Jeep auto news

Report: Robust Grand Cherokee and Durango sales to keep plant open through planned shutdown

Jeep Grand Cherokee sales are up 37 percent through April, and Chrysler has already sold nearly 50,000 units in 2012, placing the flagship Jeep model ahead of all other Pentastar vehicles, save for the Ram pickup.

That demand will be keeping the Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit open through the July 4 holiday period, according to The Detroit News. Big Three plants have traditionally shut down for two weeks in July to facilitate model-year changeover, though that process will be accomplished with the lines running this year, according to the report.

Jefferson North is already running overtime including some Saturdays to keep up with demand for both the Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango. Sales of the Dodge model are up seven percent this year.

Official: Jeep unveils Wrangler Unlimited Altitude

In March, Jeep showed off its blacked-out Altitude edition Compass, Grand Cherokee and Patriot. Now it's Wrangler's turn get the monochromatic package.

The Wrangler Unlimited Altitude package includes everything the traditional Unlimited Sahara gets, including a body color hardtop and various interior gadgetry. But the Altitude exterior gets either all-black paint or all-black trim on Deep Cherry Red, Black, Bright White or Bright Silver Metallic paint. Unique 18-inch wheels with painted black spokes round out the exterior highlights.

Inside, the seats get black leather with contrasting red stitching as well as black trim on the dashboard and black berber floor mats.

Only 4,500 Wrangler Unlimited Altitude editions will be sold (which doesn't seem that unlimited to us) beginning in May with an MSRP of $33,740. That's more than the Patriot and Compass Altitudes and just shy of the $35,595 price tag on the Grand Cherokee Altitude.

Check out the official press release below for more details.

Continue reading Jeep unveils Wrangler Unlimited Altitude

Official: Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept slithers into China

Much as it is to any automaker doing business there, China has grown to become a vital market for the Jeep brand. In fact, the Chrysler group's iconic SUV brand sells more vehicles in China than anywhere outside North America. And so to celebrate its success in the Chinese market, Jeep has rolled into Beijing with the customized Wrangler you see here.

What sets this design concept apart from any other Wrangler Unlimited is the dragon motif that dominates throughout. Jeep started with a Rubicon Unlimited, blacked out everything from the fenders and bumpers to the wheels and roof and applied bronze-gold dragon decals to the hood and left flank, the spare tire cover, the unique carbon-fiber engine cover and the interior. Bronze-gold trim complements throughout, with a gold and black leather interior with gold snakeskin bolsters to top it all off.

More than a simple decal job, the Wrangler Dragon design concept looks pretty convincing, and if demand in China is high enough, Jeep might even build it. Just don't count on it showing up in your local dealership on this side of the Pacific, though - you'll just have to scope it out in the high-res image gallery above and scroll down for further details in the official press release.

Continue reading Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept slithers into China

Video: Watch the Jeep Mighty FC concept crawl all over Moab

Jeep has a knack for creating some of the concept world's most lustworthy creations, and they are made all the more desirable by their functionality. This year, the star of the Easter Jeep Safari was the company's Mighty FC Concept. Penned as tribute to the old Willys Forward Controls of yore, the Mighty FC boasts high-dollar portal axles and a cab-forward design.

Motor Trend caught up with the big blue machine as it lumbered around the desert this year with Mark Allen, head of Jeep design, behind the wheel. Allen took the time to explain some of the challenges behind bringing the Mighty FC to life as well as the origins of some of the components on board.

As it turns out, Jeep used a snowboard bag for the seat inserts and arm rests. With a cab lifted straight from a standard Wrangler, engineers had to come up with some steering trickery to make sure the vehicle drove like a standard SUV instead of a school bus.

MT even found an old-school Forward Control to bomb around in for a spell as well. Very cool. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself.

Continue reading Watch the Jeep Mighty FC concept crawl all over Moab

Beijing: Chrysler preparing two Chinese-influenced concepts for Beijing

Chrysler has announced that in honor of the brand's return to the Chinese market, it's bringing two design concept to the Beijing Motor Show later this month. The first is a sharp-looking 300C with an all-black exterior, a set of very large wheels and a two-toned interior with light-colored leather seating surfaces. The seatbacks are embossed with some sort of symbol, what looks to be gusts of wind. Chrysler says this special 300C was "created specifically with Chinese elements in mind," but we'll have to wait a couple weeks to find out exactly what that means.

The 300C, however, is a wallflower compared to this Jeep Wrangler design concept that unabashedly wears its Chinese pride like a flag draped around its shoulders. Said to be inspired by the Year of the Dragon, the black Wrangler features dragon decals on its sheetmetal, some small and some very large, as well as a very ornate image of a dragon on the underside of the hood. The all-black exterior is set of with gold accents on the black wheels, as well as gold trim around the headlights and trademark seven-slat grille. Lastly, the lighting has been upgraded with a set of high-tech LEDs set within the Wrangler's traditional round headlamps. It may be strange to see all that Chinese iconography on something so American as a Jeep Wrangler, but it's no more stranger than an American flag-wearing edition of the Italian Fiat 500.

