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2016 Jeep Wrangler Backcountry is Xtremely Purple

Assuming you're headed into so-called backcountry to do fun, outdoorsy kinds of things, chances are, you wouldn't want to use a bright purple vehicle with hot pink graphics as your means to get off the beaten path. Particularly if you're doing those outdoor activities in a winter wonderland, surrounded by nature's own cold, white blanket. Fortunately, then, Jeep is offering its new Wrangler Backcountry in four colors that aren't called Xtreme Purple: blue, black, white, and gray. No matter which hue you choose, though, you'll get the graphics package, so best to bear that in mind. Besides its searing shade of paint, the Wrangler Backcountry is based on the Sahara model and comes equipped as you'd expect for a real, useful, backwoods vehicle. An off-road-spec front bumper joins a matching powdercoated rear bumper, and its 17-inch wheels are borrowed from the hardcore Rubicon model. Buyers will have a choice of Rubicon Rock Rails or Sahara side steps to ease ingress and egress, and a hardtop in either black or, for an added price, a body-color. But hopefully not purple. The interior is updated for the Wrangler Backcountry with black and grey plastics and stitching, along with black leather and "sport mesh" seating surfaces. A nine-speaker Alpine sound system pumps up the jams, and Bluetooth comes standard. You can read more about the Jeep Wrangler Backcountry in the press release below, but first, check out our high-res image gallery of live photos from the show floor in LA. Oh, and if you do really like Xtreme Purple, you should know that the Wrangler Backcountry is the only Jeep you can get in this particular retina-assaulting hue. 2016 Jeep Wrangler Backcountry The Jeep Wrangler Backcountry boasts a winter capability theme and is based on the Wrangler Sahara model. It features a Backcountry decal on the front fender and rear quarter panel, a unique off-road front and rear powder coated bumper, 17-inch Rubicon wheels painted in Mid-gloss Black and a black fuel fill door. Wrangler Rubicon rock rails are standard on the Wrangler Backcountry, but Sahara side steps are also available at no additional charge. A black hard top is standard, but an optional body color hard top is also available. Wrangler Backcountry is available in five colors: Hydro Blue, Black, Bright White, Granite Crystal and Xtreme Purple. Backcountry is the only model in Wrangler's lineup available in Xtreme Purple.

Chrysler defies NHTSA, says it won't recall 2.7M Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty models

Facing a possible recall totaling around 2.7 million of its most popular SUVs, Chrysler remains insistent that the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty are safe vehicles. This comes on the heels of a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for these two models due to fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle, which could possibly be ruptured during severe rear-end collisions, leading to an increased risk of fire. In response to the allegations, Chrysler says that it does not agree with NHTSA nor does it plan on recalling either vehicle.
Chrysler said both SUVs "met and exceeded" the requirements for fuel-system integrity, and cooperated fully with NHTSA since the investigation was opened in 2010. While 15 deaths and 46 injuries have been reported from fires caused by rear-end collisions on these models, Chrysler is claiming that the vast majority of incidents cited by NHTSA were "high-energy crashes," including one where a stopped Grand Cherokee was rear-ended by a tractor trailer going 65 miles per hour.
The automaker wraps up by saying "NHTSA seems to be holding Chrysler Group to a new standard for fuel tank integrity that does not exist now and did not exist when the Jeep vehicles were manufactured." Scroll down for Chrysler's official response to NHTSA, but we're pretty sure this isn't the last we've heard on this issue.

Jeep going bigger with new Grand Wagoneer, smaller with sub-Renegade?

The headlines are still rolling in for the new Renegade that Jeep unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last week, but already reports are surfacing, citing sources within the company, about what Chrysler's iconic off-road brand will do next.
Speaking with Auto Express (whose reports we tend to take with a grain of salt or two), Jeep chief Mike Manley suggested that two courses of action are currently under consideration at Auburn Hills to develop two very different new models - one smaller and one larger than anything Jeep currently makes.
One plan would be to make an SUV or crossover even smaller than the new Renegade, although it isn't immediately clear what platform it would take. The Renegade (pictured above in Trailhawk spec) will be built in Italy alongside Fiat's upcoming 500X, but uses a heavily modified platform. We figure the smaller model, if approved, could base itself on the new Fiat Panda Cross.