Jeep Compass buyers want the same exterior size, and the same exterior styling. Other characteristics they want unchanged include ride and handling. Those that bought a Compass Compact Crossover SUV really do like it - pretty much just they way it is.
The first generation Grand Cherokee was launched in an age of soaring SUV sales. Its only real competition at the time was the 4-door Ford Explorer and the 4-door Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy. There were, of course, several Japanese entries to compete with as well, but the Grand Cherokee was perceived to be atop the category. In one focus group AutoPacific held during that time, a participant described the Grand Cherokee as "the chairman's Jeep. It's the one parked outside the corner office."
In subsequent years the Grand Cherokee faced more and more good competition. Its share of segment deteriorated. Its image deteriorated. Chrysler cost reduced the vehicle and its presence suffered. Then came Daimler and the merger of equals creating DaimlerChrysler. Then came Cerberus buying Chrysler from Daimler for a song, trying to turn it around and failing. Bankruptcy and now Chrysler is managed by Fiat SpA.
While all this was happening, products kept getting developed. Some were delayed. But the fourth generation Jeep Grand Cherokee development continued. In fact the Jeep development team was also tasked with developing the next generation Mercedes ML 5-passenger SUV. The result is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. A loose platform companion with the next generation ML and the best Grand Cherokee ever.
Continue reading "2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Reincarnation of a Winner" »
"The Jeep Patriot wins AutoPacific's 2009 Motorist Choice Award for Compact Crossover SUVs. Just the right size for passengers and cargo and with traditional Jeep appearance, the Patriot meets the product needs of its buyers in a financially efficient way. For them, it is the Goldilocks SUV - not too much and not too little - in every respect." - AutoPacific
"The Patriot has the best-in-segment fuel costs, above-average retained value and low insurance and maintenance costs." - IntelliChoice
Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Feeling Safe While Driving
• Safety Features
• Reliable / Dependable
Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• Lowest Fuel Costs
• Strong Retained Value
• Low Insurance Costs
• Low Maintenance Costs
Awards Show Consumers Enjoy Luxury and Size
(August 11, 2009) -- Right brain, left brain; the practical versus the emotional -- an age-old dilemma often at the center of decision making when buying a new car or truck. The 2009 Motorist Choice Awards recognize new cars and trucks that give their owners both economic and emotional satisfaction, helping new-car buyers find vehicles that best satisfy all of their personal-transportation needs. The fourth annual Motorist Choice Awards survey, announced today, scores 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs. With the top overall scores in both owner satisfaction and value, the Lexus LS placed highest of any 2009 model year vehicle.
Large and luxury vehicles dominated this year's results. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, are large cars, luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, crossover SUVs or minivans. Only one small car, the BMW 1-Series, scored in the top 100, landing in the 35th slot. Toyota Prius is the next-highest-scoring small car, coming in 107th.
Awards are given for top-scoring vehicles scoring in each of twenty-three segments, as well as for the top-scoring brand. Nine manufacturers earned segment wins, led by Toyota with nine awards (including three for Lexus), followed by General Motors with six (Chevrolet 4, Cadillac 2), Honda with three, and Chrysler with two (Dodge 1, Jeep 1). Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen took top honors in one segment each.
(And check out our video on YouTube.)
Continue reading "Motorist Choice Awards Reveal Vehicles That Please Both Hearts And Minds" »
"The Jeep Liberty wins AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award for Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicles. Liberty owners also rated the Liberty tops in AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award research this year. This is an outstanding achievement," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "Jeep has been in the SUV business longer than most everybody. They know how to design a great Jeep." Among the Liberty's leading attributes are:
* Handling
* Safety features
* Technology level
* Interior lighting
* Wheels and tires
Public Responds Positively to Ford's Actions, but Some Still Have Reservations
TUSTIN, Calif. (June 17, 2009) -- American consumers' opinions about Ford Motor Company have been positively influenced by the company's decision not to accept government bailout funds, and by the bankruptcy filings of rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacfic conducted an online survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers regarding their purchase intent and opinions of individual car companies. Highlights include:
* Asian and European manufacturers scored highest when the survey asked "How concerned are you about buying/leasing a vehicle from" a particular maker, with an average of 61% "Not concerned at all." Ford scored 48%, far ahead of GM's 15% and Chrysler's 14%.
