truth about domestics

Check out the first commercial for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  This SUV is quite impressive, I can’t wait to get a chance to drive one.  The interior craftsmanship is first rate, and the exterior design looks like an expensive suit; taut but still masculine.  I think the design will translate well into sales for struggling Chrysler.

Looking for great financing on some American metal?  How about cash back?  If so, then you are in luck!  Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram are offering varying levels of incentives, everything from 0% financing to $4,000 cash back.  Challenger buyers can even get $2,000 towards Mopar accessories.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ram)

According to the folks over at Car and Driver, Chrysler officials neither confirmed nor denied the possiblity of a high-performance, SRT8 version of the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  The new Grand Cherokee features a wide range of technology designed to make it more comfortable on and off road, such as an adaptive air suspension that can give an additional 2.1 inches of ground clearance or lower the vehicle to improve aerodynamics on the freeway.  The original Jeep SRT8 featured a 6.1L Hemi V8 that produced 420 horsepower and 420 pound feet of torque and was capable of 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds!  For more details, head on over to USAToday.com.

(Image source: Jeep)

Check out this awesome video of a completely animated Camaro, Mustang, Jeep Cherokee, Vaz, and a helicopter. All I can say is…AMAZING, dude has talent!

Jeep dealers are complaining that they are running low on hard top Wranglers.  While I was never really a fan of the Wrangler in the past, my in car ride experience sure changed that.  When I originally saw this story I thought, “man, Jeeps are selling that well huh?”  Well sadly, I was wrong.  In this day and age of supplier bankruptcies, everyone is getting affected in one way or another.  Well the original supplier for the hard tops has gone under, and during the transition to the new supplier, production has been halted.  This means dealers have been forced to order soft top models, which just aren’t as popular in most markets as the hard tops.  For the full story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Jeep)

My how the times have changed!  It was way back in 1985 that the Humvee by AM General replaced the Jeep as the vehicle of choice for the military.  Since that time, the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force have ordered over 240,000 Humvees for service in just about every corner of the globe.  While the Humvee was a huge step up from the Jeep, two new vehicles have come along that make the Humvee look downright civilian.  For that reason, the Humvee will be phased out, with the final 2,620 ordered by the U.S. Army this year.  The Humvee has been built right here in the good old U.S.A. in Mishawaka, Indiana, making AM General a domestic automaker.  For all your years of service Humvee, we salute you!

For more, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: U.S. Army via Autoblog)

I have been to quite a few auto shows this past year or so, and until now, few displays have really allowed car fans to check out an automobile doing what it does best…driving.  That is until I saw the display that Jeep had set up at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.  The marketing folks at Jeep had set up a test course that allowed drivers to take auto show passengers across 5 events that were designed to show the Trail Rated Rubicon skills.  The events showed off the Jeep’s ground clearance, traction ability, body strength, suspension and articulation and boy did the Jeep come through!  I have never been a fan of Jeep’s products but seeing them in action gave me a whole new respect for their abilities.  For more shots of this event, check out my sorta-mixed-up gallery!

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is probably the nicest looking vehicle to come out of Chrysler in years (partly because it’s the ONLY thing to come out of there in years.)  The new Jeep has a sharp looking exterior, a “best-in-class” interior, higher performing powertrains and also increased fuel economy.  However, that doesn’t mean the Jeep has lost its off-road cred, as you can see in the photos over at Autoblog.  The black and white 2011 Grand Cherokees in the photos were brought out to the Rubicon Trail to earn their “Trail Rated” badges by a team of Jeep engineers.  Hopefully the trucks made it through alright, as this vehicle needs to be a home run for the Pentastar.

(Image source: Autoblog)

The Jeep fans over at Jeep Garage have posted what looks like a breakdown of the new models, colors, options and packages that will be available on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  I have never been a huge fan of Jeeps in the past, but man does this SUV look sharp!  It will be loaded with technology to boot and is said to have a “Best-In-Class interior.”  That should go a long way towards changing Chrysler’s previous reputation for having some of the “Most-Plasticky-In-Class interiors.”  For the full scoop, head on over to JeepGarage.org.

(Image source: Jeep)

Jeep has stated that the Patriot and Compass will be killed off at the end of 2012 due to their slow sales success, but that will leave a gap in Jeep’s lineup.  The Grand Cherokee will fill the upper end, and another as-yet-unnamed CUV (possibly Liberty) will fill the middle and then a smaller CUV will be built on the Fiat Panda platform, wearing the signature seven-bar grill found on Jeeps today.  Only time will tell however, but for now, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Jeep)