Next Jeep Grand Cherokee to Switch from German to Italian Bones

-
Today’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was split at birth from Mercedes-Benz’s mid-size M-class (now named GLE-class), the two SUVs having shared a development path years ago during the DaimlerChrysler era. With Daimler long out of the picture and the now seven-year-old Jeep Grand Cherokee aging—quite gracefully, we might add—Fiat Chrysler must begin work on a replacement. But what platform to use? At the Detroit auto show, the automaker’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, told us the next Grand Cherokee will borrow components from Alfa Romeo.

-
Specifically, the next Grand Cherokee is to be spun off Alfa Romeo rear-drive chassis architecture. Although Marchionne didn’t elaborate much, we’re assuming he was talking about the same bones that form the basis for the Giulia sedan and the upcoming Stelvio SUV. They also happen to comprise Fiat Chrysler’s freshest rear-drive-based component set, the longitudinal drive layout being a virtual requirement for the traditional four-wheel-drive equipment (including a two-speed transfer case with low-range gearing) that the Grand Cherokee is guaranteed to offer. The news isn’t a surprise, but it is illuminating about Fiat Chrysler’s thinking on economies of scale and platform sharing among its numerous brands.

--

• 
  -
• 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Spied: It’s Grand All Right
  -
• Nothing More, Nothing Less: Sweet Photos of Old Jeeps
  -
• Jeep Grand Cherokee Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
  -

--
We expect that, like the current model, the new Grand Cherokee will feature a fortified unibody (so it won’t be just a tall Giulia/rebodied Stelvio), a fully independent suspension, and V-6 and V-8 engine choices. Rear-wheel drive will be standard, as it is today, and a range of four-wheel-drive systems will be available. Again, expect the hard-core versions to boast low-range gearing and locking differentials to preserve Jeep’s off-road credibility. Eventually, the Grand Cherokee also will form the basis for a larger three-row Grand Wagoneer SUV, although that model won’t arrive until 2020 or 2021.
-

-

Continue reading...