Mopar launches Jeep Performance Parts with Wrangler Sand Trooper

There's no doubt that the Jeep Wrangler is a shining beacon of aftermarket success here at the 2012 SEMA Show. If there's any one vehicle that can stake a claim to challenging the Scion FR-S and Ford Mustang in the sheer-number-of-vehicles contest, it's Jeep's iconic off-roader. So it comes as little surprise that Mopar is interested in picking up a bit more of that market with its own factory-approved line of performance parts. Read more...

Sorry Clint and Eminem, your ads were not the most significant for Chrysler

Though it has been the company's star-laden Super Bowl commercials starring Eminem and Clint Eastwood that have garnered the most buzz for Chrysler and its ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, the principals agree that it was a far earlier spot that has made the biggest impact thus far. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and John Jay, Global Executive Creative Director for Wieden + Kennedy, agreed recently that it was the commercial for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that has had the most significant impact for Chrysler in the post-bailout era. Read more...

NHTSA to probe 2011-2012 Jeep Patriot over stalling fears

After receiving a dozen complaints about stalling Jeep Patriots, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided to launch a formal investigation. The probe will look at about 112,000 Patriots from the 2011 and 2012 model years. NHTSA says some owners report their vehicles' engines are completely shutting off at speeds above 65 mph. In at least eight cases, the drivers could not restart the vehicle, and in at least one incident, the stall involved a crash that injured two people. Read more....

Jeep to build all model lines in China?

We're quite used to seeing Jeep knockoffs come out of China (e.g. SsangYong Korando generations one through three), but if a new report is to be believed, we may start seeing the fair dinkum being built in Asia once again, too. Read More...

Wrangler Ute no go

Chrysler Group focuses on a new one-tonne pick-up instead of Wrangler-based ute. A plan to develop a utility version of the Jeep Wrangler appears to have been scrapped in favour of a dedicated one-tonne rival for the likes of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. The Wrangler ute seemed high on the Fiat Chrysler group’s future model agenda when Jeep’s Global Brand President and CEO, Mike Manley, met with Australian motoring press in August. However, at last week’s local Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 media launch, Fiat Chrysler Group Australia Managing Director Clyde Campbell confirmed the new Wrangler derivative was off the agenda. “I think the clear decision is that if you are going to have a pick-up it has got to be a metric-tonne pick-up,” Mr Campbell explained. “It’s got to be a beast that ticks a few boxes.” Jeep does currently offer a ‘JK-8’ utility conversion kit for the current four-door Wrangler, but it is an oddly shaped load space limited to about 800kg, Mr Campbell explained. Read more....

Two guys keep rescuing a Jeep Wrangler in new Discovery show

For the right kind of person, this sounds like an awesome adventure with a Jeep Wrangler. For everyone else, it probably sounds like hell. Discovery has teamed up with former British special forces soldier Gary Humphrey and self-proclaimed gearhead Gary Bill Wu, and sent them into a remote peak in the Chilean volcanoes. Also heading into the wilderness? A used Jeep Wrangler, airlifted to another location in their general vicinity. Their job? Track down the TJ and use it to get home. What could go wrong? The show is called "One Car Too Far," and is a five-part series, chronicling the pair's escape from the mountainous region of Chile. The duo encounters the full breadth of Chilean terrain, including alpine tundra, deserts, and humid subtropical regions. Oh, and they have just three days to get out and back to civilization! The show starts August 19th, at 9PM on Discovery

2015 mini Jeep will be ‘trail-rated’

A new mini Jeep will not damage the brand’s tough image. That’s the promise from Jeep president Mike Manley, who told CarAdvice that at least one version of its upcoming micro machine will be ‘trail-rated’, meaning it will have strong off-road capability. The new model will take on models like the Skoda Yeti and upcoming Ford EcoSport in a new sub-small SUV segment when it arrives in 2015. It will be produced in both right- and left-hand drive and is almost certain to be offered in Australia. Various reports had suggested the baby Jeep would be built off the same base as the Fiat Panda, but Manley said that was not the case. “It’s not off the Panda. It is a Fiat-derived platform, but we could have an hour discussing what is a platform, but let me say it is on Fiat technology,” he said. The platform was not originally developed for off-road work, but Jeep is spending the money to make sure it can make it a reasonable distance off road.
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Decision on a Jeep pickup coming soon, truck could come on Wrangler or Fiat platform

