The long-awaited Jeep Wrangler pickup truck is heading toward production, according to a new report from Automotive News. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reportedly plans to announce that the Wrangler pickup will be built alongside the next-gen Wrangler SUV by 2017 or 2018. As a result, production of the Jeep Cherokee crossover will leave Ohio, possibly for plants in Michigan or Illinois.
Jeep currently builds the Wrangler and the Cherokee at its Toledo, Ohio, assembly plant. To create enough capacity at the facility to add a Wrangler pickup, Jeep would reportedly shift production of the Cherokee from Toledo to a nearby factory, possibly Sterling Heights, Michigan, or Belvidere, Illinois. Jeep reportedly plans to increase Wrangler production to 350,000 units annually.
The 2018 Jeep Wrangler will remain a body-on-frame design, although extensive use of aluminum will help shed weight. An updated version of the current Wrangler’s 3.6-liter V-6 engine will provide motivation, with an 8-speed automatic transmission replacing the dated 5-speed unit. Jeep previously said it would introduce the new Wrangler by second-quarter 2017, suggesting an introduction at that year’s Detroit auto show is a possibility. The pickup variant is believed to have been developed in tandem with the Wrangler SUV, but it will debut at a later date.
