Jeep Cherokee plant being idled next year

[silvrsvt]

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42202778/jeep-cherokee-future-uncertain-plant-closure/

 

kinda weird they are pulling out of this segment-but isn’t the Dodge hornet more or less replacing it? 

[akirby]

Killed by Bronco Sport?

[rperez817]

44 minutes ago, akirby said:

Killed by Bronco Sport?

 

Killed by Stellantis' business strategies. Examples.

• Product development focus on higher priced Jeeps like Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer
• Failure to embrace an all-electric future early on and the costs with scrambling to catch up and "optimize operations" as mentioned in the Car and Driver article
• No effort to make KL Cherokee a competitive product since it was introduced in 2013. Consumer Reports summed it up as follows.

The Cherokee may portray the classic, timeless Jeep image but ultimately it amounts to less than the sum of its parts. With the exception of interior room, it’s not competitive with the current competition, and it has no price advantage.

[ehaase]

Auto Forecast spreadsheet shows Cherokee coming back in mid 2025 on STLA Large platform in Toluca, Mexico where EV Jeeps Recon and Wagoneer S will also be made. My understanding is STLA large can be ICE RWD/AWD or BEV FWD, AWD, or RWD, so I don't know if it means Cherokee comes back as EV or RWD/AWD ICE vehicle closer to the old Jeep Liberty. Also, Cherokee was almost same size as Compass, except for longer front section needed to accommodate the V6. Compass is being improved with standard 2.0L turbo and AWD. Auto Forecast spreadsheet  shows Compass moving to STLA Medium platform in late 2025 and will be made at Canadian plant now making LX cars. 

[mackinaw]

Autoline suggested, just a theory, that Stellantis may be making the Belvedere plant a bargaining chip in next year's UAW contract negotiations.  What will the UAW give up to keep this plant open?

[fuzzymoomoo]

35 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

Autoline suggested, just a theory, that Stellantis may be making the Belvedere plant a bargaining chip in next year's UAW contract negotiations.  What will the UAW give up to keep this plant open?

Depends on who negotiates first 

[rmc523]

They do have the similarly sized compass.

 

but I’d imagine at this point it’s sort of like Edge/Nautilus where replacements have fallen through the cracks in EV transition.

[AGR]

They're not dropping the Cherokee, just moving production to Mexico. I do wonder if Belvidere is having the same issues as CAP, it is in Chicagoland after all.

[bzcat]

I think Stellantis just doesn't want to tip its hand with UAW negotiation coming up.

 

One of the issue is that other vehicle the size of Cherokee in the Stellantis family (e.g. DS7, 5008, C5X) are using the EMP2 platform from former PSA side of the business and it is not US market compliant so they would have to make a lot of investment to make that happen. Or just skip it and go straight to EV.

 

Compass and Tonale are on the ancient former FCA SCCS platform that is technically B-segment (originally from Fiat Punto/Opel Corsa - i.e. GM Gemma I) and widened for C-segment use. It probably doesn't meet a lot of internal target for load and capability that Jeep would want to see for Cherokee which is longer and has more powerful engines than Compass. 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by bzcat