Continue reading Chrysler preparing two Chinese-influenced concepts for Beijing

New York: Jeep climbs to higher Altitude with murdered-out specials

We know what you're thinking: You'd love to buy a new Jeep, but only if it were more... black. Fortunately, dear friend, the Chrysler division has answered your prayers with a raft of special editions called Altitude.

The name was selected by online poll, and the vehicles were previewed by a series of "production-intent" concepts at successive auto shows. Now approved for production, the Altitude range includes a Grand Cherokee, a Compass and a Patriot, all distinguished by their blacked-out trim inside, out and upside down.

Check 'em out in the trio of galleries with the high-res shots we snapped for your viewing pleasure here on the show floor in New York.

Continue reading Jeep climbs to higher Altitude with murdered-out specials

Video: And the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8's 'Ring time is...

The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR currently holds the unofficial production car record for a Nürburgring lap with a time of 7:12.13. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S is the first four-door to show up on the list of lap times with a 7:52.00. The Audi RS6 Avant is the quickest wagon with a time of 8:09.00, and the first thing resembling a sport utility vehicle is the BMW X6 M at 8:24.00. That right there would be the target for a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 were someone to bring one to Germany for a 'Ring run. Last September, somebody did.

Piloted by the eminently qualified Sabine Schmitz, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 did the deed in 8:49.00. Ouch. That's 25 seconds behind the X6 M and slower than even the front-wheel-drive Chevrolet HHR SS (8:43.52). Still, you can't be taken seriously as a performance machine these days until you pay tribute at the Green Hell. And watching something attempt a high-speed 'Ring run that was originally designed to rock crawl is always fun. Scroll down to watch the official lap vid from SRT.

Continue reading And the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8's 'Ring time is...

Video: Chrysler turns to ground game with new "Second Half" ads post Super Bowl

Chrysler today is launching a continuation of its Halftime In America ad effort for the Ram pickup, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Jeep Wrangler.

The new ads do not feature Clint Eastwood, as the February Super Bowl ad did.

The Ram ad, titled "Tommy and The Ram," is a vignette that depicts a wife's admiration for her husband's hard work and determination to provide for his family in any economic environment. There is a great line in this ad as he drives his Ram to a job site: "Where there's a truck, there's a job." The idea here is that as long as he has a reliable truck, he always has a chance to earn.

The ad for the Chrysler 300 is told through a father talking about his pride in his son making his own way in life, while the Wrangler spot is told through the story of a young daughter adapting to a new life and new city with her family.

The ads will be breaking during the NCAA Men's basketball semi-finals, NHL games, NASCAR, Mad Men and the American Country Music Awards.

Watch all four ads below.

Continue reading Chrysler turns to ground game with new "Second Half" ads post Super Bowl

Video: Jeep talks about its mighty Moab concepts on camera

At this point, we've salivated all we can salivate over this year's Easter Jeep Safari Moab concepts. The J-12 and Mighty FC will always hold a special place in our hearts, and now Chrysler has released a video describing how the vehicles will help shape future Jeep product development. While it's no surprise we won't see a new Forward Control lounging on dealer lots any time soon, Jeep may shift some of the paint options shown on the concepts to production. Jeep famously brought the portal axles found under the Mighty FC concept to the Mopar accessory catalog after receiving such a strong reception at last year's East Jeep Safari, and other elements of the concepts may become a reality as well.

The biq question, of course, is whether or not Jeep will ever make the leap to building a legitimate small pickup. The company's executives have repeatedly acknowledged consumer demand for a diesel-powered model of that ilk in the past, and the company says that it is currently taking those views into consideration as it develops the next generation Wrangler. That means that we won't be seeing the J-12 on the street any time soon, either. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself.

Continue reading Jeep talks about its mighty Moab concepts on camera

Auctions: eBay Find of the Day: 1970 Jeep Jeepster Commando Hurst

As a rule, Hurst used to be a company that was more than happy to partner with just about any automaker that walked through the door. While we're plenty familiar with vehicles like the Hurst Oldsmobile 442, more obscure relics like the 1980 Hurst Shawnee International Harvester Scout and this Jeep Jeepster Commando also populate the pages of the company's history books. Details like one very patriotic stripe package, a hood scoop and a hood-mounted tachometer all help set this Jeepster apart from its kin. Of course, a Hurst gated automatic shifter and appropriate badges are also part of the package.

This particular example is up for bid with only a few hours left on the auction. The price has inched up to $7,500 with the reserve still not met. With a shave over 73,000 miles on the odometer and one of the cleanest Jeepster bodies we've ever seen, this particular Commando is a little bit of work away from being a unique museum piece. Head over to eBay Motors for a closer look.