[Willy]

FCA/Chrysler sales are sliding 18% this year (without Jeep), With Jeep they're up 14%. Problems elsewhere me thinks...

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/09/chart-day-jeeps-importance-fca-america/

 

[Jeepers]

Thank goodness for Jeep from FCA's perspective. They can take pride in the success of the Jeep brand, but it must make them take a second look at the state of the rest of their brands. Is there anything that FCA can take from Jeep's success and apply to their other brands?

 

[Willy]

Thank goodness for Jeep from FCA's perspective. They can take pride in the success of the Jeep brand, but it must make them take a second look at the state of the rest of their brands. Is there anything that FCA can take from Jeep's success and apply to their other brands?

Yes but thats fearful from Jeeps perspective. Things are only cool until their cool, once its cool its easy to make money.

From a Jeep perspective the brand needs to be careul its not bastardized to capitalise on the cash...

 

[Jeepers]

Yes but thats fearful from Jeeps perspective. Things are only cool until their cool, once its cool its easy to make money.

From a Jeep perspective the brand needs to be careul its not bastardized to capitalise on the cash...

Yea, Jeep has a particular brand image and there needs to be care to be sure that FCA doesn't try to expand the model lineup so big that it begins to lose what the core of the Jeep brand is.

What kind of vehicles do you think Jeep can add to its lineup with out losing its core personality?

 

[raz-0]

Yea, Jeep has a particular brand image and there needs to be care to be sure that FCA doesn't try to expand the model lineup so big that it begins to lose what the core of the Jeep brand is.

What kind of vehicles do you think Jeep can add to its lineup with out losing its core personality?

A small pickup would be easy.

More interesting would be if they took the small truck thing and did maybe a mini avalanche type of setup or something along those lines to maximize felxibility for fun and utility.

They could probably put a rallyfighter competitor in the lineup without anyone flipping their wig too much. Doubt it would sell large numbers. However if it were a halo car, they might be able to add in something more realistic that might be a hardcore version of the crosstour or x4.

None of the above would likely help from a regulatory point of view. volume wise, a small truck is about all I could see.

 

[RenegadeWest]

Yes but thats fearful from Jeeps perspective. Things are only cool until their cool, once its cool its easy to make money.

From a Jeep perspective the brand needs to be careul its not bastardized to capitalise on the cash...

Yea, Jeep has a particular brand image and there needs to be care to be sure that FCA doesn't try to expand the model lineup so big that it begins to lose what the core of the Jeep brand is.

What kind of vehicles do you think Jeep can add to its lineup with out losing its core personality?

A small pickup would be easy.

More interesting would be if they took the small truck thing and did maybe a mini avalanche type of setup or something along those lines to maximize felxibility for fun and utility.

They could probably put a rallyfighter competitor in the lineup without anyone flipping their wig too much. Doubt it would sell large numbers. However if it were a halo car, they might be able to add in something more realistic that might be a hardcore version of the crosstour or x4.

None of the above would likely help from a regulatory point of view. volume wise, a small truck is about all I could see.

I'd like to see the new "C SUV" due out in 2016. I'd also like to see the new "Grand Wagoneer" due out in 2018. A little more lift, turbo, standard transmission for the Tigershark engine and a wider stance on the Renegade "could" put it in the "rallyfighter" category. A small UTE pickup, both 2 and 4 wheel drive would be a nice addition. A full size pickup would be nice, but goes into direct competition with RAM. So I don't think that will ever happen. But it would be nice.

 

[JT76]

I think they need to bring back the Fiat Spyder 2000 and maybe something similar as a Chrysler. A small pickup truck on the same frame as the Renegade would be great!!!!!

 

[raz-0]

I'd like to see the new "C SUV" due out in 2016. I'd also like to see the new "Grand Wagoneer" due out in 2018. A little more lift, turbo, standard transmission for the Tigershark engine and a wider stance on the Renegade "could" put it in the "rallyfighter" category. A small UTE pickup, both 2 and 4 wheel drive would be a nice addition. A full size pickup would be nice, but goes into direct competition with RAM. So I don't think that will ever happen. But it would be nice.

