Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the UAW reached a tentative agreement late last month and now the union has published documents relating to the new contract.
While hundreds of pages are dedicated to union specifics issues, a couple sections are interesting as they reveal new details about the company’s future product plan.
Jeep is prominently featured in the agreement, which spans 2019-2023, and the brand will see several new models in the next few years. This isn’t too surprising as the company is constructing a new plant in Detroit to build a three-row Jeep vehicle in 2020. It will be joined by the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (WL) in 2021, which will also be built at the nearby Jefferson North Assembly Plant.
Also Read: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Spied, Will Embrace Electrification And Autonomous Driving Tech
Speaking of Jefferson North, the plant will end production of the current Grand Cherokee (WK) in 2021. The facility will continue to build the Dodge Durango and the document reveals a mild-hybrid variant will be added to the lineup next year.
Other new Jeep models include the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer which will go into production at the Warren Truck plant in 2021. A Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid will arrive in 2020, while the Cherokee (KL) will continue to be built at Belvidere Assembly.
The latter news isn’t terribly exciting at first glance, but the document mentions “fresh models / features off of the (KL) platform.” What that means remains unclear, but it sounds like we can expect some new variants in the future.
The last product specific announcement is the fact that the Ram TRX will go into production in 2020. The extreme pickup will battle the Ford F-150 Raptor and is slated to have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that develops at least 575 hp (429 kW / 583 PS).
On the powertrain side, there are few things that stand out including the elimination of four-speed transmissions and the death of the 2.4-liter World Engine that has clung to life in the Dodge Journey. Another interesting revelation is the confirmation that the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee will have an “adaption” of the current eight-speed automatic gearbox.
