Where is the New Wrangler Going to be Produced?

Posted on May 23, 2015 by baysideadmin

The Wall Street Journal maps out the long road it has been to keep the Wrangler production at the Toledo plant. Sergio Marchionne has been keeping the people at the Toledo Assembly Plant on edge with his comments about what to expect from the 2017 Jeep Wrangler. He said that the new Jeep will be making use of aluminum to have better fuel efficiency but the new Wrangler will not have an all-aluminum body.

This is a change from his comments back in October that the new Wrangler would be having an aluminum body. Using that material would mean the Jeep would have to be built elsewhere, taking the Wrangler away from the Toledo plant for the first time in many years.

“We’ve run the numbers and we’ve simulated the mileage,” Mr. Marchionne is quoted as saying. “But because of the difference in costs, not just in materials but the actual assembly process, I think we can do almost as well without aluminum.”

This may be the sign that Marchionne is keeping the Wrangler still in Toledo, something he said he wanted to do. The plant and local city officials have been working hard to convince the company to keep the Wrangler there as well. They’ve bought up additional land for the auto maker to use if any additional building for the plant needed to happen.

While Marchionne hasn’t said for sure one way or the other, it is clear that Toledo will be fighting until the end to hold onto that Wrangler production.

If you’re interested in learning more about Jeep vehicles, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. View our new and used inventory online. Check out our mobile app to schedule and keep track of your service appointments. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, to stay up to date on auto news and our special monthly offers.

Jeep Versus Range Rover

Posted on May 13, 2015 by baysideadmin

It looks like Jeep is gearing up to take on the Range Rover.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is quoted by Bloomberg Business as having said as much at the opening of a Alfa Romeo and Maserati dealership near Toronto the other week.

“When I see a Range Rover on the street, my blood boils, because we should be able to do a thing like that, and we will.”

Jeep seems poised to be able to take on some risks at the moment. It has been one of the most successful brands under the Chrysler umbrella. Since 2009, the global sales have gone up more than fourfold according to the article. The demand for Jeeps on a local and global scale are at a high for the company.

Bloomberg spoke with a dealership owner who definitely wants Jeep to pursue the goal of having a direct competitor to the Range Rover. “You put Jeep on the front of anything right now and you’re OK,” he said.

Despite the uphill struggle that Jeep would have to position itself against Range Rover, Jack Nerad, an analyst at KBB.com, thinks it may be possible. “But Jeep is unique. There’s really no substitute for it in the market and that puts them in a pretty good position. There’s a lot of opportunity there.”

Do you think it is time for Jeep to compete with Range Rover?

Could a Jeep Grand Cherokee Pickup Happen?

Posted on May 7, 2015 by baysideadmin

A few years ago, Jeep President Mike Manley mentioned that Jeep was looking into making a Jeep brand pickup. Seeing as how it hasn’t surfaced until this point, it leaves one to wonder if this was an idea that was scrapped or if Jeep has been working on it all this time. In a moment of speculation, Carscoops decided to pick up this point again and ask the question, why can’t Jeep make the Grand Cherokee a pickup?

The article features a clever rendering of what a Jeep pickup could look like. Taking a look at it, it does leave one wondering why Jeep hasn’t attempted something in the years since Manley mentioned it. As the writer states, a rendering is one thing, but it does show how perfect a Grand Cherokee is for this experiment.

“How hard would it be for Jeep, really, to modify the rear end of the current model?”

They go on to ponder if the reason nothing has been tried yet is because of the work Jeep is doing on the all-new Wrangler. The pickup market is hot right now, but could Chrysler be afraid of cooling down the progress of the Ram trucks with a Jeep? It may just be waiting for the right time, or it could’ve just been a wonderful dream on Manley’s part.

Would you like to see a Jeep Grand Cherokee pickup?

If you’re interested in learning more about the current Jeep Grand Cherokee, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. View our new and used inventory online. Check out our mobile app to schedule and keep track of your service appointments. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, to stay up to date on auto news and our special monthly offers.