Comments on: [Update] Chrysler to retool Jefferson North plant for car-based Jeep Grand Cherokee

By: brassmonkey

brassmonkey — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:50:20 +0000

Jeep is still here?

By: DadzBoyz

DadzBoyz — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:05:03 +0000

I just hope it is at least rear wheel drive. Rear wheel drive crossover with a 4 wheel option I can buy as a Jeep truck. Front wheel (Patriot, Compass) doesn’t cut it and I think/hope they are seeing that in the sales or lack of sales of those two models.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:46:03 +0000

Jimothy, you are right. I stand corrected. After all, though, it was a long time ago.

By: jimothy

jimothy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:04:11 +0000

beatusmongous: I believe you mean the 5.9L. The modern Hemi is a 5.7L, and first appeared in the Ram 2500/2500 in 2002. In made it the the Grand Cherokee in 2005, where it continues to be available.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:46:04 +0000

So can they at least take the “grand” out of the name and call it the Cherokee?
Looks like this indian finally got civilised. LOL

By: thegriffon

thegriffon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:13:34 +0000

Yes, the GC is already a unibody truck. It's not the only one, and in fact most dedicated off-road SUVs are based on a unibody platform. Range-Rovers, modern Land Rovers, every Jeep except the Wrangler, the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero/Shogun, the Mercedes ML and GL and the previous-gen Pathfinder are all unibody vehicles. A unibody is stronger and stiffer than a body-on-frame. It's basic structural engineering. A BOF gives manufacturing flexibility, allowing you to update the body and frame at different times, or to more easily offer different body styles—single-cab, crew cab, cab-chassis, bare chassis, wagon, long bed, short bed etc.—or different payload ratings (a unibody truck needs to be designed to be heavy duty from the start, a BOF truck can get an uprated heavy duty frame without changing the body). This is why it is more popular for SUVs based (at least at one point) on commercial vehicles, such as the LandCruiser, Explorer, Expedition, Tahoe, new Pathfinder, 4Runner and Armada. Not because it gives a higher tow rating or is better off road. It's all about cost and flexibility. If you have the money and the volume for a dedicated SUV platform, you can always design a superior unibody alternative, as heavy-duty as you desire. Partnering with Daimler for a joint Jeep/Mercedes SUV architecture allows Chrysler to make a significant update of the GC, rather than simply reskin and tweak the current model as Mitsubishi has had to do with the Pajero/Montero (the Montero Sport now has to be based on Mitsubishi's Triton pickup instead, itself a new body on the old frame).

By: Need4SSpeed

Need4SSpeed — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:28:21 +0000

jayco08. True. But of course any auto manufacturer does vehicle testing. But do Hummer and Land Rover not test their vehicles on trails as well? Hummer and Land Rover just don’t go “Ok our products can handle these types of obstacles, trails etc… So we’re going to call it “trail rated”… I was merely saying that it’s not some actual official rating from a third party…

And yeah the Wrangler is very off road capable and is proven and has been known for it. I was just on vacation a few weekends ago and we rented a couple Wranglers and took them out on the sand dunes, and it’s pretty hard to get those vehicles stuck…

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:14:20 +0000

Whoever thinks the GC can’t do real offroading is smoking some meaty dick. Faggy Apex, wipe the salty cum out of your eyes and check one out sometime, you might be surprised! As suprised as when that girl turned out to be a guy but you sucked his pole anyways.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:11:16 +0000

whoops. I mean they made the GC more Off-road friendly.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:10:53 +0000

Need4SSpeed- Do you realize that the whole “Trail Rated” isn’t a Jeep marketing gimmick?

They ACTUALLY test them on the trails they describe (I forget which ones, you can check their website) and actually make the vehicles capable off-road. It’s not just a marketing gimmick. That’s the reason why they don’t advertise the Compass as “trail rated” You won’t find anything much more capable than the Wrangler. You won’t find anything much better off-road for it’s size than the Grand Cherokee. You won’t find anything much more fuel efficient than the Patriot for it’s price tag and capabilities.

The only thing that’s changed over the years is Jeep has become much less spartan. And hey, that’s cool with me, especially when they loose a relatively minor standing to a non-existent competition.

Maybe what Beatusmongous is talking about with the new one is just that. They made the new GC more off-road friendly. It’s A LOT nicer than the old one, but it has lost some off-road ability. IN the process though, it’s gained some pretty good technology on the way to help it.

By: Need4SSpeed

Need4SSpeed — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:39:23 +0000

^ Not counting the Compass or Commander…

By: Need4SSpeed

Need4SSpeed — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:38:47 +0000

Ok. You guys do realize that the whole “Trail Rated” is just a Jeep marketing gimmick right?

