Is FCA Bringing the Jeep Grand Commander Over to the U.S. as a Chrysler Model?
A new round of rumors suggest that FCA is converting a Chinese Jeep into Chrysler's newest SUV
An upcoming addition to the Chrysler lineup may end up looking familiar to Chinese Jeep owners
To say that Chrysler’s model lineup is sparse at the moment would be an understatement. Currently, the Chrysler brand only carries two vehicles: the Chrysler 300 and the Chrysler Pacifica.
However, a new report states that Chrysler could soon add another vehicle to its lineup, in the form of a foreign Jeep model. Automotive website Allpar claims that Fiat Chrysler will sell the Jeep Grand Commander in the U.S. as a Chrysler model.
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The Jeep Grand Commander is currently available exclusively for the Chinese market. This three-row SUV comes equipped with a 2.0-liter engine that produces 231 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
While the Grand Commander currently bears a Jeep badge, FCA could decide to sell it as a Chrysler SUV in the States. After all, Jeep is pretty well off as it is, achieving a record sales year in 2018.
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Nevertheless, the vehicle may not bear the Grand Commander name. Instead, rumored options include the “Journey” nameplate.
As for where the translated Grand Commander model may be built, the same rumors suggest the Belvidere plant in Illinois is a prime location. Other reported options include Windsor and Toluca.
The Chrysler Portal is also rumored to be entering production
If the Grand Commander is added to the Chrysler lineup, it won’t be the only SUV joining the brand’s ranks. A report from last year announced that the Chrysler Portal concept could be entering production in 2020.
There’s also murmurs of a planned replacement for the Chrysler 300. Word on the street is that the Chrysler 300 is not long for this world, with plans in place to replace it with a crossover built on the Dodge Charger platform.
While the other major FCA brands achieved varying degrees of sales success last year, Chrysler’s limited lineup caused it to lose sales. A new SUV like the Grand Commander might be just what the Chrysler brand needs to recover from its recent misfortune.
News Source: Allpar
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