2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited on 2040-cars

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Watch this 650-hp Hennessey Jeep Grand Cherokee go from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds

Hennessey Performance Engineering has created an HPE650 package for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT fitted with the 6.4-liter Hemi engine. When it leaves the showroom floor it has 470 horsepower and gets from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds. When it leaves Hennessey's garage floor after the upgrade it has 650 horsepower - 530 hp at the wheels, according to Hennessey - and gets to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds on its way to running the quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds.
There's more than just a Roots-type supercharger bolt-on, with ported cylinder heads and high-flow headers among the many changes made to the engine. You can watch this pre-2014 facelift silver model prove its spec sheet on the drag strip in the video below.

FCA to invest $4.5B for new Detroit plant, expanded production at current facilities

We expected some shifts in manufacturing plans as Fiat Chrysler plans to begin electrifying its Jeep brand, but this news bodes well for Michigan. FCA announced today that it would spend $4.5 billion to expand production in the state, including building a new assembly plant in Detroit and increasing capacity at five other facilities in the state. The plan, which FCA says will create nearly 6,500 new jobs, will help to meet increasing demand for Ram and Jeep products, and to electrify Jeep models. $1.6 billion will be set aside to transform the Mack Avenue Engine Complex into a site to build the next generation of Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as an unspecified, new three-row Jeep model. FCA says this part of the plan will create 3,850 new jobs. FCA is increasing its investment in the Warren Truck plant to $1.5 billion in order to continue building the Ram 1500 Classic, as well as the new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, creating 1,400 new jobs. FCA says that the new Ram 1500 Heavy Duty will still be built in Saltillo, Mexico. At FCA's Jefferson North facility, the automaker will invest $900 million to upgrade the plant. This site will continue to build the Dodge Durango, as well help build the next Jeep Grand Cherokee. FCA expects this to create 1,100 new jobs. As Jeep plans to electrify models in its SUV lineup, each of the above plants will produce plug-in hybrid versions of the Jeep models produced there, "with flexibility to build fully battery-electric models in the future," the company said in its announcement. "Three years ago, FCA set a course to grow our profitability based on the strength of the Jeep and Ram brands by realigning our U.S. manufacturing operations," said FCA CEO Mike Manley, referring in part to earlier investments in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. "Today's announcement represents the next step in that strategy," Manley continued. "It allows Jeep to enter two white space segments that offer significant margin opportunities and will enable new electrified Jeep products, including at least four plug-in hybrid vehicles and the flexibility to produce fully battery-electric vehicles." Other investments include $119 million to move production of the 3.0-, 3.2- and 3.6-liter Pentastar engines from Mack I to the Dundee Engine Plant, and $400 million for increased capacity and 80 new jobs at the Sterling and Warren stamping plants. This comes at a time when FCA's U.S.

2017 Jeep Compass ads navigate life for Millennials

Jeep kicked off an advertising blitz Thursday for the 2017 Compass, pitching the attractive compact crossover directly at the Millennial generation. The first broadcast spot, called Recalculating, shows young people navigating life's changes, including marriage, children, job moves, and more. A narrator intones "recalculating" – like a GPS – at each life moment during the 60-second ad. Naturally, a Compass would be a logical ride for all of these milestones, Jeep suggests. "We expect its message of life's journey moving us in many directions to resonate with our Millennial audience while staying true to the Jeep brand's core value of freedom," Oliver Francois, Fiat Chrysler's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. The campaign will be shown during Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, and other popular television shows. Print versions will also appear in national magazines, and the campaign will include digital, cinema, and experiential elements. The blitz began in North America, but it will be a global marketing effort as the Compass is sold in a wide range of regions. The ads will be customized for local audiences. Four more 30-second spots are planned for launch in May. An FCA US spokesperson declined to provide a monetary value for the campaign. The Compass will also be a featured vehicle at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June in Tennessee. Additionally, FCA US will showcase the vehicle outside its headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., with a multi-story wrap on the building (replacing the current Chrysler Pacifica hybrid wrap). The Compass, which is on sale now, is receiving positive reviews for its updated styling that echoes the Grand Cherokee, increased storage space, and off-road capability. Hawking the Compass toward the Millennial generation, which is young people in their 20s to mid-30s, is a logical move for Jeep, as the group is beginning to display increased buying power. The Compass is one of Jeep's entry points. Customers could then theoretically stay with the brand as they age and their families grow, moving up to larger and more expensive vehicles, a longtime strategy employed by automakers. Related Video: