Late 2019 should see the arrival of the Jeep Wrangler pickup.
Sergio Marchionne is well aware that SUVs are a popular choice, and he is close to signing off on an SUV that would be built on the Chrysler Pacifica platform. The vehicle could be ready in mid-2019 if the development goes smoothly.
“It’s there. Marchionne said Motor Trend about the Pacifica-based crossover. The platform is ready and the plant can handle it. It will likely be up and running within 18 months.
Marchionne did not provide any information about the Pacifica-based vehicle. However, the large platform of the minivan suggests that it would be a three row model. They would likely share engines. The SUV would be equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 287 horsepower (214 Kilowatts) & 262 poundfeet (355 Newton meters) or a plug in hybrid version that runs on the Atkinson cycle with 194 kW and 260 hp (194 km). It is unlikely that Chrysler will make a rugged off-road-oriented model, as it would not want to be able to compete with the strong-selling Jeep products.
Both would be built at Chrysler’s Windsor plant, Ontario, Canada.
Although was close to introducing a Pacifica-derived crossover earlier, the company decided it was better to keep Dodge Grand Caravan manufacturing. The SUV’s design would have placed it in competition with models such as the Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota Highlander.
Motor Trend was also informed by Marchionne that Jeep has delayed the launch of its Wrangler pickup (above), instead of the original plan to introduce it in the first half of 2019. The Wrangler factory in Toledo, Ohio is no longer available for production. This division cannot afford to lose it. One section of the plant would continue to assemble the old model while it builds the new model. Once the production of the next-gen Wrangler has begun, the area responsible for assembling the current model would shift to the truck.