Jeep Wrangler 2009 News

Manufacturers including Hyundai, Holden, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen and Audi have all issued safety recalls for various models, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

To be eligible for 4WD Of The Year, a vehicle has to be completely new that year, or significantly revised. By 'significantly revised' we mean a major mechanical change like a new engine or drivetrain, or a new body. Styling, equipment or interior facelifts don't cut the mustard.To be eligible, the vehicle in question also has to have a full-size spare wheel either as standard, or available as an option. No full-size spare equals no start. On this count, the Peugeot 4007, Volvo XC60, Audi Q5 and Mitsubishi Outlander were all eliminated automatically.That left a number of other soft-roaders that do come with a full-size spare to consider. These included the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX400h and the Nissan Murano. The fact that so many new soft roaders didn't go down the space-saver route is good news but at the end of the day they are still soft roaders and with so many strong candidates among the ranks of the serious 4WDs, we couldn't warrant their inclusion.The new 'serious' 4WDs included the Prado 150 Series, the Land Rover Discovery 4, the Range Rover Sport and Vogue, the new Land Rover Defender variants, the ML Series Triton, and the revised Jeep Wrangler.   Further culling of the numbers saw the Wrangler and the Defender eliminated on the grounds that they are both variations on well-known themes while the Range Rover Vogue, with its new petrol 5.0-litre V8, was deemed to be too expensive in relation to the new Range Rover Sport with its new 3.0-litre TDV6.In the end it came down to the Discovery 4 with its new TDV6 engine (in SE spec), the Range Rover Sport with the same engine (only one spec level), the top-spec ML Triton as this is the only model with all the new features as standard, and the Prado in both petrol and diesel guise. To us, these five vehicles represented an extremely strong field … a classic Land Rover verses Toyota battle with the wildcard Triton thrown in.Find out which vehicle won in Australia’s leading offroad magazine, Overlander, on sale Wednesday Jan 27.

Up to nine Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models could be axed or redesigned by 2012, according to details leaked of a new Chrysler-Fiat business plan.  However, Chrysler Australia is taking a wait-and-see approach to changes proposed this week by new Chrysler-Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne.Marchionne is heading up one of the biggest product shakeouts in Chrysler's history to resurrect the embattled US carmaker.  But Chrysler Australia's general manager marketing and product strategy, Craig Bradshaw, says it is too early to assess the local fallout any proposed changes.  Chrysler Australia is taking a "wait and see" approach, he says."We have to wait to assess the impact on our local market," he says.  Bradshaw says the company has no advance information of Marchionne's proposed changes.  Some of the proposed changes have been already leaked by the Wall Street Journal in North America.  It says that Chrysler's North American model lineup will be slashed to make way for more Fiat-based cars.Some new Chrysler models will share Fiat platforms in an effort to cut costs and harmonise production processes.  The cars expected to die are the Chrysler Sebring, PT Cruiser, Dodge Nitro, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Avenger as well as three Jeep off-roaders, the Compass, Patriot and Commander.The survivors are said to be the Chrysler 300C sedan, Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Journey, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.  Although the list of Chrysler's facing the chop is long, some like the Sebring and Avenger, are expected to morph into new Fiat-based cars.Under the new Chrysler-Fiat regime, known as Chrysler Group LLC, Alfa Romeo and Fiat are expected to return to America as soon as 2012.  Fiat was phased out in North America in the 1980s because of poor quality and reliability problems. Alfa Romeo discon tinued marketing cars there in 1995.Chrysler will continue to build its performance cars and pickup trucks while Fiat is expected to build a range of smaller fuel-efficient European-style models for the US market.  Locally Chrysler Australia is a factory owned distributor but still shares some backroom operations with Daimler.Daimler severed its ties with Chrysler in 2007 and the US carmaker was subsequently purchased by private equity group Cerberus Capital Management before Fiat stepped in last year.Chrysler's Asia-Pacific business, including Australia, is one of the few bright spots, despite Chrysler and Jeep sales being down 30 per cent this year.  Australia is Chrysler's largest right-hand-drive market and the No.1 Jeep Wrangler market outside North America.

But don't think these are just pie-in-the-sky concepts with little connection to reality - much of the gear on these concepts is likely to appear in a future Mopar catalogue.The Mopar Underground design team has shown off some of its tweaked Jeep machines, as well as the Grand Cherokee, to the faithful at the recent 43rd annual Moab Jeep Safari, in Utah.The team, in existence since 2002, has delivered more than a dozen on-the-edge Jeep vehicles and go-better bits, and chief designer Mark Allen says the skunkworks has a passion for off-road machines equal to the enthusiastic crowds at the Moab Jeep Safari."Moab Jeep Safari provides a great venue and works as a proving ground to test Jeep vehicle concepts driven alongside Jeep brand enthusiasts, who can provide immediate feedback at the event."As a result, we use knowledge gained at this off-road event to explore new directions for Jeep platforms and to develop Mopar Performance Parts and Accessories to suit these vehicles," he says.Local Jeep spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says the Mopar team is utilising some Australian aftermarket equipment in the concept cars."A couple of the cars are using ARB accessories … the Wrangler Overland has an ARB roof-mounted tent and a rear-locker; the Grand Cherokee has an ARB bumper as well,” Stamoulis says."It's good to see the Australian stuff getting recognition in the US and being used by Mopar for these vehicles.”Stamoulis says new Grand Cherokee was also shown to the Moab faithful ahead of its 2010 U.S. launch."We don't have a date yet, the U.S. will start selling it mid next year, right-hand drive and diesel have been confirmed but we don't have an exact date, hopefully it will be near the end of 2010, eaarly 2011," he says.Three key Jeep models have been given the Mopar treatment.The Jeep Wrangler Overland - based on a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited four-door - sits on 17in wheels (with chunky off-road rubber) and a 2.5 inch Mopar lift kit and is what the company calls "a mobile self-contained campsite."The cabin is trimmed in water-resistant materials, the rear seats have been replaced with a rear cargo area with a rubber floor, with the roof rack fitted with a ARB two-person Simpson II rooftop-mounted tent and awning.The current Grand Cherokee has been given the Mopar treatment to be re-named Grand Canyon II.The most luxurious Mopar off-roader yet has been given more off-road ability with 285/70R17 tyres and a Superlift 4-inch suspension system. The approach angle has been improved with an ARB high-clearance front bumper and Mopar heavy-duty rock rails.But the hotrod of the Mopar trio is the Jeep Lower Forty, based on the Wrangler platform but with 40in x 13.5in tyres on Mopar 20in forged aluminium wheels.The Mopar team aimed to maintain the Wrangler's centre of gravity with extra ground clearance with the wheel/tyre package without a lift kit, so the body and guards were cut and customised, as was the windscreen, which lost three inches in height and gained 10 degrees of rake.The bonnet is now a one-piece-carbon-fibre panel, the rear has an all-new tailgate and there's also an all-new roll cage, but the best bit lies beneath the new bonnet.The Lower Forty is powered by an all-new 5.7-litre HEMI V8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission, driving all four wheels via Dana axles and ARB air-locker diffs.