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Jeep planning on a Grand Wagoneer Hellcat?

Twitter guy and Finder of Things Hidden Bozi Tatarevic scored another gem: an internal ZF document referencing a Jeep Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk. Dating from at least early 2017, the German auto supplier paperwork pairs what would be a 6.2-liter V8-powered three-row Jeep with ZF's 8HP95X transmission. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk uses the 8HP95 gearbox, a version of the 8HP90 transmission used in the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats, but built for all-wheel-drive applications and with a choice of gear ratio sets. This doesn't mean we'll ever see a Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk, but it looks like Jeep's been thinking about it. Not only that, but the brand was thinking about it with the just-launched-for-2019 Hellcat engine. The ZF document lists 729 PS for the engine in the Jeep, or a hair shy of 718 horsepower — just one off the figure for the 2019 Charger and Challenger Hellcats. The listed production dates mean ZF planned for a build run of April 2017 to May 2017. The document also mentions the Rolls-Royce Cullinan with two sets of build dates: from January 2016 to February 2016, and from December 2017 to January 2018. That sounds like a run of prototypes, which could be how the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk got included in the paperwork. The document didn't reference any other Wagoneer versions. A Hellcat-powered Grand Wagoneer would make sense. The new luxo-Jeep will be built on a modified Ram platform at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, and we know Ram's working on a Hellcat-bound Ram 1500 TRX. And the now-iconic engine in an SUV that hopes to become a new icon would be a treat for dealers who wonder if the Grand Wagoneer will arrive too late to succeed. Again, this doesn't mean we'll see anything of the kind. Chrysler also evaluated a 300 Hellcat, but nothing's come of it. And with the standard Wagoneer still several years away — the renovations at the Warren plant aren't due for completion until 2020 — any hi-po version could wait another year after launch, were such a thing to happen. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Australian Jeep marketing stunt goes awry [w/video]

Jeep fans in Australia are none too happy with the off-road brand following a contest that saw ten new Cherokees sold for just $10,000 Australian (about $9,400), roughly a quarter of the vehicle's price Down Under.
The contest, called the "World's Most Remote Dealership," gave Aussies the chance to snag an ultra-affordable Cherokee Longitude (analogous to the US-spec Latitude trim), provided they could get to a secret dealership in the remote wilderness of western New South Wales, near the border with the state of South Australia.
In order to get the exact location of the dealership, though, potential customers needed to download an app, which would release a phone number 9:00 AM AEST on Thursday (7:00 PM EDT, Wednesday night). The first ten people who could call in and prove they could afford to finance $10,000 and get to the remote dealership, were given the location of the remote dealership.

Jeep leads list of 25 most patriotic brands

It's not unusual to feel extra patriotic this time of year, what with the Fourth of July being today and all. As if to celebrate, New York-based research firm Brand Keys conducted a study among 4,500 consumers about what brands they find to be the most patriotic. According to the Detroit Free Press, Jeep took top honors in this study, besting other American stalwart brands including Coca-Cola, Levi's and Hershey's.
Interestingly, the only other automotive brand to make the list was Ford, in the 16th spot (motorcycle fans take note - Harley-Davidson claimed the No. 13 slot). This means consumers found Jeep to be more patriotic than any of the brands in the General Motors portfolio, including Chevrolet, which has long used American themes in its advertising over the decades.
According to Brand Keys, Jeep came in "with a score of 98 out of 100 on a scale representing consumers' emotional engagement expectations," the Detroit Free Press reports. Be sure to read the report to scan the entire Top 25 list for yourself.