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Rumor has it the new Grand Wagoneer has been cancelled, but we're not so sure

This just doesn't seem to add up. Autoline Daily is reporting that plans for a new top Jeep, a reimagined Grand Wagoneer to sit above the Grand Cherokee, have been scrapped. The info comes from Auto Forecast Solutions, an industry analyst company. The Grand Wagoneer was expected to use a stretched version of the next Grand Cherokee's platform, but it reportedly won't accept the larger vehicle. The report implies that the next Grand Cherokee will use a version of the current Grand Cherokee's unibody platform, which is about what we expected. The thing is, the current Grand Cherokee shares its platform with the (longer) Dodge Durango, as well as Mercedes-Benz's GLE and GLS SUVs (remember the DaimlerChrysler days?). It's possible the Wagoneer was supposed to be wider as well as longer, and that the Durango's stretch just wasn't enough, but it seems odd that this is just now coming to light. We have already seen sketches of the new Grand Wagoneer, purported to have leaked out of an FCA dealer meeting. Jeep's CEO has discussed the (high) price the new utility would command. It just seems like a lot of thought went into the vehicle already, thought that wouldn't be put forward if someone hadn't looked into the feasibility of actually building it. The report (the one that says the thing has been cancelled) also says FCA might regroup and build the GW as a body-on-frame SUV on the Ram 1500 platform. That also seems unlikely, since this is supposed to be a luxurious, refined vehicle that's nicer than the Grand Cherokee. It would be tough to accomplish all of that with a ladder frame underneath, and it's just not the way the industry is going, let alone the Jeep brand. We'll keep an eye on this one. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Dealer Leak Spy Shots News Source: Autoline Daily Rumormill Jeep Crossover Luxury

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk First Drive | Crazy. Good.

TAMWORTH, New Hampshire – We're tempted to tell you that the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is ridiculous. It's borderline frightening to think that we now live in a world where anybody with the money and the gumption can stroll into the nearest Jeep dealership and place an order for a 707-horsepower Hemi-powered Grand Cherokee. Let's put this slice of history into perspective. The original Jeep, the one used by the military, boasted 60 horsepower from the Go Devil four-cylinder engine under the hood. The most powerful version of the muscle car-era 426-cubic-inch Hemi was factory-rated at 425 hp. And even if that legendary powerplant was underrated from the factory, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk still obliterates it by a couple hundred horses. In an SUV. Seven-hundred-horsepower sport utility vehicle doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? And conventional wisdom says it shouldn't. But we're here to tell you otherwise. After driving the Trackhawk in and around the streets of Portland, Maine, and taking it to Club Motorsports in New Hampshire, we're convinced that Jeep and SRT engineers have managed to defy physics and reason. The Trackhawk isn't just fast, it's also manageable. Subdued, even – at least when you want it to be. Put the hammer down, summon the nearly demonic power of supercharged combustion, and all hell breaks loose. But the tires don't. With launch control engaged and with the programmable engine speed properly chosen, the all-wheel-drive Trackhawk rockets to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds, over and over and over again. No drama, no wheelspin, just g-force, pressing you and four close friends into the backs of your seats. It's addictive, and the only penalty is single-digit fuel mileage. But we'll wager a guess that anyone shopping for a Trackhawk isn't much concerned about its drinking problem. The only proper way to experience the Trackhawk's acceleration is from inside. But, to give you an idea of its speed and power, check out the videos below. Stick around for a walkaround both inside and out, and for a look under the hood. Jeep had to make a few small changes to the well-known 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 engine to shoehorn it under the hood of a Grand Cherokee. The oil pan is reshaped and baffled, the intercooler is modified, and the exhaust manifolds are new. The result is a reduction in torque from 650 pound-feet in Dodge Hellcat models to 645 in the Jeep, but we wouldn't worry about that.

FCA denies report it's pulling Chrysler brand from Japan

TOKYO - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles denied it had decided to pull the plug on the Chrysler brand in Japan, after local media reported it was planning to stop selling the US cars in the country as early as next year following years of poor sales. "Although FCA Japan has already announced its intention to concentrate its resources on the Jeep brand ahead, no decisions have been made regarding (the) Chrysler brand," the automaker said ion Monday. The Nikkei business daily reported that the European-US automaker, which also sells the Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Abarth brands in Japan, was close to deciding to throw in the towel on the Chrysler brand, which posted sales of less than 300 vehicles in 2016, having fallen steadily since around 2000 and are about a tenth of what they were a decade ago. FCA sells only one Chrysler model in Japan, the full-size 300s sedan, which is sold at the company's Jeep dealerships. FCA's Fiat brand, which includes smaller models, and its Jeep brand have been growing in the country. Last year they sold around 6,700 and 9,400 units, respectively, making them top 10-selling foreign branded vehicles in the Japanese market. However, foreign cars constitute a small portion of the total Japanese auto market, which is dominated by domestic brands. Last year, 295,000 foreign-branded new cars were sold in the country, roughly one-tenth of total new vehicle sales. Reporting by Naomi TajitsuRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2017 Chrysler 300S Sport Appearance Package: New York 2016 View 12 Photos Auto News Chrysler Fiat Jeep Sedan FCA