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FCA to test Jeep car-sharing and other pilots

Fiat Chrysler plans to launch a trio of pilot programs in Boston aimed at boosting sales of its Jeep cash cow and other brands, according to media reports. The programs, which involve car-sharing and subscription services, are expected to roll out starting this month. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Jeep is launching two small pilot programs in Boston — one in which owners can rent out their Jeeps through peer-to-peer car-sharing startup Turo, the other a three-month subscription service in partnership with Avis Budget Group in which owners can swap their Jeeps for other vehicles, like a Ram 1500 pickup or a Dodge Challenger. There's also a third program in the works, according to Motor Authority. It's called "Car Borrowing" and it's also a partnership with Avis. According to the report, it'll allow Jeep owners in Boston starting next month to purchase six "Jeep Coins," each good for a one-day rental of most Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles, valid for a year. Participants will be able to pick up the borrowed vehicles or have them delivered. The former two programs will reportedly be limited to the first 100 owners who register for each. Jeep brand manager Tim Kuniskis says the programs will help develop new prospective customers and help generate customer feedback to see whether the programs are right for the brand and could be offered at the dealerships at the point of sale. Avis would supply the inventory in the subscription pilot, and participants would be able to swap models up to six times in three months, two with delivery and the remainder by picking them up. It wasn't clear what services would be offered with the program. In a blog post, Turo CEO Andre Haddad said the "Jeep Freedom Experience" program was aimed at introducing Jeep enthusiasts to new models of mobility and was a natural fit, since Jeep models "have long been among the most popular vehicles for guests on Turo," and the Wrangler and Cherokee rank tops in the company's recent study ranking vehicles based on their potential return by sharing them on the platform. "As Turo hosts, Jeep buyers can get help covering their payments, offset the cost of ownership entirely, or even turn a profit," Haddad wrote.

Jeep Grand Commander three-row crossover SUV revealed in Beijing

Jeep has finally revealed its first three-row SUV since the Commander, and the new one is called, as we expected, Grand Commander. And it looks just like we expected from leaked images and patent drawings. It pulls a bit of inspiration from the Jeep Yuntu concept, but it generally looks like a much bigger, stretched-out Compass. We do see a bit of Renegade inspiration in the D-pillar, though. Interestingly, the Grand Commander isn't really bigger than our Grand Cherokee. The Grand Commander is just under 192 inches long, which is only 2 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee. But the Grand Commander's wheelbase is four inches shorter. It's also about two inches narrower than the Grand Cherokee. This is all interesting considering the Grand Commander's greater passenger capacity. Also interesting is the Grand Commander's powertrain. It's only available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, likely lifted from the Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler. If so, it's been detuned, and it now makes just 231 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as opposed to the 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet in the other Jeeps. The Grand Commander's four-cylinder is also paired to a nine-speed automatic, and it can be had with either two-wheel or four-wheel drive. The question of course is, will the Grand Commander come to America? It would fill a gap in the Jeep lineup, since the brand has no three-row vehicles. There have been many rumors of a three-row Jeep, possibly called Grand Wagoneer, as well as Grand Commander prototypes running around the U.S. But the size of the Grand Commander has us questioning whether it would be brought here, or if Jeep would develop a larger three-row, maybe based on Durango, for our market. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeep Grand Commander View 10 Photos Image Credit: Jeep Beijing Motor Show Jeep Crossover SUV

GMC boss wants a Jeep Wrangler rival

Challengers come and challengers go, but the Jeep Wrangler continues to push forward even after vehicles like the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the entire Hummer brand have been shut down. Now GMC reportedly wants to take a stab at the quintessential Jeep, as well.
The news comes directly from Buick-GMC vice president Duncan Aldred, speaking with our compatriots over at Edmunds. Although Aldred said there are no plans currently on the table to expand GMC's lineup beyond the current range, "there is plenty of room everywhere in the hierarchy."
That could include a rival to the Wrangler, as well as a flagship luxury SUV positioned above the current Yukon Denali (pictured above). Just when (or for that matter, if) such models might come into fruition remains a big question mark, but it's certainly interesting to see what GM's dedicated truck brand has on the drawing board.