Jeep & FCA March Onward

The auto industry is undergoing rapid and historic change, with General Motors and Ford placing big bets on the future of mobility. Bold investments in autonomous and electric vehicles are all the rage at the moment, but the smallest of the big three, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), is working quietly in the background while bringing the most fundamental change in the market. FCA’s Jeep mega-brand has emerged as the anchor that’s helping the automaker gain its firmest footing in the industry in decades.

Traditionally referred to by critics as the most fragile of the big three Detroit-based automakers, FCA has dramatically changed the landscape as Jeep has emerged as a bonafide player and the company’s volume brand, while Chrysler and Dodge adapted to a more niche status role. Lest readers forget it was Jeep that kicked off the SUV revolution about three decades ago, today the brand is easily considered as the go-to utility vehicle brand with the highest transaction prices in its segment and worldwide brand recognition.

Jeep North America chief Scott Tallon recently said when chatting with _ The Detroit Times _ “The foresight that the leadership team had five or six years ago was genius. It was the right time to make those decisions and let them develop, and we have been very fortunate and we will stay hungry in the marketplace.”

Unlike its Detroit peers, FCA has been focusing on its expansion and brand-build efforts, instead of autonomous features or electrification. This isn’t to say that the brand is completely ignoring its future while enjoying its present success. FCA CEO Mike Manley says that the automaker is committed to offering autonomous and electric features in its vehicles by 2021, but not by engaging in full-blown technological frontier developments. FCA is seemingly content to partner up with other companies (Waymo in this case) on autonomous features while offering hybrid variants of its existing gas-powered platforms.

As Chevy and Ford close factories and eliminate sedans from their lineups, Jeep is currently expanding into two new high-volume segments – luxury SUV and midsize pickup segments to be exact. In a few weeks (Spring 2019) Jeep will enter the midsize pickup market with the all-new Gladiator, a truck based on the iconic and not to mention incredibly successful Wrangler SUV. Jeep is also planning to go head-to-head against its crosstown rivals in the increasingly popular super-sized, three-row SUV segment with the introduction of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. As predicted, Jeep will continue to rapidly transform FCA thanks to its increasing sales that now surpass 1 million units, compared to just 441,000 a mere 15 years ago.

Explore the Jeep lineup at Miami Lakes AutoMall. Whether you’re looking to hit the open road behind the wheel of the iconic Wrangler or seeking something more luxurious along the lines of the Grand Cherokee, the Jeep lineup delivers. Follow Miami Lakes Jeep on social media to be among the first to know when the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator arrives in our dealer lot.

Photo Source/Copyright: FCA

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