1994 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Jeep Grand Cherokee redesign delayed

The launch of the next-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee is being now being pushed back until late 2018 or even into 2019, Jeep CEO Mike Manley indicated Friday, according to Automotive News citing a Reuters report. Under the original five-year plan, the SUV was supposed to be replaced in the third quarter of 2017. That would have made for a big year for Jeep with a refreshed Renegade and new Wrangler also slated for 2017. A delayed Grand Cherokee could send ripples through Jeep's product plans. The three-row Grand Wagoneer is meant to give the brand a vehicle to take on the Land Rover Range Rover, but it's supposed to use the same platform as the Grand Cherokee. This change is rumored to push that important model's launch further back. There's less uncertainty when it comes to the next-gen Wrangler. Manley said that the model was "broadly on track," according to Automotive News. The five-year plan aimed for a launch in the second quarter of 2017. Controversy, however, has swirled over possible plans to move the Wrangler from its longtime Toledo, OH, factory. One problem Jeep doesn't have to worry about right now is sales. According to Automotive News, Manley said volume was up 20 percent globally and could reach 1.2 million by the end of the year. He also indicated the brand was "on pace" to reach its 1.9-million-vehicle goal for 2018. The Grand Cherokee delay comes in the wake of rumors that FCA US is shuffling around its previous five-year vehicle launch plan to postpone several models. Related Video:

Toyota, Lexus dominate KBB's Best Resale Value Awards

Toyota and Lexus stormed the 2014 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, winning a combined 18 categories including best brand and best luxury brand. This marks the third year in a row that both automakers have won the Brand and Luxury Brand resale value awards. In all, Toyota won 11 categories and Lexus won seven.
Honda made a good showing, as well, winning two segments (Accord Plug-In Hybrid and Civic Si) and putting one car on the top-10 Best Resale Value list (CR-V). Chevrolet did even better, winning two segments (with the V6 Camaro and the Corvette) and placing three cars on the top-10-overall list (again, the Camaro and Corvette, plus the Silverado 1500).
The other winners came from Jeep, Dodge, Infiniti, Subaru and Audi. To give you a clearer picture of the Toyota and Lexus domination, their 18 mentions represents more than half of the 34 awards (including the top-10-overall list).

The Jeep Yuntu is a plug-in hybrid SUV just for China

The Shanghai Auto Show has been host to a heaping helping of hybrids this year, and we have yet one more to share with you. Jeep created this Yuntu SUV Concept, and it features a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Interestingly, Jeep has very little to say about it, and didn't even provide hypothetical performance figure, apparently because it's just a concept. About the only thing Jeep did tell us was that the Yuntu was designed with a focus on Chinese consumers' tastes, also citing that the SUV segment is the fastest growing in the country. While the design may have been targeted at Chinese buyers, we think the Yuntu would find fans in the US, too. It mixes cues from both the Compass and the Renegade. The roof treatment, with a thick, upright, body-colored D-pillar and black roof come right from the Renegade, as does the generally boxy aesthetic. From the Compass comes the slim seven-slot grille and horizontal headlights. The inside has no parallels to the current Jeep line. It's a light, airy place with plenty of pale woods. The dashboard is effectively all screens, and the few buttons and switches present have a unique copper finish. It's far more futuristic and modern than any Jeep on sale right now. As for what this Yuntu means for the Jeep brand, there are a few possibilities. It could simply be a styling exercise that indicates where Jeep is headed in the future. These future design cues could be applied either to China-specific versions of current vehicles, or they could also appear on vehicles in other markets such as the US. It's also entirely possible that this concept is a preview of a new SUV designed just for the Chinese market. Jeep could do this fairly easily and affordably by putting a toned-down version of the Yuntu's design on the Cherokee platform, which is already built by FCA's Chinese partner, GAC. This wouldn't be the first time a car company created an SUV just for the Chinese market, either. Mazda did it with the CX-4, so Jeep certainly could, too. Related Video: