Jeep Confirms Wagoneer and Wrangler Pickup In the Works
Jeep has announced a total $1-billion investment in plants in Michigan and Ohio, helping add 2,000 new American jobs.
The announcement comes at a time when President-elect Donald Trump is criticizing automakers for manufacturing U.S.-sold vehicles in Mexico and other countries, threatening them with a big border tax. The automaker reaffirms its commitment to U.S. manufacturing with a total investment of more than $9.6-billion in its U.S. manufacturing facilities while adding 25,000 new jobs to date since 2009.
The bigger news is Jeep confirming the addition of new models to its lineup including a Jeep pickup truck, Jeep Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models will be produced at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan, while the all-new pickup truck will be built at the Toledo Assembly Plant in Ohio. The retooling and modernizing of both plants are planned to be completed by 2020.
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“The conversion of our industrial footprint completes this stage of our transformation as we respond to the shift in consumer tastes to trucks and SUVs, and as we continue to reinforce the U.S. as a global manufacturing hub for those vehicles at the heart of the SUV and truck market,” said Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA N.V. “These moves, which have been under discussion with Dennis Williams and the rest of the UAW leadership for some time, expand our capacity in these key segments, enabling us to meet growing demand here in the U.S., but more importantly to increase exports of our mid-size and larger vehicles to international markets.”
Discuss this story at our Jeep Wagoneer Forum.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Trump will lower corporate taxes & getting rid of Obamas job killing regulations is the reason Jeep is investing in this country. Left wing liberals will distort the obvious truth in there effort to destroy the hard working middle class America.
So here's a non-political comment for a change: The Wrangler Pickup I understand, but the Wagoneer I don't. Will this compete with the Grand Cherokee? Is it another attempt at the oversized SUV market like the Commander was?