Tag Archives: Jeep

All About Jeep

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By Gary S. Vasilash

While Jeeps have been rolling along—literally and figuratively—since 1941, and while the competitors have come, gone, and come back again, it seems that the brand has essentially stuck to its knotting,* building vehicles that allow drivers the freedom to go places where other vehicles would fail to get beyond the parking lot.

Jeeps now come in a wider range than ever, with the iconic Wrangler at one end of the spectrum and the Grand Wagoneer at the other.

Spend some time driving a Wrangler on the highway and you’re going to hope that you get to your destination sooner rather than later—and you’re going to hope that the destination includes some serious off-road driving.

Coming in 2024: the fully electric Wagoneer S–although it will likely have a different name by then. (Image: Jeep)

Spend some time driving a Grand Wagoneer and you’re going to hope that you get to your destination eventually (no hurry)—the comfort and amenities make the term “first class” seem numerically weak.

To help get a better understanding of what is this on-going phenomenon, on this edition of “Autoline After Hours” we talk with Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America.

Morrison was appointed senior manager of Product Marketing for Jeep in 2010 and he has been involved with Jeep in several positions since, getting his current one in 2019.

Like other vehicle brands, Jeep is making the transition to electrification, with current plug-in hybrid versions of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler (both with the nomenclature 4xe) proving themselves to be well accepted in the market.

Jeep has announced that there will be a full battery electric vehicles coming by 2024, the Jeep Recon and the Wagoneer S (with the latter name being a place holder as the Jeep community is getting an opportunity to provide potential names for the vehicle).

Morrison talks about where Jeep has been—and where it is going—with “Autoline’s” John McElroy, Roman Mica of TFLcar, and me on this edition of the show.

You can see it here.

*While “knitting” is generally the word used, “knotting” seems more Jeep-like robust.

A Box of Springs for the Holidays

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Who needs another gaming console?

By Gary S. Vasilash

Let’s say that you want to give that auto enthusiast in your life something special for the holidays. Really special.

You could get that person a sweater. Which will probably be ugly.

But that won’t necessarily be really special.

Unless you opt for a sweater from Mopar, yes that source of more than 500,000 parts and accessories for your favorite Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler vehicles.

One thing to know about the people of Mopar: They are nothing if not authentic.

So this is what that sweater is all about:

Mopar ugly holiday sweater ($66.95 – see link): Custom-knit design sweater features various Mopar logos with engine and racing icons, surrounded by blue and white snowflakes. The Omega M-stacked Mopar logo is front and center and each sleeve carries the 426 Hellephant crate engine logo. Available in sizes small to 3X.  

No punches pulled there.

But what strikes me as being most amusing authentic is the JPP 2-inch lift kit for the Wrangler 4xe.

(Image: Mopar)

Yes, the four springs, four FOX shocks, front lower control arms, front and rear stabilizer links, front and rear bump stops, JPP badge and various fasteners, all contained in a crate, is absolutely something that the adventurous owner of the Jeep plug-in hybrid would be happy to get.

Still, it does seem odd, “Oh, this is great! A box of springs for Christmas!”

By the way, if you decide to go for the Jeep lift kit know that you can get free shipping within the continental U.S. through December 31 if you shop at store.Mopar.com and use the promo code FREEDEC75.

That’s because they’re offering free shipping on orders more than $75 and that kit will set you back $1,495.

The free shipping is also good at WearMopar.com, but you’ll have to add something to your sweater order to bump it up a few bucks.

That shouldn’t be a problem.

All About Jeep

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Jim Morrison talks about the venerable brand on this “Autoline After Hours”

The numbers are notable.

Through the first three quarters of 2021 Jeep sold 604,671 vehicles in the U.S.

That makes it, by far, the most important brand within the Stellantis U.S. group.

While everyone knows that pickup trucks are driving the market in a big way, Jeep handily outsold Ram brand, which had sales of 495,410 units.

Of course, in terms of product offerings Ram pretty much has the Ram pickup variants, which accounted for 434,772 of the sales. The ProMaster Van and the ProMaster City account for the rest.

