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Next-Generation Jeep Wrangler Could get Smaller

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The Jeep Wrangler is, at its core, the same vehicle that helped Allied forces win WWII, so whenever changes are announced to all-terrain vehicle, enthusiasts get a little riled up.  Jeep has long taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to its Wrangler, but unfortunately, the decision to make the next generation smaller has been taken out of the Chrysler brand’s hands.

Next-Generation Jeep Wrangler

The next-generation Jeep Wrangler could be smaller than the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

The next installment in the storied lineup of Wranglers will have to be designed with the new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard in mind, which states that by 2025, the federal government will require a corporate average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon.

“We do need to intervene on the Wrangler and on the minivan architecture,” said Chrysler Group Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne . “For a variety of reasons these are things that will not survive in the mid to long-term, simply because of the implications on CAFE standards. So we need to roll up our sleeves and get it done.”

Wrangler fans don’t need to freak out just yet, as Chrysler recently announced that they will push back its redesign of legendary Jeep until 2018.  What do you think of the new CAFE standards forcing an American icon to change?