2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7l V8 Awd on 2040-cars

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Jeep Cherokee Trail Carver is a more rugged Trailhawk

We briefly mentioned the Jeep Cherokee Trail Carver that was heading to SEMA last week when discussing the Mopar lineup set to be shown in Las Vegas. At the time, though, we weren't able to dive too deeply into details. But with SEMA in full swing, we were able to sneak over and grab some snaps of one of the first modified Cherokees we've seen. The Cherokee is, after all, kind of an unknown quantity in the modification department, being so new and featuring such a polarizing design. We were quite interested to see what Mopar could come up with.
Starting with the Trailhawk 4x4 and its 3.2-liter V6, the engine is fitted with a Mopar cold-air intake and a new exhaust, although it's not clear what sort of power boost has resulted. We'll admit, we were hoping Jeep and Mopar would get a bit more aggressive with the Cherokee's suspension (has anyone thrown a few-inch lift on the new Jeep yet?), but there's no mention of upgrades beyond the knobby, off-road tires. Those should do some good when the going gets rough, while rock rails are there to protect the Auburn Pearl paint on the body.
Speaking of that paint, it's complemented by an interesting graphics package in contrasting black and Crush Orange. The cabin sports Katzkin Amaretto leather seats, along with tech-friendly items like a wireless charging system for cellphones and wireless internet.

Jeep will build old Wranglers next to new ones in Toledo

Jeep made a lot of people happy when it confirmed that the next-generation Wrangler would continue to be built in Toledo, OH. Now, news is breaking about the lengths the automaker will go to in updating its northern Ohio factory. There's good news for Jeep dealers (more Wranglers to sell!), Jeep fans (more JKs to buy!), and Jeep itself (more money to be made!). According to a report from Automotive News, capacity at the factory will be increased to 350,000 units per year. That's around a 50 percent increase over what the Toledo complex can currently manage and is, according to Jeep boss Mike Manley, part of a move to keep production "at the right place" so "supply [stays] just behind demand." The other big news revealed by the AN report focuses on the future of the current Wrangler. Yes, the current JK has a future. It'll continue to be built at the Toledo factory up to six months after it successor arrives in showrooms, a move that's partially down to the way Jeep is shuffling production about. Toledo currently builds the Cherokee on a unibody production line – it'll continue to do so until March of 2017, when production will move to Belvidere, IL. The unibody line in Toledo will then be converted for body-on-frame production, which should take about six months. But during that time, the current JK (likely rebadged as a "Wrangler Classic") will continue to be built alongside another line of next-generation Wranglers, keeping dealers supplied with the today's Wrangler through March of 2018. The two Wranglers will overlap for about six months. This is all very good news if you've been waiting to pull the trigger on today's Wrangler. But move quickly – the clock is officially ticking. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Fiat Jeep FCA toledo Mike Manley

What's really going on with the 2014 Jeep Cherokee's transmission issues?

On September 23, Automotive News reported that Chrysler had idled the second shift workers it hired just five weeks prior at its Toledo Assembly Complex to build the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. At the time, Chrysler said it had "built the critical number of vehicles we need to stock dealerships once containment is released" and did not want "to put additional strain on our logistics partners ... upon release." That reasoning was not only unusual, it didn't seem to make sense.
It appears the center of the nine-speed issue is software, not hardware.
That same day, the Detroit News ran a piece claiming workers at the Toledo factory said the halt was due to issues with the Cherokee's transmission. It put the number of already-built Cherokees needing fixes at 1,000 and said that some of the workers not laid off had been instructed "to take the Jeep on long test-drives." That made more sense. Three days later, on September 26, Automotive News reported that the 500 workers laid off had been reinstated, with engineers "speeding repairs on the SUV's powertrain software." The AN piece didn't put a number on how many units are being fixed, but it did say that 12,000 have been built and are awaiting delivery to dealers. The best it could say about when dealers will get them, however, is that "progress on a fix is being made. It's unclear when shipments to dealers will start."