Continue reading "Survey Indicates Ford Benefits From Troubles Of Others And Not Taking Bailout" »
The freshest entry in the segment, Jeep Liberty wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the Mid-Size Sport Utility segment. The Liberty offers serious off-road capability in a comfortable size and in a familiar shape. It earns class-leading scores in such critical categories as:
• Safety features and feeling safe while driving
• Value for the money, always an important consideration
• Audio system performance
• Driver's seat comfort
• Ease of entry/egress
Along with looking at new-century powertrain options, Chrysler LLC showed off ideas for connecting drivers to their cars and houses in the future. This trick interior was found inside the stunning 200C concept.
Though the primary purpose of vehicles remains getting us from point A to point B, we live in an increasingly connected world. The technology is available to have your smartphone replace these new-fangled smartkeys, find your car remotely, find out if your friends are in the areas, and even see traffic real-time by connecting to city intersection cameras.
All manufacturers are working with partners to see how quickly and how well we remain seamlessly connected to our jobs, families, fun, and obligations as we move from home to car to work or school to car to destinations and everywhere between. Follow the jump to get an idea of the solutions Chrysler is looking for.
Continue reading "2009 NAIAS: Chrysler Gets UConnected" »
Are we nearing the end of Chrysler? Or the beginning of a new blended family? Or just another day at the rumor mill?
Late on Friday, the first stories began appearing about GM and Chrysler in possible merger talks. And at least in Detroit, dominated the weekend news cycle. GM's stock went up this morning, but given that the Dow was up 5.6% and GM went up only about 3%, the stock bump might have happened without merger talk. GM closed on Friday at $4.89, a number some say is actually less than the company would be worth in capital assets alone.
All of this merger talk, whether these deals are realistic or not, does nothing good for public perception. The economy is weak, last week's events on the stock market don't reassure anyone, and talking about GM and Chrysler perhaps needing to merge to survive only further erodes confidence in American business. While GM and Chrysler LLC, as well as any other maker in trouble right now, needs to consider even unthinkable options and test our common assumptions as they get out of this trouble, this merger does not inspire hope.
Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #32: More Detroit Merger Talk" »
Chrysler today announced plans to jumping into the electric car market with both feet by offering up three high-voltage prototypes to reporters and a promise to put about 100 electric vehicles on the road in 2009. We've been waiting to get a sense of what the company's ENVI group is up to, and now we know.
One of the three concept vehicles, the all-electric Dodge EV, is sure to generate some buzz (Is it a Tesla for the common people?) for its fierce looks and eco-friendly, refuel-it-from-the-wall-socket appeal.
With that in mind, it could be easy to miss the hybrid-on-steroids potential of the Jeep and Chrysler EVs -- a Jeep Wrangler and a Chrysler Town & Country fitted with battery and range-extending engine setup (similar in concept to GM's Volt) that Chrysler claims will allow them run for 40 miles without touching a drop of gas.
Read the full report from Chrysler after the jump.
Continue reading "Chrysler enters the electric race" »
For the 2008 model year, the Grand Cherokee had a minor exterior and interior refresh, and expanded the trim levels the 215HP 3.0L V6 diesel could be ordered in; we recently had the chance to spend some time with one. The 3.0L V6 is built by Mercedes-Benz, but not equipped with the latest Bluetec emissions-reducing technology. The engine has only 42-state availability this year, and gets cut from the 2009MY due to stricter emissions. If you want one, place your order now.
