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2018 Jeep Wrangler First Drive Review | Improving an Icon

TUCSON, Ariz. — We crawled, with the lightest possible touch of the accelerator pedal, over a boulder-strewn mountain peak just outside of Tucson. We'd been driving for a few hours already, through city streets, along the highway, through twisty stretches just outside of Saguaro National Park. But it wasn't until we were pointed skyward, at such a severe vertical incline that we could only barely make out the hands of the trail guide ahead, that we knew Jeep had nailed the 2018 Wrangler redesign. That light-bulb moment was punctuated by the screeching steel impact of a skid plate along the jagged edge of a boulder. There's just something that feels right about a vehicle designed with purity of purpose. Leave the one-size-fits-all approach to the midsize crossover; stop attempting to be all things to all people like the midsize sedan. The problem with narrow-minded vehicles, though, is that they all require some sort of significant compromise to live with on a daily basis. With the latest version of the iconic Wrangler, Jeep set out to banish as much compromise as possible. Smoothed-out corners and lightweight materials improve efficiency, a range of engine choices opens the envelope to a larger swath of buyers, and big infotainment screens and backup cameras make the 2018 Wrangler easier to live with than ever before. But that essential purity of purpose remains intact. The latest Wrangler is better in every way than its predecessor, a fact that rings true no matter what type of terrain you're driving on. A casual observer may not notice the subtle exterior tweaks made to the 2018 Wrangler, codenamed JL, over the JK model it replaces. The round headlights, LED units on higher-end models, now cut into the outer two vertical grille slats, which are canted back just enough to make a difference in the wind tunnel. The windshield, too, is swept back further than ever before, but not so much that it messes up the Wrangler's timeless design. Hood and door latches are still externally bolted to the body — crucially allowing the doors and windshield to be removed or folded down for the pinnacle of open-air motoring — like little lumps of clay the designer forgot to smooth out. Vents in the front fenders reduce underhood pressure and keep the hood from writhing about at speed as it did on Wrangler models in the past. So picky are Wrangler customers that Jeep's decision to move the turn signals ignited a thousand threads on internet forums worldwide.

Detroit gets ready to train up workers for coming FCA Jeep job boom

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles this week announced a $4.5 billion investment that would bring 6,500 new manufacturing jobs to Detroit and its suburbs and, nearly two years before the first new vehicles will even roll off the line, the city already is taking steps to ensure it can provide enough workers with the needed skills. Detroit's economy was once dominated by automotive manufacturing, but since the industry's gradual migration from the metro area it has suffered among the highest poverty and unemployment rates in the country. Not long ago, Detroit was struggling to provide basic services, culminating in bankruptcy in 2013. Providing job training then would have been a tall order. But in its recovery, the city has overhauled its training programs and slowly built a track record for preparing people for specific jobs. "We're not starting from scratch," Jeff Donofrio, the city's executive director of workforce development, said Wednesday, a day after the Italian-American automaker announced its plan . "We want to make sure we're prepared for all the ... jobs that will come to the city as a result of the investments." The city works with two high schools, a community college and a workforce development organization, in partnerships with the auto union and companies, to tailor training programs for positions in manufacturing, construction, information technology and health care. Detroit worked closely with global auto parts supplier Flex-N-Gate to ensure Detroiters were handed jobs when the company last year opened a plant in what officials described as the largest investment in the city in two decades. The city and company developed customized training with the nonprofit Focus: Hope, which prioritizes workforce development and education. "About 250 individuals went through that training and a vast majority were hired by Flex-N-Gate," Donofrio said. With tax breaks and land acquisitions still to be hammered out, Fiat Chrysler's specific workforce needs have yet to be revealed. But Donofrio insists that the city has a growing force of eligible workers: Detroit last year enrolled about 2,500 people in training leading to a credential for a specific job, up from about 700 two years earlier. Some prospective FCA jobs could be offered to laid-off Fiat Chrysler workers or those already working for the company on a temporary basis, and United Auto Workers officials say many of them are already in Detroit.

Stellantis mega-merger gets approval from FCA, PSA shareholders

MILAN — Shareholders of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot decisively voted Monday to merge the U.S.-Italian and French carmakers to create worldÂ’s 4th-largest auto company. Addressing separate meetings, both PSA Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares and Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann spoke of the “historic” importance of the vote, which combines legacy car companies that helped write the industrial histories of the United States, France and Italy. Before the merger is finalized, shares in the new company, to be called Stellantis, must the launched. It will be traded in Milan, New York and Paris. The marriage of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is built on the promise of cost-savings in the capital-hungry industry, but what remains to be seen is if it will be able to preserve jobs and heritage brands in a global market still suffering from the pandemic. The deal will create the worldÂ’s fourth-largest carmaker, with the capacity to produce 8.7 million cars a year, behind Volkswagen, Toyota and Renault-Nissan, and create 5 billion euros in annual synergies.  “We are fully aware of the fact that together we will be stronger than individually,'' PSA CEO Carlos Tavares told a virtual gathering of eligible shareholders. “The two companies are in good health. These two companies have strong positions in their markets.” The new company will put together under one roof French mass-market carmakers Peugeot and Citroen, top-selling Jeep and Italian luxury and sports brands Maserati and Alfa Romeo - pooling companies that have helped define the industry in the United States, France and Italy. While the tie-up is billed as a merger of equals, the power advantage goes to PSA, with Tavares running Stellantis and holding the tie-breaking vote on the 11-seat board. Tavares is set to take full control of the company early this year, possibly by the end of January. Fiat Chrysler chairman John Elkann, heir to the Fiat-founding Agnelli family and Fiat ChryslerÂ’s biggest shareholder, will be the Stellantis chairman. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will head North American operations, which is key to Tavares' long-time goal of getting a U.S. foothold for the French carmaker he has run since 2014, and the clear money-maker for Fiat Chrysler. Such a deal was long wanted by Fiat ChryslerÂ’s long-time CEO Sergio Marchionne, who had predicted the necessity of consolidation in the industry. He was unable to find a deal before his sudden death in July 2018.