Jeep's Future Plans...

[xWJKx]

I see $3 a gallon being thrown around

$3 a gallon???

People will be lucky if a gallon of milk stays below $3/gallon. Not sure who’s projecting $3/gal gasoline, especially given all the volatile issues going on in the world a/k/a Insane US National & Personal Debt levels, US $1 devaluation/inflation + the Middle East + Russia/Ukraine + BRICS…

$3/gal gasoline is some very wishful thinking. Sure, gas might “temporarily” hit $3/gal for 2wks in the middle of Winter, but any analyst claiming “$3/gal is going to become the long-term national average” needs to have their college degree & analytical skills examined.

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[west tex]

EVs are most likely the future, but how far out until they become predominant? That's still very unclear at the present. The infrastructure to support them across the country is a long way off by all accounts. Until then the ICE will remain America's prime mover. Seems to me that hybrids will be a BIG part of filing the gap.

 

[Planotex]

Just read this article on Carbuzz where Jeep's CEO talks about the future and where he would like the company to move towards...very interesting! Especially the part of keeping a route open for combustion engines if there is demand and a possible Jeep Liberty comeback...

What are your thoughts?

https://carbuzz.com/jeep-ceo-details-turnaround-plan/

I still own my 18 year old Commander JK trail rated/V8/Slightly modified...It has taken me to every trail head my XR can get me to. I think the mpg killed this vehicle, but my family likes the stadium seating for travel where you aren't looking at the head rest in back seat. Great vehicle, wrong time. I put 2" spacers and went up a tire size so it looks like it should have off the shelf. Also, having a 2wd super cheap version of same vehicle devalued the 4X4 trail rated version. I have a good mechanic and I changed the stereo so it can run wireless car connect while all the controls on steering wheel still work. Hard to find a replacement as it can also tow 6,500 lbs. Wagoneer way too big...

 

[Bayrat]

All of this talk makes me more appreciative of my non-emissions CUMMINS 4x4. I noticed the gasoline was almost the same price as the diesel during my trip last month. Soon enough, we'll all be experiencing Road Warrior, the reality.

 

[Erievon]

What competition? Only real comparable vehicle to the Wrangler is a Bronco, and those aren't cheap either. Everything else would stack up against the Grand Cherokee.

I did like the original KJ Liberty, that was a capable and fun little vehicle people slept on. The KK and KL, ehhhh.

 

[Tokenwasp]

Just read this article on Carbuzz where Jeep's CEO talks about the future and where he would like the company to move towards...very interesting! Especially the part of keeping a route open for combustion engines if there is demand and a possible Jeep Liberty comeback...

What are your thoughts?

https://carbuzz.com/jeep-ceo-details-turnaround-plan/

Just hoping this means they are making sure the new I6 can fit in the next gen Wrangler.

 

[BXFXJeep]

What competition? Only real comparable vehicle to the Wrangler is a Bronco, and those aren't cheap either. Everything else would stack up against the Grand Cherokee.

I did like the original KJ Liberty, that was a capable and fun little vehicle people slept on. The KK and KL, ehhhh.

Considering the vast majority of Wranglers don't leave the pavement, there are a lot of pricey competition for computer with wheels, and other manufacturers do computers better.

My next vehicle more than likely ain't going to be a Wrangler.

 

[Erievon]

Considering the vast majority of Wranglers don't leave the pavement, there are a lot of pricey competition for computer with wheels, and other manufacturers do computers better.

My next vehicle more than likely ain't going to be a Wrangler.

GC would probably fit a lot of people's needs far better.

 

[Kahuna]

Hydrogen will win in the end.

 

[2nd 392]

And with the rules they can say see we're not actually killing the gas engine we're just making sure their environmentally friendly but at the same time they know that the rules are in fact putting the noose around the crankshaft of the gasoline engine.

They freely admitted it. I posted it when announced but must have not saved it. By 2032 fleet average mpg standards are also over 50 mpg. Close paraphrase “The new standards are designed to incentivize the X of EV’s.”
X = transition, adoption, acceptance, purchase, or forgotten similar.

 

[Wbino]

Considering the vast majority of Wranglers don't leave the pavement, there are a lot of pricey competition for computer with wheels, and other manufacturers do computers better.

My next vehicle more than likely ain't going to be a Wrangler.

I see a future Pathfinder driver......?