Jeep will build 2008MY Grand Cherokee diesel models through the end of 2008, though with the expanded feature availability of the 2009MY products. Step up now and you can get a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel with iPod interface when the navigation system is ordered and a nine-inch rear DVD screen instead of eight-inch. Overland and Limited models get a revised standard leather appearance package, covering most oft-touched hard plastic with leather.
Diesel enthusiasts are convinced it is the way of the future, or at least the way for significantly more of the driving population than now. Largely the provenance of European manufacturers and pickup trucks, more were offered for 2008 than in recent years. Yet the powertrain option is still rare enough that it isn't often that we get the chance to drive one.
Continue reading "First Drive: 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel" »
On one hand, it’s the best idea in human history: Dad drives the minivan, and while little Pashley is engrossed in her Dora DVDs, mom can e-mail her sister about how ill-advised this trip is, Junior can watch a panda get hit in the junk on YouTube, and Sister can do whatever it is those damn kids do in their Facespaces or Mybooks or what have you.
On the other hand, it’s the Internet in the car. Well, there’s a brilliant plan with absolutely no flaws, don’t you think?
”DSL? Where we’re going, we don’t need DSL.”
Continue reading "500 Miles to Ironforge" »
Not only has Kia improved its image, it has reinvented itself with vehicles like the Sorento. Owners rallied around the Sorento, commending its passenger room, visibility and interior storage in awarding the vehicle a 2008 Ideal Vehicle Award in the Mid-Size Sport Utility segment.
A vehicle still true to its off-road-capable lineage, the Jeep Liberty is no poser. Owners granted it the 2008 Ideal Vehicle Award in the Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle category, with highly rated safety features, technology, seat firmness and interior lighting. The Liberty also scored very well in exterior size and passenger room.
Tustin, California, June 30, 2008 – An “ideal” is defined as an excellent or perfect example. In the annual Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), announced today by automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, owners rate their new 2008 model year cars and trucks by how close they come to their ideal, as measured by 15 key vehicle attributes. The cars or trucks that owners would change the least are the most ideal.
Continue reading "AutoPacific Announces 2008 Ideal Vehicle Awards" »
The furor surrounding Cerberus' decision to make Bob Nardelli, formerly of Home Depot and GE, the CEO and chairman of the New Chrysler II, putting Tom LaSorda in the Number 2 position instead of Number 1, is the juiciest gossip train to hit the circuit since Mulally's appointment at Ford. There has been much more noise than news this week, and here's our contribution to the fray.
Employees at Announcement Wanted to be in Air Conditioning or Home by the Pool
Watching both the press conference announcing Bob Nardelli's appointment as CEO and chairman of the newly formed Chrysler LLC as well as the employee pep rally afterward, and both groups seem wary instead of enthusiastic or supportive. The backlash in the press finds little support for Nardelli. The employees, while impressed with acrobatics and fireworks, generally looked as though they'd have preferred to be in their offices that hot, muggy afternoon. Most left as soon as they sensed the formal program was over. Nardelli says he's here to bring laser-focus and energy to the turnaround plan already laid out and in progress. His presence in front of employees didn’t bring energy, and returning to finish the last few days of a family vacation the next day didn't display laser focus.
Nardelli's been characterized as a drill sergeant with little people skills, and he's entering a vibrant company full of strong personalities. Being private gives Chrysler LLC the ability to make decisions based on long-term health instead of short-term profit-and-loss statements. But Cerberus expects a quick turnaround and their investors do expect a return. Nardelli may be playing to a different audience, but the pressure will be no less intense.
Continue reading "The New Chrysler II: Lots of Noise, Questions, and Endless Speculation" »
Everything You Need?
The Nissan Xterra slogan “Everything you need and nothing you don’t” has always made me wonder… What exactly do I need? I’d like to think that I could probably survive without many frills, but it almost begs the question… “What about some of the things I really want?” Is the Xterra a knock down, drag out, take no prisoners SUV that needs no further trimmings, which might detract from its purpose driven nature, or is it a bare bones box on wheels relying on it’s motto as an excuse to cut costs? AutoPacific and Vehicle Voice staff wanted to know the answer. We may have all agreed that the Xterra fulfilled all of our SUV requirments but with so many options out there would we want one?
Continue reading "2007 Nissan Xterra – Plastic Makes it Possible" »
And the Show Goes On...
At easily the wettest press conference yet attended by VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondents, Jeep revealed their new Liberty outside the Javits Convention Center, home of the New York auto show. Not willing to cancel a press conference over something as small as a constant downpour (quite rightly thinking letting rain scare them off isn't in good Jeep form), Chrysler's PR staff simply made sure Frank Klegon, Chrysler Group Executive Vice President, Product Development, had an umbrella to keep the worst of the rain off during his presentation. And the vehicle showing off the new Sky Slider canvas roof still drove up with its roof open, though an umbrella could be spotted sticking out in an attempt to keep the interior a little dry.
Rain aside, the Liberty burst out of the ground as planned. The Liberty doesn't go on sale until late this year, about twelve months after its new-for-2007MY Dodge Nitro sibling. The Jeep Liberty gets a new look inside and out, more technology and convenience features, and takes up more space outside to provide more space inside. Liberty gains two more inches in wheelbase and overall length and is wider, to improve cargo space and make passengers more comfortable. (While this Liberty is larger than the outgoing car, the Nitro is appreciably larger than the new Liberty.)
Liberty Returns to Square
The new Liberty also goes back to a squared-off look along the lines of old Cherokees, though it isn't as stiff looking as the new Patriot. This is an interesting choice, given the introduction of the Compass and the company's current traditional/modern SUV point/counterpoint showroom. Consider: Compass and Patriot, Liberty and four-door Wrangler Unlimited, Grand Cherokee and Commander. Given these almost logical pairings of modern complementing traditional Jeep styles, why did the Liberty go square again?
Quibbles aside, the new Liberty looks good, and more important looks all Jeep. Of the four introductions over the past year, Jeep's only misstep in the looks department is the Compass. Wrangler maintained and improved its image and capability; Patriot provides a true entry Jeep, in looks and capability; and the Liberty looks all the better for losing its softer form.
Continue reading "2008 Jeep Liberty: New York Auto Show" »
New Look, More Features, and New Engine Improve Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee, introduced in its current form for the 2005 model year, gets a new look and updated features for 2008. The new face was formally introduced at the New York Auto Show and goes on sale in fall 2007. Here are the basics.
If you didn't like the Grand Cherokee's look before this change, you aren't likely to notice or care much about the new nose. If you did like the Grand Cherokee already, you may appreciate the subtly revised look. If you're looking for some new family-friendly features, you're likely to appreciate the new SIRIUS Backseat TV and MyGig options. Choosing to do little more on the outside than tweak an already good-looking SUV, Jeep focused on adding features and upgrading the 4.7L V8. While these changes aren't likely to light a big fire under the Grand Cherokee's sales line, they can make the vehicle more satisfying for those choosing the new features.
Continue reading "2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee: New York Auto Show" »
Having Trouble Getting Your Couch Potato in the Car? Chrysler and SIRIUS Offer a Solution
As you may have noticed from our Detroit auto show coverage, Chrysler's latest minivans, the Town and Country and Dodge Caravan (click for story and podcast), arrive this fall with several new features for making life on the road more pleasant and easier for the whole family. Today, Chrysler announced the latest development for family-friendly road trips: SIRIUS Backseat TV. Chrysler's George Murphy and Frank Klegon announced the new feature in New York, with a helping hand from SpongeBob SquarePants and some local kids. At first, SIRIUS Backseat TV will offer three channels, well chosen for families and include Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, and the Cartoon Network. (One more channel is needed: ESPN, for Dads to watch while waiting for the beloved family to just get done shopping already! Or even better, for tailgating before the big game.)
SIRIUS Backseat TV uses an in-vehicle satellite video receiver and two roof-mounted antennas, and will complement the upcoming minivans dual-DVD rear-entertainment package nicely. It's already set up so that second and third rows can watch different media, and the addition of TV to the mix only increases options.
SIRIUS Backseat TV will be a $470 option and requires opting for the rear-seat entertainment package and SIRIUS satellite radio. That $470 includes the first year's subscription, but requires a subscription to SIRIUS satellite radio. Based on pricing for the single-DVD rear-entertainment systems for the 2008 Dodge Avenger and 2007MY minivans, it looks as though buyers might be able to get the SIRIUS Backseat TV and dual-DVD system for well under $2000. After the first year, SIRIUS Backseat TV costs $7 a month (after the first year) on top of the SIRIUS radio's $12.95 month fee.
Who Else Gets SIRIUS TV?
Initially, this system will only be available on Chrysler Group products, but the minivans won't be the only ones having the fun. The 2008MY Chrysler 300, Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee, and Dodge Charger and Magnum will also offer the feature. What hasn't been indicated yet, though, is when SIRIUS will add TV stations, nor when TiVo or other DVR will be added to the whole shebang.
Jeep Looks to the Sky for Inspiration.
Among the Chrysler Group concept and production cars shown at the 2007 North American International Auto Show was the Jeep TrailHawk. As unsuccessful as the Chrysler Nassau concept was as a design study, the Trailhawk successfully takes Jeep design a step further. This is best seen in the front view, where the cropped headlights and backward-angled traditional seven-slot Jeep grille give the concept its hawkish face.
VehicleVoice and AutoPacific staffers were on hand to see the reveal of the Trailhawk.
Wrangler Ability, Grand Cherokee Comfort
Trailhawk inherits all the off-road capability of the Wrangler platform, based as it is on the four-door Wrangler. The Trailhawk suggests that the platform is big enough to support a larger Grand Cherokee replacement, though there is no certain indication Jeep is headed this way. Platform aside, with any luck the next Grand Cherokee will take some of the TrailHawk's styling cues.
Continue reading "2007 Detroit Auto Show: Is Jeep's Trailhawk Ready to Fly?" »
Which cars and trucks are planted to the dealer's floor? In other words, which vehicles take the longest to sell? Who cars? Why does it matter, anyway?
Well, while it may not seem that important to you, it's critically important to the industry s a whole... from the manufacturese, component suppliers, dealers and quite a few financial institutions. First, if you know the time it takes to sell a vehicle, you know how much it is dragging on the dealer's floorplanning costs. Floorplanning is the term for the amount it costs the dealer to finance the a vehicle in inventory waiting to be sold. If a vehicle has been hanging around for weeks, he'll be more likely to deal aggressively to get rid of it. Also, vehicles that have high days supply may be less popular. From that perspective, they may be the ones you want to stay away from.
Continue reading "Stuck to the Dealer's Floor - Inventory Numbers Tell the Story" »
OK, on this one VehicleVoice is just the messenger. The Truth About Cars website has taken it on itself to identify the ten worst cars and trucks sold in the USA in 2006. Not really sure what their credentials are, but here is their press release... When we feel like commenting, see our notes following the press release writeup.
The Truth About Cars Website Names Its Ten Worst Automobiles for 2006
November 8, 2006 - PROVIDENCE, R.I.: The Truth About Cars website (TTAC) has revealed the ten winners of its first annual "Ten Worst Automobiles Today" awards. According to the site's readers, the very worst vehicles sold in America today are... GM's minivans.
For voting purposes, TTAC lumped all four of GM's virtually identical people movers together: the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac SV6.
