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Jeep: Beautiful Lands

Jeep emphasized the global nature of its all-new Renegade in a 90-second spot during the 2015 Super Bowl. Starting out in America, and with This Land is Your Land playing in the background, the spot splices images of the all-new Renegade with scenery from across the United States. As a global product and the first Jeep built outside the US, though, the spot quickly moves beyond America's borders, showing Renegades, people and scenery from around the globe. As for the Renegade, you can read all about it in our First Drive.

Fiat Chrysler's profit boosted by Ram and Jeep in North America

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler took the market by surprise by sticking to its full-year profit guidance on Wednesday after a strong performance from its Ram pickup truck in North America helped it defy an industry slowdown. Chief Executive Mike Manley, in FCA's first earnings release since a failed attempt to merge with France's Renault, also left the door open to that or other deals. "We are open to opportunity," Manley said on a call with analysts. "I have no doubt why there still would be interest in it," he added, when pressed on what it would take to revive talks with Renault. Manley declined to comment further. FCA last month abandoned its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world's third-biggest automaker. Manley said a merger was not a must-have and Fiat Chrysler's business plan was strong. The company said it remained confident its adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would top last year's 6.7 billion euros ($7.5 billion). Given disappointing forecasts from other automakers this earnings season, FCA's confirmation of the outlook sent Milan-listed shares in the Italian-American automaker, whose other brands include Jeep, up over 4%. A broad-based auto sales downturn has rattled the sector, forcing FCA's competitors — including Renault, Daimler and Aston Martin — to cut their sales forecasts after second-quarter results, while U.S. carmaker Ford gave a weaker-than-expected 2019 profit outlook. Japan's Nissan, a long-term partner of Renault, said it would cut 12,500 jobs by 2023 after its earnings collapsed. In the second quarter FCA's adjusted EBIT totaled 1.52 billion euros, versus analysts' expectations of 1.43 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. FCA's U.S. shipments were down 12% in the second quarter but the group said that the successful performance of its Ram brand resulted in an enhanced share of the large pickup truck market of 27.9%, up 7 percentage points from last year. Adjusted EBIT margin in North America rose to 8.9% from 6.5% in the first quarter, thanks to strong demand for the heavy-duty Ram and the new Jeep Gladiator pickup. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer also said FCA expected to report up to 10% margins in the region in both the third and fourth quarters.

Jeep Wrangler JK's exit interview: brilliant, flaws and all

The engineers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep's current steward (and there have been many), have to be sweating bullets as they ready the forthcoming, long-overdue replacement for the Wrangler. It's the brand's icon, its most recognizable vehicle, and the reason Jeep enjoys such success today. Most brands use their flagships to lure shoppers who will then take home a more practical, pedestrian model. Think about the relationship between Corvettes and Malibus in the Chevy showroom. For Jeep, however, the Wrangler is a business unto itself: Nearly one in four Jeeps sold new last year was a Wrangler. That's a lot of pressure as Jeep gears up to replace the current model, codenamed JK, which has been on the road since 2007. I took a Wrangler into the woods to ponder it all. The Wrangler lineup starts around $26,000 but climbs rapidly from there. At the upper end of the spectrum sits the Rubicon Hard Rock, which builds on the already capable Rubicon's locking differentials and electronic front sway bar disconnect with a host of styling goodies. At $43,325 as tested, the Hard Rock is no cheap trail toy. Wranglers have gotten more comfortable and capable over the years, but driving one is still an exercise in compromises. Luxury here means durable leather upholstery and a lot of bass from the stereo. The driving experience is of the "well, it's better than it used to be" variety on pavement. The rational buy in this segment is the Toyota 4Runner Trail, which goes off-road almost as well as the Jeep and does everything else way better. But nobody takes home a Wrangler because it makes sense. It's a middle finger extended in the direction of conformity while fording the river of beige Corollas between home and office. You don't need a Wrangler, but you probably want one. That's why Jeep sold more than twice as many Wranglers as Toyota did 4Runners last year – and the 4Runner sells well. Wrangler sales aren't slipping, but increasingly stringent emissions and safety standards are signs of the inevitable forward march of progress – and so Wrangler must change with the times. Simple ways to improve the Wrangler are obvious: An updated interior with a modern infotainment system, user-selectable traction control modes tailored to specific terrain conditions, an eight-speed automatic, better aerodynamics, and a lot of weight-saving aluminum are inevitable.