1990 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Sport Utility 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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2018 Jeep Wrangler might get power sliding roof panels

A user at JL Wrangler Forums snapped a few photos of a prototype 2018 Wrangler driving around, and one of the shots revealed some interesting switchgear. On the ceiling are a couple of handles that further confirm it will still have a multi-piece removable roof, something already expected when images of the truck leaked out. Just ahead of those handles is a binnacle of switches with no clear explanation for their existence. The folks at JL Wrangler Forums believe they have the answer. They suspect that the controls are for a Jeep Renegade-style My Sky roof. In case you forgot, the Renegade's My Sky roof is a cross between a sunroof and the Wrangler's removable roof. One of the panels can slide back like a sunroof, or it and a second panel can be pulled out entirely. The forum members believe the large center button and smaller buttons ahead of it are controls for sliding back either or both front roof panels. Of course the roof panels will still be removable, too. They also cite anonymous sources that say the forum's speculation is on the right track. A few years ago, rumors of a power top were circulating, too. We can certainly see this as a possibility. It would offer Wrangler owners the option of some open-air fun without requiring the unfastening of multiple latches and stowage of large roof panels. Although it would likely add plenty of cost, that won't be much of an issue for Jeep. It's already possible to spend remarkable amounts of money in heavily accessorized Wranglers, and Jeep doesn't have trouble getting them sold. We're still not completely convinced, though. It's also possible we could be looking at switchgear for overhead lights or other interior features, maybe even storage for sunglasses. We just can't be positive without getting a closer look at the switches. Also, there's at least one reason Jeep might want to avoid a feature like this. Power sliding top panels could add weight. Now Jeeps aren't amazing performers, save for the SRT and Trackhawk Grand Cherokees, so speed won't be an issue, but if the weight goes into the top panels, it could make top removal more difficult thanks to heavier components. We'll have to wait to find out for sure. Related Video:

FCA profits surge in second quarter

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gave the cash register a beating in the second quarter, improving its net profit to 333 million euros ($364M US), which is a 263-percent jump over its reported Q1 profit of 92 million euros ($108M US). At the same time, FCA improved its global profit margin to 7.7 percent. Compared year-over-year, in Q2 2014 FCA reported net profit of 197 million euros making this year's Q2 a 69-percent increase, and profit margins a year ago were 4.9 percent. The two big factors for this increase are strong NAFTA sales and Jeep. In the US alone, Jeep sold 222,940 units in Q2 this year, a jump of almost 20 percent over the same period last year. Revenue in the NAFTA region totaled $18.8 billion, adjusted earnings before interest and taxes were $1.45 billion, both of those numbers more than doubling compared to 2014. The vastly better numbers come on marginally more global sales, 1,181,000 units sold in Q2 2014, 1,193,000 units sold in the same span this year. In the US, FCA began charging dealers one-percent more for vehicles to up the margins, a move that helped boost its US margin from 4.1 percent a year ago to 5.8 percent the first half of this year. The company is holding steady on its guidance of global deliveries at 4.8 million and its net profit guidance at $1.1 to $1.3 billion. It has increased its adjusted outlook for the year to $120.5 billion in revenue, and EBIT to "over $4.93 billion." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Jeep FCA

Jeep Wrangler likely to get aluminum body, will stay in Toledo

Perhaps more than any other vehicle currently for sale in the United States, the Jeep Wrangler is viewed by purist fans as a vehicle that simply must maintain the status quo. In this case, that means a body-on-frame design, solid axles, a relatively large engine sitting up front and a removable top. It's always been that way, and it always will be.
Maybe.
According to the most recent reports, the next-generation Jeep will continue to soldier forth with a full steel chassis underneath its stamped bodywork. The biggest change, reports Automotive News, will be that said panels will be hewn from aluminum instead of steel, a seismic shift of a transition not unlike what's happened with the new Ford F-150. Because it won't be a unibody, the SUV will likely continue to be assembled in Toledo, OH as it (almost) always has been - the latter has been a source of heartburn in recent weeks for the Northwestern city in the Buckeye State.