Jeep vp Jim Morrison (Image: Jeep)

In the case of Jeep, there are the Wrangler (164,710) and the Grand Cherokee (189,727). Having two popular models is certainly beneficial.

And as for the other brands—Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo—realize that all in for the first three quarters the entire group had sales of 1,365,881.

Jeep and Ram combined account for 1,100,081 units, so you can figure how the others did.

Jim Morrison is vice president, Jeep Brand North America. On this edition of “Autoline After Hours” he talks with “Autoline’s” John McElroy, Mike Austin of Hemmings and me about where the brand is and where it is going.

The importance of having some solid nameplates is something that they’re taking into account which is leading to an expansion of offerings.

For example, the fifth generation Grand Cherokee is now also available as the 4xe (plug-in hybrid) and Grand Cherokee L (a three-row vehicle).

In addition, this year Jeep has also launched the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. The Grand Wagoneer starts at $86,995. It is not only the most sumptuous Jeep, but what is important to note is that it is still a Jeep: the engineers didn’t forget capability when developing the vehicle.

Morrison talks about those vehicles, as well as about the influx of competition that Jeep is now facing, such as with the Ford Bronco and the GMC HUMMER.

He thinks that what is going to happen is that the entire segment is going to grow as people begin to think more and more about vacations that put them behind the wheel of a vehicle and not strapped into a seat on an airplane, and that an increasing number of those vacation trips will be out in the wilds, a place where Jeeps excel.

Morrison also thinks that Jeep will maintain its share of the market, not lose it to the other companies.

He also talks about whether there could be fully battery electric Jeeps, and while he is cautious about talking future product, he does make an interesting statement that encompasses Jeep:

“We don’t care what puts power to the ground. We just want to do it better than anyone else.”

That’s a Jeep thing.

You can see the show here.

What Makes a Jeep a Jeep

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A wide-ranging discussion with the man in charge of the look of that venerable marque

By Gary S. Vasilash

Mark Allen is presently the head of Jeep exterior design.

He’s been on the Jeep team since 1994.

Which pretty much means that everything you see in showrooms right now he had his hand in.

And as Jeep owners tend to be hang onto their vehicles—and drive them, drive them in places where few other vehicles can be driven—Allen has probably been involved with them, too.

On this edition of “Autoline After Hours” we spend the entire hour talking to Allen about the how, why, wherefore, who and more of Jeep design.

A good portion of the conversation is dedicated to the vehicles that participated in this the Easter Jeep Safari that occurred this past April in Moab, Utah. This is an annual event that Allen and his colleagues specifically develop vehicles for—bona-fide Jeeps that are able to crawl the rocks with the best of them, but Jeeps that have specific themes or techs that they want to get first-hand feedback about from the people who assemble in Moab with their vehicles.

Among the vehicles Allen describes are:

The Wrangler Magneto. This is a battery-electric vehicle. Allen is particularly interested in the performance of electric motors for Jeeps, not only because they are quiet and so when going on trails it is possible to not scare away the wildlife, but also because they allow the vehicle to be precisely controlled, which can make all the difference when making a difficult ascent or transition.

Jeeps at the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. (Image: Jeep)

The Jeepster Beach. A resto-mod based on a 1968 Jeepster Commando. Allen says they like to do at least one resto-mod per Safari.

Jeep Red Bare. A Gladiator Rubicon-based concept that utilizes a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel. Highly customized, he points to the interior seat material, which resembles a lumberjack’s shirt.

Jeep Orange Peelz. This one was done by the Mopar studios. It brings in the half-doors and features a custom one-piece glass sunroof.

Jeep Farout. A Gladiator tricked out with a AT Overland Equipment Habitant Truck Topper. Allen points out that often tents on vehicles are dark and oppressive. In this case they worked to lighten things up.

Jeep Top Dog. Another execution by the Mopar team. This Gladiator-based concept is developed for mountain bikers, with a bike and gear case built onto the vehicle—as is a rotisserie hot dog cooker. (One imagines that serious mountain bike athletes probably don’t eat a whole lot of hot dogs. . . .)

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392. “Wait a minute,” some of you might be thinking. That’s a production vehicle. Yes, but here’s the thing. Allen explains that it was going to be a large part of the 2020 Safari, something of a tease, but then the pandemic got in the way.

Allen also talks to “Autoline’s” John McElroy, freelance writer Mark Williams and me about the forthcoming Grand Cherokee L, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and the absolute importance of the Wrangler to what is arguably the phenomenon that is known as “Jeep.”

And you can see it all here.

Jeep Goes to Moab

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Last year they had to give it a pass. This year, the Jeep team is back in force

There are probably few people who work in the auto industry who have more fun than those who have the opportunity to work on developing Jeeps because in addition to doing their day jobs (as in “developing Jeeps”—that are destined for a dealership near you), they also do a sponsored side hack, which has them developing vehicles that are taken to Moab, Utah, for the annual Easter Jeep Safari.

Going to Moab March 27 to April 4 from Auburn Hills are (l to r) Jeep Red Bare, Jeep Magneto, Jeepster Beach and Jeep Orange Peelz.  

(Odds are that once upon a time the vehicles that were snuck out garages and shipped to Moab were literally snuck out and cobbled together from an array of parts that these designers and engineers managed to accumulate; given the great reception that these vehicles have received from the Jeep Faithful, it is now a fully legit undertaking. Just listen to Jim Morrison, vp, Jeep Brand North America: “The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has long been our testing ground for both our newest Jeep 4x4s and for showcasing new Jeep brand concepts, Jeep Performance Parts and ideas that truly resonate with our most passionate customers — the die-hard off-road enthusiasts who attend this event every year.” The die-hard off-road enthusiasts who buy Jeeps as well as products from Jeep Performance Parts.)

While some have criticized Stellantis for being somewhat behind the curve when it comes to having electric vehicles on offer (hybrids, yes, EVs, no), for ’21 one of the vehicles for this year’s Safari is the Jeep Wrangler Magneto, not a nod to Marvel but a reference to the permanent magnet electrical generator. The motor in the Magneto is said to be equal to the output of a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6; it generates 285 hp and 273 lb-t of torque. What is unusual for an EV—though not for a Wrangler—is that it features a six-speed manual transmission. Of course it does.

Then there’s the Jeepster Beach, which started as a 1968 Jeepster Commando and was melded with a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Here’s a fun fact about Commandos: it was the first compact 4WD with things like roll-up windows and a roof as standard equipment. A roof. (Guess what the Jeepster Beach is shown without?)

The Red Bare Gladiator Rubicon is built for dealing with the tough terrain, with a 3.0-liter diesel, an eight-speed automatic calibrated for low-RPM shifts, and upgraded Dana 44 front and rear heavy axles. It has a 91:1 crawl ratio. If you don’t know what that means, you can know that it is impressive for those who crawl on the rocks at Moab.

And the Orange Peelz. This one has things like half doors and is without things like side and rear windows. But it does have a windshield made of Corning Gorilla Glass.

Good fun will be had by all, one suspects.

A Jeep Cherokee By Any Other Name

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Naming cars is hard

In light of the kerfuffle between Stellantis, owner of the Jeep brand, and the Cherokee Nation, whose chief, Chuck Hoskin, Jr., told Car and Driver that the Stellantis marque really ought to give up the name “Cherokee” for its Grand Cherokee and Cherokee vehicles as a matter of respect, we thought we would bring you names that poet Marianne Moore came up with for Ford in 1955 when it was searching for a name for what would become the Edsel.

Here are some of them, cited by Poetry Foundation (where else?):

Hurricane Accipter
The Impeccable
Symmechromatic
Thunderblender
The Resilient Bullet
Intelligent Bullet
Bullet Cloisoné
Bullet Lavolta
The Intelligent Whale
The Ford Fabergé
The Arc-en-Ciel
Arcenciel
Mongoose Civique
Anticipator
Regna Racer
Aeroterre
Fée Rapide

Moore’s final suggestion: Utopian Turtletop.

If you think about it, “Anticipator” would be a good name for a Level 2+ or higher autonomous vehicle.

Incidentally: Moore was no poetic slouch. Among her many writing awards are the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.–gsv