They created that sh*t on their own, it’s not like it’s some international/Government/3rd party rating…

Anyways Jeeps themselves are pretty off-road capable, especially the Wrangler…

So yeah basically this car-based Jeep GC is going to be another CUV… I guess Chrysler is following the whole Ford Flex philosophy…

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:34:44 +0000

In order to gain 30% in sales they may loose 5% of those customers that truly buy them for their off-road capability. Of course I’m making those numbers up, but if that’s their intention it’s just smart business. Let’s be real, the only time most Grand Cherokees see dirt is when the milf behind the wheel backs over part of the lawn.

By: 04focus

04focus — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:32:35 +0000

isn’t the Jeep GC already unibody?

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:57:22 +0000

I’m amazed at some comments here. Just because people DON’T go off the road in their pretty Cherokee doesn’t mean they CAN’T. The Grand Cherokee Limited (at least the late ’90s models with the 5.7L V8) had better offroad capabilities than the Wrangler or the Hummer, with the exception of the modified and special edition Wranglers. I took a Cherokee through some pretty rough stuff back when my company had one. I climbed over boulders, went through a river, climbed sideways on the mountain, etc. I was banging stuff up all over the place. It was so rough, I even had someone get out to make sure I didn’t hit too many trees or boulders and smash the Jeep up (it was a decent-looking vehicle). And when I got halfway through the area I was going, I found another vehicle. What was the other vehicle? You guessed it: Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the 5.7L V8. No hummers, no trucks, no Escalades, no Wranglers, and it was the weekend on a beautiful spring day! Nope, the only two vehicles were two Jeep Grand Cherokee Limiteds with the 5.7L V8. One was red, one was green. Very Christmasy, I know.

I also climbed mountainsides with that Jeep that other trucks and SUVs just couldn’t. That thing was pretty much unstoppable. However, without us knowing, a tire store put new tires on the front, and they were a different size than what was on the back, and we blew out the transfer case.

Now, I haven’t driven a Grand Cherokee since they dropped the 5.7L V8, but I have heard that the replacement isn’t great. But the suspension is still the same, and I believe the 4WD system is the same.

Laredo sucks, though. I’m talking Grand Cherokee Limited, not Laredo. Laredo makes my minivan look like a good offroad vehicle.

By: jackdev73

jackdev73 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:53:56 +0000

Ok first of all, GalaxyCruiser316′s comment says a lot about his education level.

Second of all, the Patriot is a car based SUV and it can still be outfitted to be trail raited. Im sure the Cherokee will be the same way.

By: stingbutt1

stingbutt1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:53:11 +0000

The Grand Cherokee was ran on the rubicon trail before it was set into production just like all the other jeep vehicles that are trail rated so I would say that your wrong on that point f3int)) it has one of the most sophisticated 4 wheel drive systems on the market. But S-60 brings up a great point that most g.c. drivers don’t take them off road (why would you take a $35-$40k vehicle off road) I think chrysler is takeing a great step forward with a car based Grand Cherokee. Hopefully it does a lot better on fuel and they deal with the claustrophobic interior some to.

By: GalaxyCruiser316

GalaxyCruiser316 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:35:45 +0000

They need to set pease of $h!@ on fire and watch it burn!!!!

By: bigp

bigp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:30:37 +0000

i hope it will have an str

By: S-60-driver

S-60-driver — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:45:26 +0000

Seriously, 98% of Grand Cherokee drivers DO NOT go off road. That’s for Wranglers!

Calm the shit down. Really, guys…geez

I support 100% for all body-on-frame worthless SUVs to be turned into car-based SUVs/CUVs. Can’t wait to see the production verison of car-based Ford Explorer next year…

By: F3INT))AP3X

F3INT))AP3X — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:29:44 +0000

I would also like to point out that these facts are apparent considering they made a sports SUV out of the Cherokee a-la SRT-8. I mean if it had off-road ability then why wouldn’t they produce a higher level off-road version rather than turn it into something it is not. The Cherokee’s off-road ability is a lie and Chrysler only reinforced it with the SRT-8.

By: F3INT))AP3X

F3INT))AP3X — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:25:46 +0000

HAHAHA good one Deanster; as if the Cherokee ever had off-road ability in the first place. The Wrangler is the only Jeep left in existence that can actually do most of what it is advertised to do. Cherokee is built to go down a well worn dirt road and that is about the extent of its ability.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:01:56 +0000

Now is Tarmac Rated.

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:52:39 +0000

Car based Cherokee, eh? There goes the off-road ability.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:51:07 +0000

Why all of that when all you have to do is “Lose some f*cking weight ” GM’s crossovers need to be on the biggest loser.