 

[Ol’ Timey Manual SWB Guy]

Interesting non-JL comment in that article:

​

“Under Filosa’s guidance, the Wagoneer sub-brand will be scrapped… returning [it] to the Jeep fold. While the idea of distancing its high-end offerings… made sense on paper, it often left customers…confused.”​

If by “confused,” he means “unfooled” then sure. We were very, very “confused.”

I also have a high-end European marque. It cost me far less than a $121,000 Grand Wagoneer. My European vehicle became angry 6-8 hours away from “my” dealership. Something about temperature telemetry and a weird noise on the highway, as I recall. The vehicle guided me to the nearest dealership, and the concierge system called ahead. The “not my” dealership apologized profusely, threw it up on their own lift within 5 minutes, removed some tiny road-debris, reset the system, and sent me on my way with a snack. Free.

Soooo, yeah. Count me among the confused.

 

[BXFXJeep]

I see a future Pathfinder driver......?

Probably gonna jump from the 4xe to a cheap Tesla, maybe electric Mini.

 

[Punkn89]

Probably gonna jump from the 4xe to a cheap Tesla, maybe electric Mini.

I hear charging stations themselves are failing in cold climates. I definitely wouldn’t be driving an EV in Toronto. If I sold my Jeep, I’d probably jump over to a Land Cruiser. Reminds me of the FJ. I wonder how the iforce will hold up long term.

I absolutely love my 21 GC Summit Hemi though.

 

[Powelligator]

If you read the entire article that the OP posted, the striking thing that I see is what’s NOT being written about. Let’s look at Antonio Filosa’s background. He’s a beancounter with an engineering degree, which can be good, but it appears he’s not a Jeep Enthusiast having no relevant experience with the brand or platform, save for doing his daily commute in a hybrid Grand Cherokee. The parent organization that he rose through to get to where he is rewards quarterly profits much, much more than innovative engineering. Many of us on this enthusiast forum will see that as a Bad Thing.

Filosa has inherited several huge problems when he took over as head of the Jeep brand in November. Let’s take a look…

Filosa inherited a brand that is in a sales slump where the previous leadership’s answer to falling unit sales was to jack up the prices (margins) on those remaining units that were selling. They can’t be blamed for that strategy either, with a several week labor dispute the idea of selling more lower cost units wasn’t a possibility in the environment of quarter by quarter profits.

As the head of a North American operation and with his background in South America he’s facing a challenge he’s never dealt with before; that of a highly regulatory environment that cares little about the consumer of his products, not to mention corporate sales and earnings. I don’t want to go political but the reality is the current administration is pushing automakers to go fully electric in a very short amount of time - time being relative. For an automaker time is measured in platform changes which usually span several years, unlike a consumer electronics company which can update a phone each November like clockwork. His issue, in a nutshell, is that his regulatory environment runs completely counter to the expectations of his customers.

So now Filosa looks at what he has to work with in his future product pipeline, all of which were in the works before he arrived. The Jeep Recon, an all-electric midsize SUV. This would be a great idea for any other brand name than Jeep. Here’s the challenge - how bad for the Jeep brand and reputation would it be for a vehicle that appears to fit in the mold of the old XJ Cherokee yet cannot pull off one of the most basic requirements for an adventure oriented off-roader, that of heading out of town on a Friday afternoon, camping out Friday night, running a trail or two on Saturday, another night on the trail then returning home on Sunday? That use case becomes even more significant if the all electric drivetrain is wedged into a Wrangler. Regardless of the actual numbers - something like 87% of Jeeps never have their transfer case lever pulled back - the damage to the brand’s reputation would be fatal if the vehicle ended up with the perception of not being able to be taken on adventures.

The Recon was announced in 2022 for 2024 production, and as of late second quarter 2024 it’s nowhere to be seen. I wonder if Jeep Engineers have been tasked with modifying a 4xe drivetrain to fit, hence the delay.

Here’s another problem that might be keeping Filosa up at night, the Gladiator. That platform is selling so poorly that dealers are marking it down $10K below MSRP just to clear the inventory. There’s so much competition in the midsize truck market that the only real answer is to kill off the platform entirely, as its value as a market standout (removable doors and top and manual transmission option) quickly vaporized after four model years, as most everybody who wanted one already has one. The dilemma now is stuff the 4xe drivetrain in there and perhaps get another year of platform sales, or go with a more expensive generator based hybrid based off the Ram platform’s upcoming drivetrain? Either way, sales aren’t exactly going to set records.

I could go on, but I’m making myself sad by writing this…

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