2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 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!

FCA spends $1.5 billion to retool plant for Ram production

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is planning to invest $1.48 billion to retool its Sterling Heights Assembly plant in metro Detroit to build the next generation of the Ram 1500. The investment will allow the assembly plant to go from unibody to body-on-frame construction. FCA also confirmed that production of the Chrysler 200 will end in December in order for the plant to be altered. As previously reported, FCA is looking to move production of the 1500 from its current assembly plant in Warren to the Sterling Heights Assembly plant (both are in Michigan). While FCA has not released any official plans for the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, Automotive News reports that the plant will be retooled to manufacture the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs. Earlier this month, FCA announced plans to invest $1.05 billion to retool the Jeep Wrangler factory. FCA's current investment plans are part of the automaker's push to put competitive products on the road. Related Video: News Source: FCA, Automotive NewsImage Credit: FCA Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Jeep RAM SUV Sedan

Merecedes-Benz EQS, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT and Subaru Forester Wilderness | Autoblog Podcast #702

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick. They've been driving some exciting new EVs, like the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT and the Mercedes-Benz EQS. They also discuss driving the new Subaru Forester Wilderness, as well as the perfectly agreeable Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid. James compares four big-name off-roaders — the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner and Land Rover Defender — based on their ability to accommodate a big load of luggage. Next they reach into the mailbag for comments on the Genesis GV70, as well as a Spend My Money question about replacing a wrecked Subaru Ascent with another three-row SUV. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #702 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness 2022 Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid Luggage testing the off-roaders: Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler vs. Land Rover Defender vs. Toyota 4Runner  Mailbag: Thoughts on the Genesis GV70 Spend My Money: Three-row SUV to replace Subaru Ascent Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.