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Jeep Wrangler Red Rock concept brings Moab to SEMA

Among the concepts that FCA is showcasing at SEMA this year, the Jeep Wrangler Red Rock concept has been decked out with accessories from both the Mopar and Jeep catalogs. The concept is based on the existing Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock edition, but has been taken even further in for this show truck. It pays tribute to the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club and the Easter Jeep Safari it hosts every year in Moab, UT. The Red Rock concept rides on a 2-inch lift kit with 17-inch beadlock wheels shod with 35-inch all-terrain tires. It also has differential covers, a reinforced swing gate and wheel mount, a power winch, LED headlamps and fog lights, and an onboard CB radio. To help it crawl those rocks, it boasts electronic locking differentials, a Rock-Trac transfer case, and Dana 44 solid axles front and rear. Visually setting this concept apart are such special touches as a power-dome hood, red tow hooks front and rear, new rock rails, a color-keyed grille with low-gloss inserts, low-gloss bumpers, and of course the requisite special badging. Inside it's been done up in brown leather with silver accents and a special grab-handle plaque. This particular version will remain a showpiece only. So if you want to see it, you'll have to head to the show floor in Vegas this week. However Jeep is committed to undertaking a production run of 50 examples with many of the same special touches to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Easter Jeep Safari next year. Related Video: Jeep® and Mopar Introduce Wrangler Red Rock Concept at SEMA Show - New Wrangler Concept features array of Mopar and Jeep® Performance Parts - A serialized 50-unit special-edition production Wrangler – inspired by the Red Rock Concept – will be built as a tribute to the upcoming 50th Moab Easter Jeep Safari - Based on Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock edition - Wrangler Red Rock Concept features Amaretto Brown Katzkin leather seats with silver accent stitching and a "Red Rock" embroidered seat back logo - Aftermarket Jeep Performance Parts two-inch lift, 35-inch BFG K02 all-terrain tires, commemorative Red Rock appearance package give Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Concept a unique and rugged presence November 3, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Jeep® and Mopar have teamed up to create the Wrangler Red Rock Concept vehicle that will be showcased at this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas.

Chrysler adding 200 jobs at Ohio Jeep Wrangler plant

Chrysler is betting that the Jeep Wrangler will continue its strong sales surge as it continues to push the legendary brand out across the globe. The Auburn Hills automaker is reportedly adding 200 workers at the Toledo, Ohio plant that builds the Wrangler. What's more, those new hires will be at their posts quickly - they'll be on the job by April 1. Of those 200 workers, 130 employees will be there to relieve those who need breaks.
Why do they need so many relief workers? The Toledo Jeep Complex is currently working at a torrid pace with two ten-hour shifts. A third shift has been ruled out for the moment because of a production botttleneck - the plant's paint shop is already maxed out. According to Reuters, Wrangler production in 2012 cleared 200,000 units, and US sales were up by 16 percent.
Another part of the Toledo plant is presently down as Chrysler retools the line to build Jeep's divisively styled Liberty replacement, the Cherokee (seen in our gallery below). Production for the new model is scheduled to begin toward the end of May.

Georgia judge slashes verdict to $40M in Jeep fire case

A judge in Georgia has drastically reduced the damages that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have to pay to the family of Remington Walden, who a court said died as a result of the unsafe design of one of its vehicles. While the jury originally awarded the family $150 million at FCA's expense, Judge J. Kevin Chason cut that amount to $40 million, the Detroit News reported. The automaker may still appeal the verdict. The case dates to March 2012, when a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee in which four-year-old Walden was riding was rear-ended by another vehicle. Due to what the jury ruled was an unsafe fuel tank, a fire erupted, and Walden died in the fire. The family's lawyers successfully argued that the automaker knew there was a problem and didn't take sufficient action to address the issue, while FCA countered that its vehicles met the applicable safety standards when they were built. The jury found FCA 99 percent responsible for the fire and Walden's death, reserving the final one percent for the driver who caused the crash. The court awarded the Waldens $150 million in damages to be paid by the automaker: $120 million for wrongful death, and a further $30 million for pain and suffering. FCA, however, argued that the damages were disproportionate to the incident, noting that the $120 million was 11 times higher and the $30 million four times higher than any comparable awards upheld on appeal in the state. Chason agreed and cut the penalties extensively. The Walden family has reportedly accepted the reduced verdict. But according to the News, company spokesman Michael Palese said, "The reduction in the damage awards does not cure the many errors that tainted this verdict and denied FCA US a fair trial. We are considering our legal options." News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Jeep Government/Legal Recalls Jeep lawsuit court