Jeep announced new technology and better fuel economy numbers for the 2017 Jeep Wrangler. And, if the automaker will forgive me, no red blooded man should give a damn about any of that right now.
In fact, no other Jeep-related news measures up to a simple, quiet announcement made away from the NAIAS 2016 press conferences. In fact, it wasn’t made in any official Jeep press release. All signs point to the news originating from the top of Jeep food chain during an off-the-cuff remark to the Detroit Free Press in the early stages of that city’s North American International Auto Show.
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The big fuss? Jeep is finally going to build a Wrangler pickup. It’s hard to imagine a more manly vehicle than a Jeep crossbred with a pickup truck. I suppose we could offer up an armored personnel carrier filled with Las Vegas strippers, but that seems impractical. Besides, I’d assume Jeep would prefer I not make the functional comparison. Suffice to say, a Wrangler pickup is perhaps the most eagerly awaited Jeep model we’ve seen in years.
By all estimates, the Wrangler pickup would definitely fall into the small, sporty pickup category — perhaps a competitor for the Tacoma or the GMC Canyon. Or, perhaps it’ll be viewed as a bigger Jeep that just so happens to have a flatbed. Regardless, buyers will immediately demand a Jeep Wrangler Pickup that’s off-road capable, ready for towing and rugged enough for work. Jeep will obviously be aware of these expectations.
While the Jeep Wrangler line will undergo changes and update over the 2016 and 2017 automotive years, all signs indicate we’ll see the pickup version some time in 2018. I predict you’ll see a quick sales focus on the pickup when it arrives, turning the vehicle into an immediate in-demand collector’s item that will sell at top dollar — perhaps above whatever MSRP Jeep sets.
