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What Will Jeep Do to Stay Ahead in the Off-Road War that is Coming?

JeepColorado

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I’m curious what everyone’s thoughts are around what Jeep will do to combat the competition it will face soon. The muscle car war drove incredible competition which led Chevy to bring back the Camaro and launch a ZL1; Dodge tried to end the argument with the 700+HP Demon, but Ford is set to release a GT500 that should beat them all….for now.


The same competitive forces are turning to the off-road world and I LOVE IT! The Tacoma TRD Pro, the Chevy Colorado ZR2, now the Ford Ranger Raptor. In about 2 years the SUV market will see the same.


The Toyota 4Runner is due (probably overdue) for a complete redesign- and the new TRD Pro’s already come with snorkels for the first time noting an uptick in their game. Ford is set to release the Bronco in 2020 and Land Rover is bringing the Defender back to the U.S for the first time since the 90s.


Bottom line- our beloved Jeep Wrangler will face more competition in about 2 years than it has faced in the last 20+.


They will have to do something to keep the momentum. What do you think it will be?


  1. A Hemi V-8? -people pay $25K for this aftermarket- how many would buy it if it came from the factory?;
  2. An independent suspension, Sandstorm concept-type of “fast-off-road” style Wrangler comparable to a Raptor set-up?;
  3. A re-release of the Hard Rock Rubicon with more substantial off-road upgrades? What would they be?;

Any other ideas?
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kylebw7

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Do what Mercedes did with the lifted g wagen... Widen it. It's easy to do. Those have powerful v8s. There's already cars much more extreme than the Wrangler that easily pass regulations. Land Rover will have SVO defenders stateside in 2020 that are lifted with big horsepower from factory. I hope the new Defender really pushes the Wrangler. It'll be the first time Jeep has had a topless direct competitor to the Wrangler in the states since the 90s and back then the Defender was super limited. This time they're pushing for sales numbers.
 

StrikeZ

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Do what Mercedes did with the lifted g wagen... Widen it. It's easy to do. Those have powerful v8s. There's already cars much more extreme than the Wrangler that easily pass regulations. Land Rover will have SVO defenders stateside in 2020 that are lifted with big horsepower from factory. I hope the new Defender really pushes the Wrangler. It'll be the first time Jeep has had a topless direct competitor to the Wrangler in the states since the 90s and back then the Defender was super limited. This time they're pushing for sales numbers.
Mercedes G starts at $123,000 - so it is priced out of competition.
Land Rover lost all integrity.
 

kylebw7

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Mercedes G starts at $123,000 - so it is priced out of competition.
Land Rover lost all integrity.
I simply listed the Mercedes in reply to the guy citing regulations for why Jeep can't go bigger or more powerful. If Land Rover stays true to the Defender I'm not sure Jeep can beat it. They haven't lost integrity all of the new rovers are incredible machines
 

Tunesoul

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I’m curious what everyone’s thoughts are around what Jeep will do to combat the competition it will face soon. The muscle car war drove incredible competition which led Chevy to bring back the Camaro and launch a ZL1; Dodge tried to end the argument with the 700+HP Demon, but Ford is set to release a GT500 that should beat them all….for now.


The same competitive forces are turning to the off-road world and I LOVE IT! The Tacoma TRD Pro, the Chevy Colorado ZR2, now the Ford Ranger Raptor. In about 2 years the SUV market will see the same.


The Toyota 4Runner is due (probably overdue) for a complete redesign- and the new TRD Pro’s already come with snorkels for the first time noting an uptick in their game. Ford is set to release the Bronco in 2020 and Land Rover is bringing the Defender back to the U.S for the first time since the 90s.


Bottom line- our beloved Jeep Wrangler will face more competition in about 2 years than it has faced in the last 20+.


They will have to do something to keep the momentum. What do you think it will be?


  1. A Hemi V-8? -people pay $25K for this aftermarket- how many would buy it if it came from the factory?;
  2. An independent suspension, Sandstorm concept-type of “fast-off-road” style Wrangler comparable to a Raptor set-up?;
  3. A re-release of the Hard Rock Rubicon with more substantial off-road upgrades? What would they be?;

Any other ideas?
Oh brother... There won't be a war, the Jeep Wrangler doesn't have any true competition and I don't see that changing anytime soon my friend. Nice try though, SMH...
 

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Tunesoul

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I believe I smell a troll... :giggle:
 

DanW

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Nobody else has the balls to build a soft top vehicle with removable doors. Let alone one with a full frame and solid axles. Jeep just uncorked a grand slam. Its the competition that has to figure out how to compete.
 

ThirtyOne

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I have some ideas. I think Jeep should:

- Add a Diesel Wrangler
- Add a Wrangler-based Pickup
- Build a Hybrid Wrangler in the next 3 years
- Create a full-sized luxury SUV based on the RAM platform
- Redesign the Cherokee and improve the powertrains in it
- Get rid of the Patriot and Redesign the Compass from the ground up
- Buy some ads for the Super Bowl and create some really awesome commercials to remind everyone who owns the off-road segment

That's just off the top of my head.
 
