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Jeep Compass, Patriot will stick around for 2017 model year

The Jeep Compass and Patriot may be getting a little long in the tooth, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles isn't ready to put them to pasture. At least not yet. According to Automotive News, FCA plans to continue producing both models until the end of this calendar year. That will also take them both into the 2017 model year as the manufacturer prepares to introduce their shared successor. Jeep will likely build a stockpile of Patriots and Compasses to bridge the gap until the new compact Jeep arrives. The move is just one of many FCA is making to trim unprofitable car models and increase crossover production. The Jeep Cherokee is set to move from its current home in Toledo, OH, to the plant in Belvidere, IL, where the Compass and Patriot are built; the same plant was also home to the recently discontinued Dodge Dart. With Cherokee production gone, the Toledo plant in turn is being retooled to increase Wrangler output by 50 percent, including temporary parallel production of both the new model and the existing one. Meanwhile the replacement for the Compatriots, as they're colloquially known together, is expected to debut this summer in Brazil. Production is slated to take place, both in Brazil and in Mexico, starting January 30, 2017, with production of the Compass and Patriot reportedly to continue in Belvidere until December 23 of this year. By that point, the Compass and Patriot will be a full decade old, having been introduced in 2006 as 2007 models. Along with the Dodge Journey, they're the last FCA products still based on the PM/MK platform shared with Mitsubishi. The Japanese automaker still produces several models on the version it calls GS, including the Outlander, Outlander Sport, and Lancer. Related Video:

2018 Jeep Wranglers: Here's how much more they could cost you

The 2018 Jeep Wranglers were the stars of the L.A. Auto Show last week. And now further details about the lineup and its prices seem to have emerged from L.A., in the form of documents shared by a JL Wrangler Forums member. DrPerez07 passed along an information sheet he says was provided by FCA to its dealer reps at the show, and here is how he breaks down the price increases it may reveal: 2-Door JL Sport - $26,195 ($2,200 more than 2017 JK) Sport S - $29,095 ($2,100 more than 2017 JK) Rubicon - $36,395 ($2,750 more than 2017 JK) 4-Door JLU Sport - $29,995 ($2,100 more than 2017 JKU) Sport S - $33,195 ($2,100 more than 2017 JKU) Sahara - $36,995 ($2,700 more than 2017 JKU) Rubicon - $40,195 ($2,750 more than 2017 JKU) (These prices would seem to not include a destination charge.) As you can see, the Rubicon's base price crosses the Rubicon of $40,000 for the first time. And these prices seem to allay some confusion and concern among forum members regarding a recent forum post in which a Sahara test vehicle was photographed in the FCA HQ parking lot with a window sticker showing a "base price" of $45K. DrPerez07 built this first spreadsheet to clarify some garble that you can see in what he says was the actual document, which follows. Finally, DrPerez07 passes along documents that he says were given to him by a Jeep rep, which break down wheel options, engine options, horsepower and other specs, and a general rundown of what's new on the new models. He also says the rep told him that, interestingly despite the use of some aluminum body panels, the whole JL lineup, with the exception of the Rubicon, weighs more than their JK predecessors. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon: LA 2017 View 17 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips / Autoblog Auto News Rumormill Jeep FCA jeep wrangler jl jl wrangler forums

Chrysler Recalls Jeep SUVs For Ignition Switches

The ignition switch defects that engulfed General Motors are now a rapidly growing problem at Chrysler. Chrysler said Tuesday it is recalling up to 792,300 older Jeep SUVs worldwide because the ignition switches could fall out of the "run" position, shutting off the engine and disabling air bags as well as power-assisted steering and braking. That's the same problem that has forced GM to recall more than 15 million cars over the last six months. Chrysler's recall covers 2005-2007 Grand Cherokees and 2006-2007 Commanders. The company said it is not sure exactly how many will be recalled, but said it will notify customers by mid-September. Chrysler said an outside force such as a driver's knee can knock switches out of the "run" position. Engineers are working on a fix. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker, now part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, said it knows of no related injuries and only one accident. But it said owners should keep clearance between their knees and keys until repairs are made. Chrysler has now recalled more than 1.7 million vehicles for ignition-switch problems. In June, the company added 696,000 minivans and SUVs to a 2011 recall to fix faulty ignition switches. Those recalls covered Dodge Journey SUVs and Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and Volkswagen Routan minivans - which Chrysler made for the German automaker - from the 2007 to 2010 model years. Tuesday's recall is the outgrowth of two investigations opened by U.S. safety regulators last month as part of a broader probe into ignition-switch and air-bag problems across the auto industry. The agency wouldn't say Tuesday whether its investigation could lead to recalls at other automakers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in June that it was investigating Jeep Commanders and Grand Cherokees after getting 32 complaints that a driver's knee can hit the key fob or key chain, causing the ignition switch to move out of position. The federal investigation is still open. The agency said Tuesday that it is requesting additional information from Chrysler to ensure that its repairs will be effective. The investigations and recalls come after GM bungled an ignition-switch recall of older small cars. GM acknowledged that it knew of the ignition problem for more than a decade but failed to recall the cars until earlier this year, when it recalled 2.6 million small cars such as the Chevrolet Cobalt.