In his description of the "winner," reviewer William C. Montgomery slated GM's minivans for their "antique engineering, woeful looks, cancerous effect on not one but four GM brands and their abject inability to hold a candle to their foreign-owned competition." In terms of dreadful driving dynamics, contemptible aesthetics and torturous ergonomics, no other vehicles sold in America can compete with these ridiculously-named 'Crossover Sport Vans.'"
The automotive website's readers voted the new Jeep Compass America's second worst vehicle: a lackluster vehicle that betrays its storied brand's heritage. According to TTAC's description, it's an "ugly, gangly, underpowered, mud-aversive half-breed" that "staggers into the light, turning all who see it-- or heaven forbid buy it-- into grotesque, bobble-headed morons." The Compass "stomps all over Jeep's reputation as America's purveyor of authentic off-road vehicles."
The rest of TTAC's Ten Worst are the Jeep Compass (2), Buick Rendezvous (3), Chrysler Aspen (4), Hummer H2 (5), Chevrolet Monte Carlo (6), Subaru B9 Tribeca (7), Saab 9-7x (8), Lincoln Mark LT (9) and Chevrolet Aveo (10). Capsule reviews are below.
To create the list, The Truth About Cars asked its 40k daily readers to nominate the worst vehicles for sale in the United States during the 2006 calendar year. A selection committee comprised of ten TTAC writers selected 20 finalists from the readers' nominations. Finalists were chosen for their crimes against aesthetics, engineering, ergonomics, driving dynamics and/or brand authenticity. The final ten "winners" were chosen by readers via an electronic poll.
Site publisher Robert Farago said his team created The Ten Worst awards as an antidote to the annual "love ins" provided by the mainstream automotive media. "The profusion of 'best of' automotive awards reflects the fact that the manufacturer-sponsored magazines and websites can't tell it like it is," Farago said. "TTAC is the home of take-no-prisoners automotive journalism. Our Ten Worst list says we're not afraid to tell the truth about cars."
Continue reading "Ten Worst Cars for 2006 - Truth About Cars" »
All New and Better in Every Way
In August, VehicleVoice correspondents Jim Hossack and Stephanie Brinley were among the four groups of journalists and analysts invited to take the latest Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the all-new four-door Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon out on the Rubicon Trail, as well as a bit of on-road time in the rest of the Wrangler range. After seeing the two-door drive through glass at the Detroit auto show (click for our coverage) and the four-door found under a pile of mud at the New York auto show (click here), we were anxious to get the vehicle on the road.
Jim Hossack summed it up: "What a trip! What a Jeep!"
Continue reading "2007 Jeep Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited" »
All DCX 4.7L V6s Go Flex-Fuel for 2007
For the 2007 model year, the 4.7L V8 offered in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander gets flex-fuel treatment, making these SUVs able to run on gasoline or E85. The engine is also used in the Durango and Ram, though Dodge had already offered flex-fuel-capable powertrains. While GM and Ford offer several V8 engines in either the flex-ready or the gasoline-only variations, DaimlerChrysler will simply equip all 4.7L V8s with the appropriate modifications for the capability.
Jeep Adds Diesel Grand Cherokee for 2007
Perhaps making a bigger splash is the announcement that the Grand Cherokee gets a diesel for the States with the 2007 model year. The Grand Cherokee had already been available with in international markets with the diesel, though this will be the first for the U.S. version. The Commander is offered in Europe with the same diesel engine, so if the Grand Cherokee diesel sells well, a Commander diesel for the States seems only a matter of time.
The diesel is a 3.0L DOHC 24v V6 common-rail injection turbo-diesel built by Mercedes-Benz, delivering 215HP for this market. It will be available in Laredo, Limited, and Overland trim levels. Look for a five-speed automatic transmission, as the diesel gets in Europe and other Grand Cherokees are equipped with.