"Pretty soon." That's the answer Jeep president Mike Manley gave to Australian site Car Advice when asked about a decision on a Jeep pickup truck. And with the next-generartion Wrangler planned for arrival in 2015 or 2016, this is the window for getting with planners. There's certainly plenty of lust for a Jeep pickup – just look at the strong sales of Mopar's JK8 kit. Concerning a factory-fresh production version, part of the considerations are whether to build a two-door, or a four-door that could provide more space for people and cargo but wouldn't have the Wrangler's same off-road might. Making a Wrangler variant that can't live up to the stalwart Jeep's off-road standards is a concern for Manley. The approach and departure angles of a four-door wouldn't be a problem, but the length of a pickup would mean "your break-over angle gets destroyed," said Manley, and in that case he wonders, "Then is it really a Wrangler?" The two-door, however, would have "no issue at all." Another idea would be to build a Jeep pickup on a Fiat platform, perhaps the one underpinning the next Liberty. That could be a model distinct from the Wrangler line and, while still possessing the off-road promise of a Jeep. Manley only spoke of that hypotetically, though, saying he could "see the opportunity in the future" for such a vehicle. It shouldn't be long before we know one way or another.

USA: Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition arrives in time for 4th of July

The iconic Jeep Wrangler's earliest ancestors were military vehicles that proved their offroad capabilities by shuttling our armed forces through some of the world's most difficult terrain. Now, 70 years later, that bare-bones, utilitarian vehicle is all grown up and (somewhat) civilized, but no less American. To show off its patriotism, Jeep has just announced a new Freedom package on its 2012 Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited models. Spotting the new trim packages on the street should be super easy. First, they're only available in three colors: Deep Cherry Red, Bright White and, exclusive to Freedom models, True Blue. READ MORE HERE

JEEP ACTION August Edition out now

Check it out CLICK HERE: Sample Contents - August 2012 Postie Ready for Work V6 Billy Carts Black Dog at Tuff Truck The 46th Easter Jeep Safari 2012 Jeep Wrangler Apache 2012 Jeep Wrangler Traildozer Classic Not Plastic 2012 Camping at Daisy Plains Dr Jeep (Tony Whitehead) Jeep Hosptial Product Review - Sprintex Superchargers Historic Jeep Images, Australian Jeep Clubs Listing, Classifieds

Watch a Jeep Grand Cherokee fail Sweden's Moose Test

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has proven to be a rock-solid off-road-capable SUV with a dose of civility on public roads. But while the top Jeep has a terrific reputation and a long list of accolades, at least one model apparently didn't have the chops for the Teknikens Moose (or Elk) test over in Sweden. The moose test is a lighting-fast emergency lane change maneuver that takes place at a relatively staid 40 miles per hour. While most vehicles clear the obstacle with little fuss, the below video shows that a Grand Cherokee Overland got up on two wheels and very nearly rolled. Teknikens Värld tester Linus Pröjtz points out in the Overland model comes standard in Sweden with 20-inch wheels, rollover protection and electronic stability control. READ FULL STORY HERE

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 gets Alpine and Vapor special editions for 2013

If there's any brand that loves special editions more than Porsche, it's Jeep. The automaker has officially released two new flavors of the 2013 Grand Cherokee SRT8, and both include sexy monochrome exteriors in either black or white. The Alpine edition comes dipped in Bright White paint, while the Vapor edition shown above is soaked in Brilliant Black. Both come wearing 20-inch five-spoke gloss black wheels as well as a few other matching appointments, including badges, grilles and rear light bar. Jeep says the special edition packages will cost $2,495 each on top of the machine's $60,920 base price. The 2013 model still bows with a monstrous 6.4-liter V8 with 470 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The engine is capable of pushing the 5,150-pound SUV to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 160 mph. If that's not enough to tickle your chin, Jeep says the 2013 Grand Cherokee SRT8 can click off .90g on the skid pad. READ FULL STORY HERE