Dealer profits riding on Wrangler decision - Automotive News
Deep in the bowels of Fiat Chrysler headquarters in Auburn Hills -- or Turin, or London (it's hard to tell these days) -- the automaker's brain trust is making its final call on what to do with the Wrangler plant in Toledo, Ohio. But here's something you may not have considered: FCA's ultimate decision is likely to have an outsized impact on every dealership in the nation that sells Jeeps. If FCA goes all-in and finally fixes its long-standing Wrangler capacity constraints, it will give the automaker room to build at least two new products -- a diesel-powered Jeep Wrangler and a Wrangler-based midsize pickup -- that could bring in a... Jeep brand head Mike Manley has been pushing for a diesel Wrangler since nearly his first day on the job. He'll finally get his wish with the 2018 Wrangler, but the engine won't be the 3. 0-liter V-6 EcoDiesel used in the Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee. As for a Wrangler-based pickup, it has occupied a place on the brand's most-wanted list for a decade, ever since Jeep showed that awesome Gladiator concept in 2005. There have been two main obstacles holding back development of a Wrangler-based... If FCA boosts potential Wrangler production to 350,000 a year -- the overstretched plant built a record 235,904 Wranglers in 2014 despite restricted international orders -- it should still have ample room for a pickup variation. Source: www.autonews.com