Jeep expects the CRD to get 19 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. By comparison, the V6-equipped Grand Cherokee's EPA ratings are for 17/22 mpg, the 4.7L V8 for 15/20 mpg, and the 5.7L HEMI V8 for 15/20 mpg. The diesel's 215HP betters the V6's 210HP but not the 4.7L's 235HP, though its increased torque should provide for better acceleration and it is rated for more towing. Though VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondents haven't driven the diesel yet, it should give a more substantial feeling to off-the-line acceleration than either the 4.7L V8 or the V6 and satisfy the needs of most drivers, especially those needing to tow anywhere near the diesel's 7400-pound capacity.
Will Going Diesel Save Money?
Diesel engines can offer better fuel economy than gasoline engines, and Jeep claiming a 30 percent improvement in the Grand Cherokee. But in the current environment, some regions have seen diesel prices running higher than or about the same as premium unleaded gasoline, which the standard gasoline-fed Jeep engines don't even need. Regular 87 octane is the requirement for the V6 and 4.7L V8, though 89 octane is recommended for the 5.7 V8. Statistics from the Energy Information Administration put the national average for regular unleaded at $2.86 per gallon, and diesel at $2.88 (as of May 29, 2006).
Diesel engines generally get better fuel economy, but the cost savings may be offset by higher cost of the fuel. Diesel engines can be a solid choice, but it is not a slam dunk that going diesel will ease your pain at the pump.
First Modern Diesel Jeep Was Liberty
U.S. Jeep dealers began offering a diesel-powered Liberty for the 2005 model year and have sold 11,000 CRD Libertys through the end of May 2006. Of course, in all of 2005, Jeep sold more than 166,000 of the mid-size SUV. While the response to diesel has been solid and has satisfied DaimlerChrysler's expectations, it remains a small percentage of the mix.
Small Trail-Rated SUV Joins Jeep Lineup in Fall
New York's Jacob Javits convention center is the backdrop for Jeep's introduction of a second all-new, additive vehicle for the 2007 model year, as the Patriot is unveiled at the 2006 New York auto show. Come fall 2006, Jeep showrooms will be home to six vehicles, two more than in 2005 and the most in the brand's history. The Patriot and Compass are additive vehicles for this year and are the first Jeep products derived from a car platform. Compass, introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January, goes on sale this summer. Though the show is still a couple of days away, AutoPacific and VehicleVoice correspondents have been watching the development of the Patriot, and here are our first impressions.
As Jeep was developing its first car-based SUV, the company evaluated two proposals with different personalities and decided to go for both. The Patriot's job is to meet the demands of entry-level Jeep enthusiasts and intenders and give them a less-expensive way to put the legendary brand in their driveway, while the Compass is supposed to bring in more conquest buyers at an early point in their purchasing lives. Pricing for Patriot will be lower than Wrangler and likely similar to Compass, we expect. The Compass launches with a price range from just under $16,000 to just under $22,000, including destination. The top Patriot adds more off-road ability than the Compass, so this model may top out at a higher price point than Compass. Patriot is going for owners from their early 20s to early 40s. Jeep sees Patriot buyers as "confident, independent, rugged individuals who like the outdoors." Presumably, Compass buyers are just as confident and independent, though perhaps less rugged or interested in the outdoors.
In the expansion of the Jeep brand, one can see the atomization of the market itself; buyers can find just the right SUV to meet their needs. Need a rugged off-roader? Take Wrangler. Need more space than Patriot or Compass and nicer on-road manners than Wrangler? Take Liberty. Need a mid-size, premium SUV? Take Grand Cherokee. Need seats for three more? Take Commander. You can even get a performance-oriented SUV in the Grand Cherokee SRT-8. Now, if you want a cheap Jeep, you can choose between urban style with the ability to handle inclement weather with ease or a traditional package with off-road ability. We'll find out later this year if the strategy works better at the lower end of the market than it is at the upper end, as Jeep seems to be currently building more Commanders than they can easily sell.
Continue reading "Jeep Patriot Complements Jeep's Range" »
