on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Making the Compatriot the Jeep we want - and deserve

If you're one of the hottest brands in the world, and you need to replace two vehicles that sell at a rate of nearly 200k a year, what exactly are you going to do? Do you take the safe route and attempt to mirror what has largely kept you a success thus far, or do you improve on the formula, and better sort your lineup? After 10 years with the Jeep Compass and Patriot, it is time for both to hang up their jackets and go in for the long dirt nap. And what a strange 10 years it's been. Born of the age of Diamler-Chrysler, the "Merger of equals," the Compass and Patriot were brought into this world to shore up sales of Jeep worldwide, pull on the heartstrings of former Cherokee owners, and make sure teenage girls had an affordable crossover to buy in just a few years. As much as I like to throw shade at each model on both subjective and objective basis, I truly find the purpose of each vehicle to be relatively endearing. For less than $22,000, you could (that is, if you could find one) walk out of your local Jeep dealer with a 4x4 crossover, with a manual gearbox, decent all-weather performance, and somewhat respectable fuel economy. This of course ignores the fact that they weren't packaged all that well, based on the outrageously terrible Dodge Caliber, and used all those shared bits and bobs with Mitsubishi that should have been shelved by 2010. Yet, the twins lived on, and on, and on. We've heard stories as far back as 2012 that they weren't long for our world, and then we get news that they're making it through 2017. Just in time for the "Compatriot" to arrive. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what Jeep intends to do with the Compatriot. As far as most blogs seem to know, we're getting a Compass and Patriot replacement that is based on the already well-received Renegade. A little bit of a stretch on the chassis will certainly aid in ride quality, and the Grand Cherokee styling cues will give it a much more upscale demeanor. Even the interior has looked very well executed, with a positively huge uConnect screen set in the middle of the dash. Could Jeep actually be trying to take their Compass and Patriot replacement significantly more up the product chain? I certainly hope so. If you pilot your browser over to the Jeep configurators, you might be surprised by how low the base prices are on almost all of their products. Less than $30k for a new Cherokee? A Renegade for just under $18k? What a deal!

2018 Jeep Wrangler JL order guide leaks, ordering open at dealers

It's been a big day for Jeep news. Earlier today, a leaked timeline revealed that the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL will make its debut sometime in November, likely at either SEMA or the Los Angeles Auto Show. Now, thanks to our friends at JL Wrangler Forums, we have news that an order guide has leaked and order banks are open. That means you should be able to go to a Jeep dealer and place an order for a new Wrangler now. This order guide only covers the four-door Wrangler Unlimited, but it gives us a pretty clear look at the new model. At launch, the Wrangler Unlimited will come in three trims - Sport, Sahara and Rubicon. The only available engine will be FCA's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. Those hoping for a diesel will have to wait a little while longer. All three models will offer both a manual and automatic transmission. While the current model is available in a wide range of colors, initially only five - Billet Silver, Black, Bright White, Firecracker Red and Granite Crystal - will be offered. Poring over the guide shows that features line-up pretty closely with the current model. Hardtops are still optional, as is leather on the Sahara and Rubicon. It doesn't look like you'll be able to get a Sport with a body-color top and the dual-top option for the Rubicon is only listed on the order banks with a black hardtop. The Sahara and Rubicon both have optional trailer hitches and the Rubicon has an optional steel bumper. There's lots we still don't know, but look for more news in the next month or so after the new Wrangler finally debuts. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Watch the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat blast off

It's all but official. Jeep will produce a Hellcat version of the Grand Cherokee with crazy horsepower. We mean crazy. Today, our spy shooters have captured video footage of this demonic creation. It's pretty short, but you can see a dark Grand Cherokee launch with vigor and then brake hard to a halt. We think we detect the whine of a supercharger amid the commotion. Jeep boss Mike Manley has said on video that the JGC Hellcat will arrive before the end of next year. Specs aren't known, but it seems likely that the Jeep Hellcat will share the blown 6.2-liter V8 used in the Charger and Challenger Hellcats. We've also heard rumors the Trackhawk name could be used for this vehicle. In those applications, the beastly Hemi pumps out 707 manic horsepower. Really, why wouldn't you do this? Jeep sales surged 22 percent around the world last year to 1.2 million, the brand's best year ever. Clearly, Jeep decided it was time to add an extreme performance vehicle. Jeep already sells an SRT model that pumps out 475 hp, so adding a top-end Hellcat seems logical. And a Hell of a lot of fun. Related Video: