Sponsored

Jeep JL Called "Chief" and not "Wrangler"?

Matt The Hammer

Well-Known Member
First Name
Fake Name
Joined
Aug 21, 2017
Threads
2
Messages
444
Reaction score
407
Location
Killadelphia
Vehicle(s)
JKUR and YJ
Occupation
Engineer
Was reading in the latest edition of 4WOR or JP (same anyway), in the rumors section that the new JL will be called Chief and not Wrangler.

Is this possible?

I'm thinking the name would help with the dual sales launch of the JK and JL as everyone knows the JK as a Wrangler anyway. This way the new JL wouldn't be confused with a JK. As the 2018 JK will be a new Wrangler - but not The New Wrangler.

I know the spy shot had Jeep logo with Unlimited and a JL under it (we think). But no "Wrangler" seen yet.

2018-jeep-wrangler-jl-leaked-factory-photo.jpg


A Jeep Chief sounds good. Just odd after 20 years. I like JK-2 myself.

Possible the truck and JL have different names? Chief and Comanche?
Sponsored

 

chuck h

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Threads
6
Messages
239
Reaction score
200
Location
Philadelphia
Vehicle(s)
2017 jeep wrangler unlimited sport
Was reading in the latest edition of 4WOR or JP (same anyway), in the rumors section that the new JL will be called Chief and not Wrangler.

Is this possible?

I'm thinking the name would help with the dual sales launch of the JK and JL as everyone knows the JK as a Wrangler anyway. This way the new JL wouldn't be confused with a JK. As the 2018 JK will be a new Wrangler - but not The New Wrangler.

I know the spy shot had Jeep logo with Unlimited and a JL under it (we think). But no "Wrangler" seen yet.

2018-jeep-wrangler-jl-leaked-factory-photo.jpg


A Jeep Chief sounds good. Just odd after 20 years. I like JK-2 myself.

Possible the truck and JL have different names? Chief and Comanche?
I guess anything is possible, but it seems less likely to me since they had the chief in the 2017 line, so they may create a different confusion trying to clear up the JK vs JL "wrangler" confusion.
 

Davos77

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2016
Threads
4
Messages
80
Reaction score
36
Location
Indiana
Vehicle(s)
2003 Wrangler Rubicon
Vehicle Showcase
1
Bunk. :facepalm:

No way in double hockey sticks they abandon the revered Wrangler name just because of a 3-4 month overlap between the JK and JL!
 

WaltA

Well-Known Member
First Name
Walt
Joined
May 11, 2017
Threads
2
Messages
316
Reaction score
182
Location
Earth
Vehicle(s)
2014 Wrangler Rubicon X, 2003 Mustang GT, 2003 MINI Cooper
I guess anything is possible, but it seems less likely to me since they had the chief in the 2017 line, so they may create a different confusion trying to clear up the JK vs JL "wrangler" confusion.
Well, Jeep had a Wrangler X, a Wrangler Rubicon X, and a Wrangler Sahara X. IMHO, Jeeps likes to keep us confused. :giggle:

However, I agree. The JL is a Wrangler.
 
Last edited:

Sponsored

EARL99208

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2017
Threads
0
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Location
Washington
Vehicle(s)
Future JK or JL owner
Bunk. :facepalm:

No way in double hockey stick they abandon the revered Wrangler name just because of a 3-4 month overlap between the JK and JL!
I too think the "WRANGLER" name should stay.....I think there's enough distinction between the two with just the "JK" or "JL".
 
OP
OP
Matt The Hammer

Matt The Hammer

Well-Known Member
First Name
Fake Name
Joined
Aug 21, 2017
Threads
2
Messages
444
Reaction score
407
Location
Killadelphia
Vehicle(s)
JKUR and YJ
Occupation
Engineer
Yeah. It’s in the December 2017 edition of JP magazine. Page 18 under ‘Auto Graphs’. The bullet is:
“We have heard, from a reliable source, that during a recent FCA ride-and-Drive program, a Jeep engineer (who shall remain unnamed) was overheard saying that the new JL model will not retain the Wrangler moniker, and in fact it will be called the Chief. Slip of the tongue, or red herring?”

image.jpg
 

MotorMan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
Threads
21
Messages
486
Reaction score
403
Location
us
Vehicle(s)
jeep
Yeah. It’s in the December 2017 edition of JP magazine. Page 18 under ‘Auto Graphs’. The bullet is:
“We have heard, from a reliable source, that during a recent FCA ride-and-Drive program, a Jeep engineer (who shall remain unnamed) was overheard saying that the new JL model will not retain the Wrangler moniker, and in fact it will be called the Chief. Slip of the tongue, or red herring?”

image.jpg
Or maybe this is a huge misunderstanding and FCA is naming the truck “Chief.” No way to tell now, but I do doubt that they’d change the Wrangler name.
 

Sponsored

WaltA

Well-Known Member
First Name
Walt
Joined
May 11, 2017
Threads
2
Messages
316
Reaction score
182
Location
Earth
Vehicle(s)
2014 Wrangler Rubicon X, 2003 Mustang GT, 2003 MINI Cooper
Or maybe this is a huge misunderstanding and FCA is naming the truck “Chief.” No way to tell now, but I do doubt that they’d change the Wrangler name.
I would have to think the same. Its way too easy to take something out of context when you overhear a piece of someone else's conversation.
 

nowandthen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Threads
12
Messages
382
Reaction score
456
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
2014 JKUR, 1989 Toyota standard cab pickup
There's a lot of value in a name. The Wrangler name is very well known. No way they are going to change it to Chief or anything else. How many people know Chief? I love Jeeps and Chief was not a name that came to mind as a Jeep. I would however, have preferred (still hope) they used a different name other than Scrambler for the pickup, Chief would have been better IMO. The pickup is a new model so a new name is not that big of a deal. Naming it Scrambler, for which it is sort of similar, is a stretch IMO. But I can live with Scrambler as long as the labels are decals I can remove. I removed the Wrangler decals on my JK first day I had it. To me it's a Jeep! :)

The styling is very close to the JK. Us enthusiasts can clearly see the differences, but most people will not. They will not change the name.
 

The Great Grape Ape

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2017
Threads
9
Messages
2,840
Reaction score
4,122
Location
Canadian Rockies
Vehicle(s)
2015 JKU AspenX 5spd , 2015 JK Sport 6spd
More likely a red herring than anything else.

Even on the truck side Chief doesn't work the way Scrambler, Pioneer, Commanche, Commando and especially Gladiator do; the Chief was a Cherokee first and then a Wrangler Special edition, using it as a complete replacement for the Wrangler name makes no sense. The only thing worse would be using the name of the ill-conceived and equally ill-fated Cowboy.

Despite the very nice Special Edition Chief , even now when I think of the name I just see the Cherokee Chiefs of my youth, and I don't think that name is strong enough to carry the brand the way the Wrangler did, even in the Cherokee it was just a trim name.

A8EE7A4E-06BD-45B6-BEFC-07BCD07632F7.jpeg
Sponsored

 
 



Top