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Lurvis33

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It will be tough to stay within government safety regulations and build a production rig significantly better than the current wrangler. For crawling purposes it doesn't need more power. More suspension would cause safety reg roll over problems unless it is widened or the center of gravity from the frame up is lowered. For what I want to do the 2 door is already pushing the limits in size.

Trucks and SUV's that are not fully purpose built like the Jeep will sufer in approach and departure angles. I don't see them competing with the Wrangler in the crawling category. At least not in stock form.

I can see an independent suspended version with more power built for speed. But for long travel, independent suspension needs a wide track.

I personally would like a sub 2500 lb version built to the old Willy's dimensions with a 4 banger, modern suspension technology, 100:1 or better crawl ratio, and modern amenities.
I started a thread like this a while ago that never gained any traction. I think they should totally expand and try to compete with the Polaris Rzr and Yamaha utvs. Get the classic small Willy’s dimensions with the Jeep brand name on it and you could have a winning formula for a small recreational off-roader.
Another idea that would be interesting to see would be a 4x4 Overlander Van. VW is coming out with an Electric throwback version of their microbus in 2022 as well.
 

drogers

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None of those listed above as ‘competition’ are built for anything even close to the same capabilities as a Wrangler. Which of them has factory lockers and sway bar discos, good approach angles, short wheelbases, etc? They’re not built for crawling, they’re built for fire roads and desert runs. And that’s before we get to the soft top and removable doors!

Nobody is coming after Jeep on their turf here. What is happening though, is that with the introduction of the JT, Jeep is firing a shot across the bow of the light truck world - with that, they have a platform for a desert runner/ fast off-roader, and that will be a fun thing to watch.
 

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tcadaniel

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The best thing Jeep can do to stay relevant is to do nothing. The appeal is the retro/cool/nostalgic vibe it gives off. Plus all the added capabilities. The future LR defender looks completely ruined. If LR kept the old style, and found a way to import it to the states, they might have a shot, but I don’t see that happening for several reasons. The new bronco, in a 2 door, might be a valid contender, but it won’t be a convertible.
 

kylebw7

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The best thing Jeep can do to stay relevant is to do nothing. The appeal is the retro/cool/nostalgic vibe it gives off. Plus all the added capabilities. The future LR defender looks completely ruined. If LR kept the old style, and found a way to import it to the states, they might have a shot, but I don’t see that happening for several reasons. The new bronco, in a 2 door, might be a valid contender, but it won’t be a convertible.
Nobody knows what the new defender looks like. That concept was hated and land Rover stated it will look nothing like that and that it will look like the defender. To those saying there's nothing here with solid axles, lockers, soft top, etc that changes in 2019 as a 2020 model. It'll have a diesel by the time or before you can get one in a wrangler. The price is probably going to be the hang up. It'll probably be as expensive as a Rubicon with the base model and go drastically up from there. It'll compete in all segments with the Wrangler though as they're making two door, four door, and truck defenders with soft top or hard top. They've already long announced it'll be immediately available in the states
 

drogers

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Nobody knows what the new defender looks like. That concept was hated and land Rover stated it will look nothing like that and that it will look like the defender. To those saying there's nothing here with solid axles, lockers, soft top, etc that changes in 2019 as a 2020 model. It'll have a diesel by the time or before you can get one in a wrangler. The price is probably going to be the hang up. It'll probably be as expensive as a Rubicon with the base model and go drastically up from there. It'll compete in all segments with the Wrangler though as they're making two door, four door, and truck defenders with soft top or hard top. They've already long announced it'll be immediately available in the states
I’d be willing to bet good money that the new defender *starts* at 60k and goes up / no chance we’ll see one for the $40k base price of a Rubi.
 

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it is not gonna happen or it already would have look athe past 10 years The jk were selling like crazy.. wheres the competition?
 
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JeepColorado

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Just to play Devil's Advocate to my fellow Jeep people who don't believe Jeep could really be challenged by Ford. The blue oval has a lot of $ and if they really throw their weight into building something right I believe they could challenge Jeep. The Bronco is a beloved vehicle with an impressive off-road pedigree not that different than Jeeps. If they build a boxy off-roader such as the one in the pic in the link below; throw in a Raptor type turbo-engine with lockers, disconnects and a dual-purpose suspension it'll challenge Jeep's position.

Cue the Ford Executive throwing down the gauntlet.....

“Ford helped start the off-road phenomenon and has majored in off-road capability for decades—from the Bronco to the Raptor,” said Jim Farley, Ford president for global markets. “Now, we’re ready to reclaim our rightful place as the off-road vehicle leader.” (emphasis mine)

https://www.motorauthority.com/news...-bronco-teased-alongside-smaller-off-road-suv
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