After years of teasing, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed there will be a new truck model under the Jeep brand by 2018. According to Detroit News, the new truck will be produced in the Toledo, Ohio plant. FCA usually releases images of concept vehicles every year. Jeep released a picture of a conceptual Jeep truck in 2005. Since then, many Wrangler owners have done what they could to make it a reality.
There's something great about riding around nature. The sights, the dangers and the fun of going where most vehicle owners would dread. Driving around a mud-ridden Jeep is like a badge of honor. Sometimes things may end up duct-taped, strapped together, but it is what gets you home. Jeep Wranglers have a culture about them.
The last Jeep truck was named the Comanche. It was manufactured between 1985 and 1992 and was based off the then-current Jeep Cherokee model. The style, body and engineering was extremely similar. Though this is the case, the sales were not as great as the Wrangler line-up. The Jeep brand was owned by Chrysler, and it was decided that they would discontinue the Comanche truck so Jeep could fit into the SUV market with the Cherokee and Wrangler models. Chrysler, owning the Dodge brand, wanted Dodge to push the truck market.
Jeep Wranglers have been the forefront of the off-road since their frame is not one body. Regular cars, called unibody frames, have everything connected as one piece. The body-on-frame that Wranglers have let owners modify them greatly. You could even replace the "tub," or the actual frame, if you wanted to. Lift kits, bigger tires, axles from other trucks like Ford can be switched and even complete conversions like the Brute are possible. FCA has confirmed that since the new Jeep pick-up will be manufactured at the same plant as the Wrangler, in Toledo, Ohio, and with this confirmation, it is only assumed that the pick-up would include a frame similar to the Jeep Wrangler. Every few years there are new Wrangler models.
The current generation of Wranglers started in 2007, and by 2018, Jeep will update the model as well. Since the Jeep truck wouldn't be until the release of a new Wrangler model, it could very well mean several options that current Wranglers don't have, such as a stock diesel option. Jeeps are a very niche SUV market because of their different options, such as the luxurious Cherokee, the sporty Renegade, and the off-road Wrangler.
Ford and Toyota would be updating their product lines as well and provide competition by this time as well. Now with a pickup, Jeep could just as well increase their popularity since their pick-up could include options for all three markets. A Jeep truck could provide a different experience for off-road enthusiasts who love having different builds, be a comfortable drive, or be a utility vehicle for workers.
