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2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee spied looking refreshed

Jeep is preparing another facelift for the Grand Cherokee. Spied here undergoing testing, the updates to the upscale SUV look like they'll be fairly limited in scope. The current WK2-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee was introduced in 2010 as a 2011 model, replacing the round-eyed WK model that had been around since 2005. It underwent a mild update last year and is now gearing up for another round. This refresh appears to have a new front fascia with wider-spaced grille slats, and though hidden from view, will likely incorporate a restyled bumper with new fog lights. Expect some revisions inside the cabin to accompany the new face, and some updated engines, too. The current base model's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is anticipated to offer more power and get better fuel economy, plus offer flex-fuel capability. Of course, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 will also likely be offered, and if we're lucky, an even more powerful SRT performance model, too. The updated JGC is expected to arrive in the first quarter of the new year. Jeep will be marking its 75th anniversary then, so expect some special editions of this and other models in the portfolio to arrive in true Jeep style. In the meantime, you can check out the spy shots in the gallery above. Related Video:

Jeep gunning for 1M sales this year

Jeep CEO Mike Manley would rather soft-pedal the seven-figure prognostication for now, but Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won't have it, proclaiming in an interview that Jeep will sell one million units worldwide this year. Manley has called that come-hither number "a stretch," the history of recent gains perhaps reason for his caution: in 2011 the brand sold 568,317 units, followed by the record-breaking tally of 701,626, then another record in 2013 with 731,565 units moved.
That kind of gap means everything will need to go magically for Jeep to record a 37-percent increase this year - amazing Cherokee sales, a brilliant launch for the little Jeep arriving in Europe later this year and a heavy wave to raise sales in US, European and Chinese markets. Manley is confident about the prospects in 2015, though, with the Cherokee in full stride, the Fiat-based Jeep on its way to the US and expanded global production. It's not as though Marchionne's prediction for Jeep's 2014 sales is unexpected, since he first made it last year. But even if the number ends up a little short for 2014, there's no doubt it will be impressive.

FCA plants skipping summer shutdown to keep up with demand

Hopefully, some FCA US factory employees don't have big plans for the usual summer shutdown, because the automaker is keeping several plants running this year. Demand is so high that the company wants to keep models rolling off the assembly lines. Four FCA US assembly plants, all the engine factories, and some locations that build transmissions are staying open throughout the summer, according to the Detroit Free Press. Usually, these sites would see a two-week shutdown for the company to retool and perform repairs. This year, factories are staying open for FCA to support its strong sales. The lines that remaining humming through the summer show an inclination toward the automaker's popular SUV's and crossovers. They include the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Michigan that builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango; Saltillo Van Assembly in Mexico that constructs the Ram ProMaster; Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio that produces the Cherokee and Wrangler; and Toluca Assembly in Mexico that makes the Dodge Journey and Fiat 500. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM FCA dodge journey fca us ram promaster Jefferson North Assembly Plant