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NHTSA still mulling crash tests for recalled Jeeps

Well, no one should ever accuse the government of not giving things plenty of thought. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still debating whether it will retest any of the 1.56 million 1992 to 1998 Grand Cherokees and 2002 to 2007 Libertys that were part of a recall regarding fires after rear-end collisions. And yes, this debate has been going on for over a month. In other news...
The recall dustup started in early June, when Chrysler took the unusual position of refusing a recall request from NHTSA regarding placement of the fuel tank on the effected vehicles. NHTSA said a collision could cause a fire, a position Chrysler took issue with. Extensive negotiations ensued, with Chrysler agreeing to fit certain Jeeps with trailer hitches, which it said would provide some protection to fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle in the event of a collision.
Part of the issue rests with the amount of data that needs to be processed, according to The Detroit News. NHTSA administrator David Strickland said during a Washington Auto Press Association meeting, "There's a lot of data and Chrysler is being very cooperative in giving us more data." Until that information has been sorted, it looks like re-testing will still be up for debate.

Jeep bringing Renegade Hard Steel with adorable matching trailer to Geneva

Trailers are hardly an uncommon site. They can, after all, be an effective way of adding cargo capacity when you need to haul more than you can fit in your car and truck. But there's something that just gets us about trailers made to match the vehicle behind which they're being towed. Like this one, attached to this unique Jeep Renegade. Set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show mere days from now, the Renegade Hard Steel concept is a joint effort between various elements of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, including Jeep, Mopar and the FCA Style Centre. It's based on the Trailhawk off-road model, but is distinguished by its unique metallic finish, offset by matte black trim and a full raft of available and custom Mopar accessories. Though Jeep has yet to show us what it looks like inside, it's said to have a specially coated leather finish. And of course there's that trailer. Designed to mimic the Renegade's rear-end styling, the appendage will be used on the floor of the Geneva Palexpo to showcase the vehicle's Uconnect Live infotainment system through an oversized pop-up touchscreen display that mirrors the new 5- or 6.5-inch display that'll soon be available on the littlest of Jeeps, offering streaming content including music, news, social media and traffic conditions. We have no indication that a similar trailer could be going into production (minus, of course, the infotainment stuff), but it's worth noting that Jeep has indeed done something similar before. Feel free to read more in the press release, below. Related Video: 27 February 2015 Renegade Hard Steel Jeep Showcar The Renegade Hard Steel Jeep showcar, which blends style, off-road vocation, and technology, will be making its debut and the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show. Created by the Jeep brand, in collaboration with the Mopar brand and backed by the FCA Style Centre, the showcar "explores" the potential of a model that provides countless customization options, while also providing an outlook for potential future Mopar accessories dedicated to the new Renegade. Based on the Trailhawk - the off-road version of the range - the prototype is not a simple customisation in aftermarket but a design project that, with due respect to the peculiarities of original models, has led us to the creation of a unique and fascinating article.

Millionth Jeep Wrangler JK to roll off line this morning

According to a report on the Chrysler Communications Facebook page and one fairly grainy image of the production line, at around 11:00AM Eastern this morning, the one-millionth Jeep Wrangler JK will roll out of the company's Toledo assembly plant.
The third-generation or "JK" Jeep Wrangler has been around since the 2007 model year, and has obviously been more popular than ever. With a greater than ever number of trim levels, two-door and four-door Unlimited models and hardy off-roading Rubicon packages, the JK offers more to choose from than ever for those looking for something in a traditional Jeep. In fact, with the modern 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 powering it, the 2012 model year saw more than 140k Wrangers sold here in the US; the best-ever figure for the model.
With a model refresh due out for the Wrangler in 2015 (along with the likely addition of a diesel engine option), we expect that sales will continue to roll right along, too.