FCA has confirmed work on a Jeep pickup truck, a new Wagoneer and the long-rumored Jeep Grand Wagoneer, despite a recent report saying it had been put on hold.
The automaker announced the news while revealing a $1 billion investment to retool and modernize the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan to build the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer and for Ohio’s Toledo Assembly Complex to build the pickup.
As part of these investments, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will create 2,000 new jobs in the U.S. and will introduce the three models by the year 2020.
Speaking of the investment, FCA president Sergio Marchionne said “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.
“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.”
Although FCA didn’t confirm specifics about the new Jeep pickup, we know it will be based around the next-generation Wrangler and should enter the production line in the latter half of 2018. As for the new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, both will be underpinned by the next-gen Grand Cherokee platform and in range-topping guise, aims to rival the finest offerings from Range Rover.
PHOTO GALLERY