I didn't include "more suvs" because I already feel they are going for too many as the c segment is trying to be wedged into literally 6 inches of vehicle difference between renegade and cherokee, which strikes me as a bad plan. Wagoneer, if they think the sales are there for bigger, then it makes sense. Regardless, neither really broadens their market to bring in customers that aren't already potentially shopping them. They just, at best, make a better sales pitch to those customers.

Something car like by off-roady cool, and something pickup like are segments where they could be wooing folks who aren't necessarily cross shopping SUVs.

As for turning renegade into the rally fighter class. The rally fighter is a specific car. Probably the only thing on four wheels you could add to the lineup that the "it's not a wrangler WAAAAAAAHHHH" people would have to shut their mouths about, because their modded wrangler isn't doing what it does. A 50 state street legal version of it would definitely be a halo car ala the vette or NSX or similar.

http://localmotors.com/rallyfighter/

It's a fair bit of madness perched on four wheels.

I didn't say it was realistic or necessarily profitable, but it is a niche they could capture without tranishing the brand I suspect. Make money doing it? no idea. Build a MUCH more sane mini rally like vehicle that's mroe car like that basks in the halo though? That could make money.

Also, and I don't know if the market's potential for profitability is there, or if any company is in the position to be acquired, but they could also expand into motorcycles, quads, side by sides, etc. Kind of like volkswagen audi picking up ducati, but more off-roady. FOr motorcycles, I would think something like KTM: motocross, supermoto, dual sports and adventure riding. quads and side by sides I think the match is self explanatory.

 

[tony]

I think they need to bring back the Fiat Spyder 2000 and maybe something similar as a Chrysler. A small pickup truck on the same frame as the Renegade would be great!!!!!

The rate at which they're growing now, i can see them eventually going that route, bringing out more interesting vehicles, just a matter of time IMO.

 

[CalTom]

You guys guess and Chrysler spills the beans:

Chrysler registers Trackhawk trademark

There may not be many ways to forecast what an automaker is planning for the future, but there are some. Trademark applications are one of them, and Chrysler has just applied with the US Patent and Trademark Office to protect the name "Trackhawk." The question is, what's it planning on using it for? We don't know for sure, but we can put together an educated guess or two. And one guess is that Jeep will use the name to replace the letters SRT on the performance version of the Grand Cherokee.

How do we figure, you ask? From a number of developments. For starters, the SRT division has been reintegrated into the Dodge brand. Those letters currently appear on only two vehicles from outside the Dodge lineup: one is the Grand Cherokee SRT, and the other is the Chrysler 300 SRT. We've heard ruminations (however unconfirmed) that the latter could be either discontinued or possibly relabeled, and if the same proves true of the GC, the Trackhawk name could serve as a on-road performance counterpart to the Trailhawk label applied to off-road versions of models like the Cherokee and Renegade.

Logical it may be, but it's hardly a foregone conclusion. The Trackhawk name could just as easily be used for a new concept (like the Trailhawk name was in 2007), for another kind of trim level or for something else entirely. In fact we don't even know for sure it'll be used by the Jeep brand specifically, or used at all for that matter. Automakers have been known, after all, to register names they don't end up using.

We've reached out to Jeep for comment, but whether we hear back with any useful information or not, we have a feeling we'll be finding out one way or another before too long, so watch this space.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/10/01/chrysler-registers-trackhawk-trademark-report/

 

[Jeepers]

Fun to speculate on this. I'm thinking it will be the performance label for Jeep. Just seems to make the most sense to me given the naming culture.

 

[JustRuss]

Eagle anybody?

What about bringing back the AMC Eagle (or Eagle Summit or Eagle Wagon) as an Imprezza type rally competior? The Eagle Trackhawk has a ring to it...

 

[raz-0]

What about bringing back the AMC Eagle (or Eagle Summit or Eagle Wagon) as an Imprezza type rally competior? The Eagle Trackhawk has a ring to it...

That's sort of what I was aiming at with do something to promote a more car like rally inspired line. Except I suggested the placement of a truly bad ass halo car with trophy truck like abilities in addition to something more plebian.