2014 Jeep Cherokee Sport on 2040-cars

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Ram, Jeep redesigns on hold, Alfa Romeo models may come sooner

Last summer, FCA outlined an ambitious five-year plan that sketched out the company's product intentions for each of its brands through the end of 2018. However, even the best strategies sometimes need tweaking. According to Reuters after speaking with unnamed people at auto suppliers, FCA is now possibly delaying at least a dozen projects in North America for a variety of reasons. From vehicle to vehicle, these postponements allegedly last anywhere from just a few months to over a year. The sources from the suppliers claim that in some cases these tweaks are for engineering and design changes. The next-gen Ram 1500 reportedly has among the shorter delays and is being pushed from mid-2017 to November 2017, according to Reuters. Also, the much-discussed future Jeep Wrangler is allegedly moving a little later to July 2017. Among the vehicles purportedly seeing longer delays, the next-gen Grand Cherokee could get pushed back about a year to 2018. That then forces the launch of the three-row, luxury Grand Wagoneer to be even further away. Jeep's upcoming C-segment CUV and the all-new Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Challenger might also see postponements. The one brand allegedly seeing an accelerated plan is Alfa Romeo. Without going into detail, the sources from these suppliers claim that the Italian automaker is getting even more vehicles for its lineup and could get them even faster than planned. "Those plans need to be flexible and fluid, with the potential to add some vehicles, pull some forward and extend the life cycle of others," FCA said to Reuters about all of these allegations. "We look at these programs on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis." Investment in the auto industry has been a major topic for FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne as of late. He believes consolidation is necessary so that companies aren't burning money on the same projects. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us

2020 Jeep Gladiator configurator is live for you to play with

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is getting closer and closer. The truck, which was revealed last month, is now up on Jeep's site, ready to be configured to your liking. Pricing isn't yet established on the building tool, but you get to click through all the configurator goodies. The models available in the configurator tool are Sport, Sport S, Overland and Rubicon. Sport S adds aluminum wheels on top of the base level Sport specification, as well as a convenience package comprising power windows, power heated mirrors, power door and tailgate locks along with keyless entry, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Uconnect 4 infotainment and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto support. The Overland model, available with leather, ups the wheel size an inch to 18, introduces side steps and body color fenders and gives the option of choosing LED lighting along with adaptive cruise, collision warning and active braking assist. The touchscreen on Overland is also bigger at 8.4 inches. Finally, the Rubicon is what Jeep calls "The most off-road capable midsize truck ever," with its Rock-Trac 4x4 system with up to 84:1 crawl ratio. The Dana 44 axles are lockable front and rear, shocks are upgraded to Fox units, and the fender flares give more room to accommodate 33-inch off-road rubber. The sway bar on the Rubicon can be electrically disconnected, the hood is Rubicon-specific, and the cab and bed have steel rails. There's also an option for a "TrailCam" off-road camera, but it's part of the LED lighting group and also necessitates the 8.4-inch touchscreen. We're also waiting for beefier towing options than the Trailer Tow package that adds improved cooling together with the hitch — tow rating is class-leading at 7,650 pounds max. Only the Pentastar V6 is on offer so far. On all models below the Rubicon, you can choose a Trac-Lok rear differential; standard transmission is a six-speed manual with an available optional eight-speed auto. With tops, there's an availability of a dual top package, giving the buyer both the three-piece hardtop and a soft top; the hardtop is available in black and body color. All in all, the Gladiators can be well optioned to specific tastes, and the configurator is sure to provide you with hours of fun — even before the official pricing is announced. Related Video:

Jeep Liberty replacement takes shape

Now that the Liberty has left us for greener pastures, it's time to start looking into the future of the midsize Jeep model. The next all-new vehicle for the off-road brand will be the SUV you see here, effectively replacing the Liberty, and not necessarily carrying on with that name.
From the sides, the prototype you see here sort of looks like a miniature version of the handsome Grand Cherokee, albeit with a bit more in the way of body sculpting. Up front, the seven-slat grille will be front and center, with completely revised headlamp designs that are reportedly angular and sweep well into the front fenders (you can sort of see what we're talking about in the side profile). That doesn't sound very Jeep-like, but we'll reserve judgment until we, you know, see the thing.
The bigger question with the Liberty replacement will be whether or not its off-road chops will be up to snuff. After all, the two previous generations of Liberty models were body-on-frame traditional SUVs, whereas this new Jeep rides on a larger version of the Dodge Dart platform.