both transmissions offer similar performance and fuel economy, not in the JL where there is a lot of variability.

Having an earlier launch so enthusiasts can react and place orders in the order banks provides feedback to FCA and dealers so they can see what items hit the mark with buyers (yes established enthusiast buyers, not Joe Average), but that seems like very valuable feedback that is forgone with a reveal long after ordering.

Sound more like the LA timeframe is similar to the anual fall press launch for John Q Public, long after the reveal of the new model, and even after enthusiasts are driving around in their summer acquisitions.

Otherwise, seems like a lot of PR & Marketing value is being left on the table if LA is the first time people see the JL.
 

Alvin R

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At this point, might it be safe to begin assuming the panel-construction hard top isn't coming, at least at launch? This will be the deal breaker for me, personally. I could deal with the JK's transmission/lack of back-up cam if the only major upgrades for the JL aside from tranny are limited to higher-trim models.
 

orey22

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The new Power Sliding Hardtop, late 2018 ; the initials for it are : "PSHT". Thats almost funny, painfully close to "Piece of Sh#t".
I sincerely hope it's better than the Acronym. ..
So the 3.6, manual trans will be the "base" model, the 2.0 turbo 4 cylinder will be an option , automatic only.
I'll wait, options and colors will be improving for late 2018-2019.
Couldn't agree more, this is sort of a deflation announcement for me. Sure the coming Diesel is great, but only in automatic....so I'm going with the Pentastar to get a manual transmission. Then I can't get a 2 door Sahara, oh and god knows when anything / options will be available, 2019-2020 etc. I'll be watching for the detailed specs closely...it's almost as though it's beneficial to wait because more is coming it's just not going to be ready for the MY2018's.
 

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MockBarbecue82

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The LA Auto Show is the first week of December. So it would hit dealers the week(s) after the show? How would that even be a debut if it would already be in production and have been seen?
 

CorpCow

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Except this info is highly specific and also if FCA is sharing it with select dealers this close to the production date, it's most likely locked in and unlikely to be subject to change.
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