2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee on 2040-cars

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Jeep Cherokee sales rival Wrangler after two months

In our First Drive article on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee we said, "our informal and thoroughly unscientific opinion is they're going to sell tons of them. Why? Because it is very good." So far, it appears the public concurs. Of course, it's very early - the new compact utility has logged just one month of confirmed sales, but Larry Vellequette at Automotive News says dealers have told him that the second month of sales will be even better, a message that mirrors what we've heard from company execs.
In its first, severely truncated month on sale, the Cherokee sold 579 units. With all of November to play with, though, dealers moved 10,169 of them - compared to 11,753 Wranglers and 14,798 Grand Cherokees. That helped propel Jeep to a 30-percent year-on-year improvement for the month, Chrysler Group to a 16-percent improvement and the group's 44th consecutive month of sales growth, exceeding analyst expectations in posting its best November numbers since 2007.
If it can just keep replicating the its first month of sales, the finalist in North American Truck of the Year voting will smoke the trade done by the outgoing Liberty, which didn't break 7,900 units in a month in the last four years of its life (and normally didn't get close to even that). In March this year, Chrysler said it wants to build 250,000 Cherokees in its Toledo assembly plant for global sales. It's early yet, but with second-month sales quoted as being as "strong as death," the bookies might be resetting the odds.

Jeep Wrangler rides into SEMA on new Mopar performance axles

Mopar is unveiling Jeep Performance Parts axles as the latest off-road accessory to the Jeep Wrangler, which itself won the "4x4/ SUV of the Year" honors at SEMA for the ninth consecutive year. The show opens Tuesday and continues through Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Mopar teamed with longtime partner and auto supplier Dana to develop the axles, which are co-branded under the name JPP Ultimate Dana 44 AdvanTEK. They're installed on a Nacho Wrangler concept at Mopar's 15,345-square-foot display. The high-strength axles are built in the U.S. and feature gear technology that reduces gear set packaging, with added strength and overall rigidity for the trail. The high-clearance carrier design adds an extra half-inch of ground clearance, with an expanded range of gear ratios (4.56, 4.88, 5.13 and 5.38) to accommodate for more tire sizes. Chromoly axle shafts, thicker quarter-inch steel bracket mounts, 9.5-millimeter tubes and upgraded U-joints also add durability, while a nodular iron differential cover adds rugged looks, and its ribbing adds strength and rigidity. The direct bolt-in assembly allows for use of OEM components and includes electronic differential lockers already installed. The axles will be available for purchase starting next month. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Jeep Wrangler Mopar Performance Axles: SEMA 2018 Related Gallery Mopar Jeep Performance Parts Wrangler off-road axle Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com SEMA Show Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles Performance axle dana

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk shows off its hellish supercharged V8

We've seen the spy shots of this thing, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk, before. But only from the outside. The external changes are plenty telling, but there was always the slight chance we were looking only at an extra-hot SRT version, not a full-blown (pun intended) TrackHawk with a Hellcat motor. Until the hood goes up, there's no telling what we're really looking at. Well, seeing is believing. We have been looking at TrackHawks all along. And Mike Manley, Jeep's CEO, wasn't selling the world a bill of goods when he said to expect the thing "by the end of 2017". As you can clearly see in the slightly noisy engine shot, that's a supercharger parked on top of FCA's 6.2-liter V8, just like in the Charger and Challenger Hell-twins. Chances are it'll make the same power as it does in those two – 707 hp, in case you're just waking up from cryo-stasis and aren't aware of the most famous power output figure on the planet. There are some differences between this Grand Cherokee and ones we've previously pegged as TrackHawks. The fog lights in the lower grille vents are gone, and the rear fascia gets a bit more aggressive. Perhaps these will be the external details that separate the TrailHawk from the lowly non-supercharged SRT versions. We've also been hearing about quad exhaust tips, but haven't seen them on a prototype yet. If Jeep wants to get this thing out on the road by the end of the year, we're likely to see it coming to an auto show soon. Keep your eyes peeled. Related Video: