Remember when we told you about GMC’s Duncan Aldred wanting a “professional-grade” Jeep Wrangler? General Motors thinks it’s a good idea, too.
The Wall Street Journal reports GM recently sought feedback from its dealers regarding the market viability of a Wrangler challenger joining GMC’s lineup of trucks, crossovers and SUVs, the idea of which has been “kicked around real hard” according to one insider. The automaker’s growing interest comes as 150,000 units of the iconic vehicle left for the Rubicon or college in 2014, some of them going for as much as $50,000 fresh out of Ohio. The Wrangler also boasts one of the highest resale values around, second only to the Toyota Tacoma in 2015 per Kelley Blue Book.
As for what a GMC Wrangler would look like, GM said its Jeep would take cues from Hummer’s orphaned offerings; Hummer joined Pontiac, Saturn and Saab in the afterlife back in 2009 during the dark days of the Great Recession. The new model — still in the discussion phase without a name or a green light — would also help GMC capitalize on the brand’s own success, with sales rising 11 percent on the backs of the Sierra and Yukon in 2014 to 501,853.
I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as a $50,000 Wrangler. Not even in Canada.
2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited RUBICON HARD ROCK 4X4
$49,365
http://www.jeep.com/hostc/bmo/CUJ201507JKJS74C/2TJ/options.do
And that is before any dealer add-ons (wheels, lifts, etc.)
A full bling Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon does hit 50K.
GM appears to be falling back in the old traps of feeling they have to offer a product in every category.
The new Colorado would make a decent platform for a BOF SUV. There are rumours of an offroad spec Colorado so it would be easy to extend that package to a SUV.
GM needs to remember that the Jeep name has history and that alone sells a lot of product. GM has no real history when it comes to off-road worthy BOF SUV’s. The Hummer became the poster child of wretched urban excess so resurrecting that name may fail.
A Chevy TrailBlazer based on the Colorado wouldn’t be a bad thing. Since Chevy doesn’t have anything in between the Equinox and Traverse, it could work.
Yes, the Blazer/Jimmy has a very good reputation, as good as the Sierra/Silverado
It would especially work since there’s already a Colorado-based SUV in other countries. Google “Holden Colorado 7”.
GM actually sells it as the TrailBlazer in some markets. Ford also has an SUV built on the Global Ranger platform called the Everest.
Good Lord. What kind of inbred F**tard even has 50k to blow on the wretched Wrangler?
I mean, if you’re rustling Wagu cattle on the hobby farm (20,000 acre) your oil-rich dad/grandad bought you, fine, I guess. Or go for the equally wretched and bling-tastic MB G-Wagen at 3.7 times that price tag.
Before I get static, I get that the Wrangler is great at tackling lunar-scape obstacle courses built by Jeep.
I get that it has great resale value due in part to its legendary & iconic ‘Murica status.
I get that most 17 year olds dreamed of riding soft top down on the beach or through a rowdy spring break session town at least a half dozen times in their Rubicon with their best buds & hot fellow spring break females while sippin’ on PBR & Mad Dog 20/20 (grape, not orange).
I get all that.
I don’t get how normal people want, buy or can tolerate these miserable, wretched things as anything remotely close to daily drivers in real-life.
Those prices make my head hurt. I weep for society.
Darwin and Mike Judge ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy) were right, after all.
@DeadWeight – I know multiple owners of Jeep Wrangler Unlimited’s and most are yuppies wanting to look cool and avoid the soccer mom minivan stigma. Only one is a hardcore Jeep off-roader guy.
It sells for the same reasons Harley Davidson sells. Quality, comfort, fit/finish, and actual performance matter little…… it’s a Jeep thing ;)
@DeadWeight:
People can tolerate Jeep Wranglers as daily drivers because, despite looking like a Kubota tractor underneath, new ones (JK/JKU) ride pretty well.
Basis for comparison: I drove a Jellybean 2004 F-150 FX4 to my test drive of a 2013 Wrangler Unlimited Sport, and the glorified road tractor had about the same NVH and a stiffer (more sporty feeling, I $#!t you not) ride during a drive around the strip malls near the dealer. I hesitate to say which vehicle was better, but the point is that it’s a contest you can have with a straight face.
Comparing the JKU to my 1998 Ranger (many parts shared with the 1990s Explorers that people roved for reasons that still don’t make sense to me), the JKU wins hands down.
I came away from my test drive amazed by what a crew of really talented suspension engineers can do with an obsolete solid axle setup that looked more like the Kubota B8200 tractor that I drove around the family homestead in the early 1990s, then like the rather of offroad-capeable[0] and also obsolete F-150 FX4 that I drive there.
It’s easy to see how someone whose reference frame is older used cars (espucuolly used BOF SUV) might find a JKU to me an improvement. Someone who drives newer cars might find it charmingly basic. There are lots of reasons I think having one as a daily driver would be wasteful, but the people using them as grocery getters and soccer field taxis did drive them before signing the paperwork.
[0] I owned the F-150 so my mother could travel reservation country for her retirement project. It was the right tool for that job.
Allpar found a $50,1XX CAD on the lot sticker Wrangler from the factory. It was a totally decked out Special Edition of some sort.
I stand corrected!
I still can’t understand why GM did not use Hummer as a GMC sub-brand instead of a stand-alone division with its own dealer network, etc. Go back 50-60 years and GMCs were actually “professional grade” vs. Chevy, with stronger drivetrains better suited for heavy duty applications, but since the 1970s GMC professional grade has been almost totally about more fake chrome on the interior and exterior than any actual physical advantage over the equivalent Chevy. Using the Hummer styling as the basis for GMC pickups and SUVS with some exclusive “heavy duty” or “off-road” options would have been an inexpensive way to differentiate the GMC brand from Chevrolet – but I guess that was too logical for GM management in the late 1990s.
This is actually a good question, perhaps hummer knows and will chime in with the correct answer
How many Hummers are even sold in the US every year? I can’t tell you the last time I even saw a Hummer in my area. They’re about as impractical as anything that GM ever built wirh no real purpose other than to say “look at me.” Personally, I think GM would do better to breath some life into what they’ve got, maybe make the Hummer in a few different platforms/chassis configurations with some off road capability.
Hummer ceased to exist as a GM brand in 2010.
“Hummer ceased to exist as a GM brand in 2010.”
HA! That goes to show how much I pay attention to them!
Sorry but if a hummer is impractical then tell me what any of the many different sports cars availible are. At least the trucks have offroad capability, towing capability, and family hauling capability.
Tell me how many SUVs match my DDs 2,200lb payload rating.
Yes, an H2 or an H3 is impractical as they get. Off road manners are poor compared to other offerings. At least you can get decent fuel mileage with a sports car not to mention they are funner to cruise the streets than a top heavy boat anchor. SUV’s are family vehicles and serve well as such carrying family and cargo. How many families do you see in a Hummer? I honestly don’t recall ever seeing the 2 paired together, but as I mentioned earlier they’re virtually non existent around these parts. People are generally too conservative here in farm country for something that doesn’t really serve a purpose.
Poor compared to what? The H2 is built on a 3/4 frame and the H3 is built for efficiency, they excel offroad in stock form and do even better when built. There are many offroading clubs around the country with these trucks even if you don’t believe so, since apparently only what you see is reality.
Also if you don’t see any, how can you say you don’t see families in them? How does that make sense?
So, are/were they bought as a family vehicle or are they primarily bought as a “look at me vehicle”?
I’ve had the priveledge of off roading in an H1 before, so I suppose my opinions of the softer variants may be a little skewed. Even the H1 has its limitations in tight woods trails with its longer/wider wheel base but the ground clearance and suspension and low end torque certainly gave it some advantages over the other wheelers including mine, to a degree. Litteraly the only H2s (mostly H3s) Ive ever seen on the highways on extended road trips are blinged out with some tool in the driver seat leaned half way over into the passenger seat with his nose up in the air. I suppose like anything they could be made to be trail worthy but my version of trail worthy is probably different than most… 89 Toyota pick up with narrowed and 4 linked Dana 60 front/Dana 80 rear on 42″ TSL’s, with a p-pumped 4BT/47RH :-)
No great loss for GM to ax Hummer, they were Tahoes and Trailblazers with body kits, except for the H1, which I never saw in the wild anyway.
Lectro
H2/3 were nothing like a Tahoe or a Trailblazer, not even similar.
Mason,
You can stereotype all you want, but there is a good following of owners that offroad, and as they get older an increasing number of these trucks are going offroad. They have an excellent platform to start with as they came fairly well prepared from the factory. I’ve offroaded IH scouts since I could drive, I know the fun of a traditional setup, and there are pluses and minuses for both. What I enjoy especially about the H2 is the large amount of high strength aftermarket supplying duramax sled-pullers. The H3s small size is getting a decent following itself, makes a great SFA swap platform.
The H2 is the logical successor to the Bronco, K5, scout, RamCharger, and as much as I love the scout, the H2 just felt right, even being so different.
Figuring out GM is like is like figuring out women, for an easy comparison.
I’m pretty sure they wanted to put it under GMC originally but instead created its own brand. The H1 was probably part of the reason GM decided to do what they did. Just like Jeep the Hummer brand had a lot of power because of the original, and I’m sure that helped guide the decisions made.
Thanks, that sounds reasonable
Didn’t the H3 or H2 actually get slightly better gas mileage than the GMC/Chevy version? I still see a few around town, all in excellent condition. I think these have aged rather well – I would think with just a few minor updates, they could sell as is.
They all have full time 4×4 so not likely
H2 did about the same as the 3/4 tons, worse on the highway due to design. I get 11 city, 12 Hwy, and 15-16 long back roads.
The H3 as from what I know from many owners with the 3.7 and slightly better(but worse reliability wise) 3.5 averages 17-18 maybe more maybe less depending on your setup and conditions. My H3 is the alpha 5.3l and it’s pretty constant 15 city 20-21 highway, average about 17. The 3.7 I have in the H3T is backed by a manual 5 speed, which is extremely rare ~56 total vehicles iirc, so it doesn’t have many miles and won’t be getting many miles.
I think the simple answer to your question is “short term thinking”.
When the HUMMER brand was conceived ungainly SUVs were popular and gas was cheap. Clearly GM either assumed this would continue forever or didn’t care about what would happen a few years down the road as long as they could get some near-term cheddar.
I always thought HUMMER would work better as a top trim level for GMC products. It would take minimal investment to give a Denali or similar a unique grille, seats, badging, wheels, chunky tires, etc and thereby turn it into a HUMMER! that could sell for a hefty premium to suckers.
The sort of people who were buying H2s and H3s would have eaten this up during the HUMMER heyday, with a fraction of the costs and none of the winding-down problems that GM ultimately had with the brand.
Actually since 1968. GMC’s V6 was killed after ’67. Since then they’re shared engines with Chevy.
Hummer as a brand is dead. It is dead, buried, and will never come back. Hummer is everything evil in the world in the social conscious of America – right or wrong.
Dead, dead, dead.
Yet they have a following and running examples command impressive resale in almost any condition.
It’s not really possible to know how many used Hummers are sold each year. 2010 was the last year you could buy a new one.
And for some guys they were extremely effective as chick magnets.
The Hummer HX/H4 concept might be what they have in mind (with a GMC grille and badging) …
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/hummer-h4/ke2684.html
That’s been tossed around for a while, and I starting to think it won’t work as well as it would without the original branding. That is if they truly want the Sales and resale values the wrangler enjoys.
If they come out with an FJ cruiser they’ve wasted a massive amount of time. Against the wishes of many of our soft-roaders, this truck must have BOF as any serious offroader to compete with the wrangler. And must have a removable top with either heavy duty high-sitting independent suspension, or a complete set of solids.
I can’t see GM not half-a–ing this, I just can’t see it.
That thing looks like an FJ Cruiser, and we all know how much of a Jeep competitor that was in the marketplace.
It’s not the looks that sell the Wrangler. Beyond “timeless”, it doesn’t have much going for it in that department, which is fine because that isn’t the point. And, yet, I still want a Wrangler (or something like it). The machine needs to be simple, repairable, durable, and able to travel the backcountry – THAT is what makes the Wrangler special.
The FJ Cruiser was just a jacked up Toyota, except less practical and less efficient. I like practical and efficient Toyotas a lot. I secretly like Jeeps. But Toyota didn’t mix them well enough for me to even consider buying an FJ Cruiser for fun.
Well in the concepts defense it does have a removable top, and few electronics to keep the price down.
But yes spot on, I agree.
Simplistic in nature is what sells these vehicles.
I would guess that with Toyota discontinuing the FJ, the market segment is open to a new player, but it seems like an odd segment to make what looks like a bold move on.
Yes!!!!
I can see Melody Lee And Johan leaping for joy at the prospect of a junior Escalade.
Lets call it the ATSCTXYZ with CUE and not so much length.
And gauges from a 1990s Poncho.
And humongus chrome front badging.
Thank you DeadWeight, I mean DukeMantee ;-)
I hope GM goes for it, and damn the CAFE torpedos! Forget about the stupid low hanging air dams that they’ve been sticking on every 4×4 Sierra and Canyon, forget about the low torque light duty 3.6L. Stick the 4.3 V6 in there as the base engine with the 5.3 V8 as an option, and remake the K5 Blazer! While they’re at it, make the rear tailgate have a lowering glass piece.
Perhaps ford would follow suit with an aluminum bodied Bronco and we’d kick off a new heyday of fullsize 2 door SUVs (okay fine, make them 4 doors for all the suburbanites that will inevitably buy them).
However, this pipe dream of mine is just that, a dream. If they do make it, it will have a massive plastic front bumper with a black plastic valance hanging 3 inches off the ground, with 20″ chrome wheels with low rolling resistance tires, and that 3.6. Oh and a massive center console instead of a bench seat.
Exactly, it’s misplaced to put faith in GM building anything right on a BOF setup for the past 8 or so years.
I’ve been moving on to the Chrysler side more and more since they seem to offer interesting and compelling choices that GM has ignored.
As much money as they spend on the green crap, they should have enough of the BS credits to build this truck with an 8.1L V8, 5.13 gearing, 38 mud terrains, and bumper that is 2 ft up. But you know, this is GM, we’ll get a cherokee competitor instead that will sell 100k units the first year and drop like a rock in sales from then out.
This is three blocks from my house and it’s gorgeous
http://www.kunescountry.com/Used-2007-HUMMER-H3-SUV-H3x-Delavan-WI/vd/23444540
$14,983 2007 H3
Those look pretty good with an aggressive tire, even with all the chrome, the particular package was specifically sold as a “city” trim if I remember correctly. The 3.7l was a new engine for the truck as the first year 3.5l had problems with warped heads from fueling issues that plaqued the Colorado and canyon before it. But the new 3.7 is better as well as much smoother idling than the old 3.5l.
It doesn’t have the adventure package, if it did a rear push button locker would be to the far right of the 4×4 controls, the spot where traction control is at in this truck. Nor does it have the stock larger tire size among other differences.
Another thing about the 3x package was the standard body colored grille, which I’m a sucker for.
I love the drivetrain setup and clearance for big tires from the factory of the H3, but can’t get past that awful packaging and needlessly small windows. All in the name of styling? Put a big old roomy, boxy body with thinner pillars on the H3 chassis and I’d probably be driving one now.
Good grief $15k with 110k miles!?
I’m thinking the opposite: if GM goes ahead with this, they will make the mistake of building it way too big. Just like they did with the Hummers and full-size Blazers.
That means a very tiny minority will love them, and the Wrangler will move 10x more units to paying customers. This new GMC probably won’t even benefit from the favorable market conditions that Hummer enjoyed initially (easy credit and bling-obsession).
It’s GM’s typical short-sighted product planning: green-light bloated cars when times are good, so they get released when times get hard; and then green-light tin cans when times are hard, so they come out when the economy is on the mend. They are like gambling addicts: they get a little streak going and truly believe that it will continue forever. Just like it didn’t the last 15 times.
The Hx concept in particular is smaller than the wrangler iirc.
Isn’t a 4-door Bronco just an Expedition?
Yeah, well technically it’s lineage and DNA are, so yes
I must admit that I want a 4th gen Bronco (87-91), with a 5 speed and the 302. Then I’d put a bunch of Mustang engine parts in there. It can go in my weird Ford orphan garage with a Fairmont woody wagon with a Mustang engine.
Been hanging out over at Jalopnik again I see
There had better be two.
To be fair, my roomate my freshman year of college had a Fairmont woody wagon. It had under 40K miles. Driving home from school, we used to listen to light hits of the 70s on the AM radio (in 2002-2003). The Fairmont reminds me of a more simple time.
I need to find out if his family still has the Fairmont.
bball – why not a ’92-’96? A last-year loaded EB Bronco sounds pretty good to me.
“Isn’t a 4-door Bronco just an Expedition?”
Heck no! No Twin Traction Beam, no Bronco. (Except for the early ones).
What a janky-ass solution.
Well, if Ford brought the Bronco name back, wouldn’t it just be an even shorter wheelbase Expedition with two doors and no IRS, right? They’d straighten out the frame rails instead of the hourglass shape they need to package the IRS. Either way, I want it. Perferably in Super Cab configuration.
Ford should bring back the Bronco in the form of a modern take on the first gen…short wheelbase, removeable top, cool retro styling. THAT would be a credible challenger to the Jeep. Many people still remember the first gen Bronco and love it, so the model recognition is still there.
Toyota had moderate success with the FJ but it was too compromised, IMO….and I owned one!
I think a Bronco Raptor would sell well. SWB F150, Super Cab Doors, Raptor stuff underneath, and the same sort of styling. I don’t think I’d buy the Raptor version, but I would buy an XLT/FX4 version.
I think they had their chance with the Bronco concept they trotted out more than a decade ago. I agree it would probably see some decent sales volume, but probably not enough for One Ford to want to do it. Something like that has the potential work globally as rugged-like, reasonably sized SUVs have appeal all over. Maybe they should do it, but definitely not as a full size based on the F-150 or Expedition. Think shorty global Ranger chassis.
I have a feeling that we have a better chance of getting one of Ford’s global SUVs or trucks. Lie2me would lose his mind if he could buy the Troller T4. I still think an SWB F150 based Bronco would be the best solution in the US. They spent a ton of money on that platform anyway, what’s another 3/4 billion?
I’d accept a shorty global ranger Bronco II.
“I still think an SWB F150 based Bronco would be the best solution in the US.”
They weren’t able to sell many of those in the SUV boom of the 90’s, they’d be able to sell even less now. A Raptor is the full-size lifestyle truck of today.
Small-mid size SUV/CUVs are where it’s at now. Bonus points if it has active lifestyle , ruggedneess cred like the first gen Broncos enjoy today (even if the originals were bought new by grumpy old hill people).
Fair points.
I just imagine a mondern Bronco and it makes me sad that I can’t buy it.
105″-110″ wheelbase
Coyote V8
Super Cab Doors
5 passenger
FX4 package
Aluminium body
Sweet sweet aftermarket support
Damnit Ford!!
When I worked for Ford, I saw two-door Expedition (Bronco?) mules driving around the test track in Dearborn when I was there for a launch event. So they did toy with the idea of an updated Bronco for a while….
@gtemnykh -Ford would be more likely to get such a project off the ground. The Raptor has been a huge success for Ford. A retro Bronco (original not POS Bronco II) would hit the mark better than anything I’d expect out of GMC. There have been rumours of a Ford Bronco.
GM would be better served to build a BOF SUV patterned after the original K5 Blazer with removable top.
The much awaited return of the Jimmy!
“It’s a GMC thing”?
Diamond Edition! Quilts.
Quilted leather is in style now. The Diamond Edition was ahead of it’s time.
I tell you what, the bull bar with integrated big fog lamps was nice too. And it only came in good colors. Black, pewter, navy (is all I’ve seen).
I like those and I like the Jimmy Envoys as well. The perfect size, and nice trappings of luxury. I feel the Bravada should have got special versions too.
I love me the first and third generation Bravada. All the second generation GMT330s looked too much alike.
That first one is just crazy hard to find. They seemed to A) not sell well and B) rust away. I think it was too expensive at the time for a brand not known for trucks.
The innovative center console in gen1 is very unusual for GM.
I’m guessing you mean the mini-Jimmy and not the old full-sized one?
I’ve never seen one that came with a bull bar…
Cmon keep up NoGo! Jimmy Diamond Edition!
Special bits inside:
http://images.gtcarlot.com/gtgallery/photo.php?id=14823256
Special bits outside:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/GMC_S-15_Jimmy_Diamond_Edition.jpg
I’ve literally never seen one of those before!
I’ve seen the Envoy/Trailblazer and plenty of Jimmy SLEs and SLTs, but never a Diamond Edition.
It’s why I want one. The rarest of Blazers.
If built this will be on a (hopefully shortened) Colorado/Canyon chassis and share their power trains and suspensions. Removable top based on re-engineering costs and lawyers, but GM is dumb enough to try to compete with the Wrangler using a fixed roof. Smart money says this wouldn’t get a bespoke platform unless GM thinks it would sell globally. Amortization, doncha know. BTW, I second “Jimmy” but the RenCen morons will probably oh with alphanumerics.
Look for a lifted 4WD Phaeton as the super premium competition.
Basically GM, people want this, and will spend the money, but no one believes you will build it correctly. And we know you know that a half-a– attempt will fail, so either keep chickening out, or deliver.
This is your challenge.
Maybe if GM took the Canyon and converted it into a smaller, Avalanche-type vehicle with four-doors and a folding mid-gate. The Avalanche actually sold quite well and stayed in production for over a decade, then got discontinued with the latest full-size pickup makeover when sales tapered off. It’s worth nothing that while there was a Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac version (EXT), GMC didn’t get one.
I’m thinking the cancellation of the Avalanche may be another reason for all the Wrangler-type vehicle speculation for GMC.
I really liked the idea of the original Avalanche. However, that was way too much truck for my needs. If they were to reboot it on the new Coloyon chassis, that might be a good idea. The Coloyon is big enough to make it work.
I really was hoping GM would have done an Avalanche on one of their smaller trucks, but the S10 was way too small for that, and the previous generation Coloyon wasn’t much bigger.
I was just praising the Avalanche last night as a genuinely good idea and product. The widespread proliferation of the truck sedan helped kill it but it still has the crew cab beat as its bed was longer when folded down than your standard six foot box.
Two things:
1) What is your opinion of the North Face version? :) Specifically the interior, and whether this should exist?
http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/62581305.jpg
2) Go a step further, add more everything! What’s your opinion on the Envoy XUT as an idea?
The color of pee green leather is not appealing to me, would have looked better in that red with black stitching.
The Envoy XUT was an attempt to take an existing platform and give it a gimmick in order to appeal to a niche. The issue was, that niche is people who need to occasionally haul very tall and narrow things. A convertible Envoy would have been both much more appealing and ridiculous.
“What is your opinion of the North Face version? :) Specifically the interior, and whether this should exist?”
I had a Peter North Edition car once. One of the washer nozzles had an abnormality that would shoot fluid all over the place.
I know engineers at Ford that have been pitching an Avalanche style F150 since the early 90s. They like the NVH and flexibility of the Sport Utility Truck thing.
I think the Explorer truck thing was their attempt at such a venture but they missed out on the basic end user truck to suv conversion functionality.
The bed is still seperate from the cab though. They never really cared about the Sport Trac. It was a mongrel from day one.
That’s my point, on the Avalanche the bed extends into the cab when in “truck” mode thus giving you a longer bed. SportTrac and crew cabs today do not offer this feature, they used a fixed bed detached from the cab.
Yeah, the midgate of the Avalache is awesome. That was the Ford engineer’s plan too. He liked it because of the NVH and packaging benefits, which are evident on the Avalanche.
Ford needs to introduce a similar product now that the Avalanche is kaput.
Man, if I needed a much bigger vehicle, a late model Avalanche LTZ, in pearl white with the buttresses matching, would be number 1 choice.
Owned an Avalanche and founder of CAFCNA.
Loved the truck, it was extremely well executed and proved to be very reliable (axle seal was the only warranty/extended warranty repair).
I traded in during 2005 because my life had changed dramatically, and doing 2-1/2 hours of commuting solo in 19’6″ of Mexican metal that got 13 MPG in bumper-to-bumper traffic made zero sense.
I still miss the truck – it was stunningly versatile and when going forward easy to drive, backing up – what a nightmare (which would be solved today with backup cameras, sensors, etc.)
Shortened Colorado platform with either two or four doors and a soft top.
Bam, done.
I feel the New Colorado frame may be a poor choice, the new Colorado is a mismash of different worlds. The inside is cramped in every direction except up, the body looks like it sits on a frame that’s a complete afterthought. And by that I mean the body sits on top of the frame it doesn’t swallow the frame. It’s too tall and too narrow and aside from looking stupid, physics doesn’t agree with it.
Granted that doesn’t mean the platform itself is a poor choice but don’t let the same people that designed the Colorado body anywhere near this potential offroader
@Hummer – the global Colorado was designed and engineered by Brazilians with the Asian market in mind. The USA Colorado was restyled to meet USA tastes and crash rules.
So you are saying US engineers and designers can’t build an off-roader?
If that’s the case, yes, not sure why I would be partial to them, but sure. But the body stance isn’t something that a restyling would change
@Hummer – I actually don’t mind the 2015 Colorado. The previous version killed it for me as it did not have a good reputation. I’d wait a few years for the typical “new” vehicle gremlins to get worked out before I’d consider one.
I do think that GM knew that a small truck would be a gamble so tarting up the global truck for US tastes was a safe way to re-enter the market.
Both Ford and Ram executives have said that they do not feel there is a business case for their own small trucks in the USA. I do suspect that if the EU/USA FTA goes through we may see the global Ranger or Fiat Strada show up as niche imports.
Are the leading two sentences said as intended?
“Remember when we told you that GMC wanted a “professional-grade” Jeep Wrangler? General Motors wants one for the brand, too.”
It’s the same thing said twice.
In their opinion a wrangler is not enough of a professional grade as compared to an Acadia
Well, if someone’s professional title is “homemaker”, “housewife”, or “soccer mom”, then the Acadia is certainly professional grade compared to the Wrangler.
There is indeed a bit of a difference. There are “GMC people” as in people within GM who’s job it is to concentrate on that brand and it’s products. Then there’s GM management. Often, brand people will push a product, but management rejects it.
Ah! Thanks. Didn’t think of the division.
Things get confusing because GMC (please note the capital “C”)is a division of GM (please note the absence of “C”).
GM is the “mother” or umbrella corporation of Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Opel etcetera.
GM the mother corp is considering a Wrangler clone for GMC the division.
Knowing gm it will be half assed, miss the point, have IFS, and be about as offroad friendly as a liberty.
Might as well get the Hyundai Santa Cruz then.
The next Wrangler, regardless of what they do in terms of roof setup (changes required to meet some new standards), it will benefit greatly simply by adding some of the Chrysler parts bin items. 8.4 UConnect/TFT combo, ZF8-speed Auto on the Pentastar V6, and some interior design pieces from the latest Jeeps/Dodges would help quite a bit to sell to the on-the-fence Wrangler lovers who want a more polished grocery getter/soccer practice duty vehicle. The people who buy them for those reasons are the people that are feeding Jeep the $$$s to continue the Wrangler evolution, not the 10% of offroaders that purchase them. This would be greatly expedited by a GM play to try and hop on board this train.
Gm doesn’t have the cajones to bring out a wrangler competitor. Solid axles, bof, removable top, breakover angles, and aftermarket support to last the next 100 years means there is only one wrangler. Gm should instead try to fill the void left by the real cherokee, small boxy unibody offroad oriented solid axle SUV.
GM did have the cojones to bring out a small truck, even it is quite big. Whose to say a Wrangler-esque ride isn’t next?
Isn’t solid axle going away in the next gen Wrangler?
Honestly I don’t know as I don’t keep up with Chrysler products for the most part.
Most likely it is going away. Solid axles can have wobble issues at certain speeds, affectionately known as the Jeep death wobble.
Any solid axle vehicle can suffer from “death wobble”, including those with leaf springs. It’s not just a Jeep thing.
Agreed. As far as I know, wrangler is the only solid front axle vehicle sold today.
Tough to classify this idea. On one hand, you’re taking on an vehicular institution with a vast empire of ancillary support businesses, particularly custom parts makers. Furthermore, the key to the Wrangler’s success is the glorious lack of sophistication. Simple parts and simple components allow for customization and upgrade.
On the other hand, CAFE has put a bounty on the Wrangler’s head because the current two-door JK will never achieve 37mpg. If no exception is granted for the Wrangler, the hardcore offroad segment will be up for grabs. However, I’m inclined to believe that the death of iconic offroad vehicles will kill the entire segment, rather than deliver a bounty to the most innovative company.
Personally, I’d rather see the Wrangler become a kit car than see it turned into another KL Cherokee.
I think GM needs to create its own market segment rater than compete with the wrangler Toyota which has a great off road legacy has canceled the FJ but come out with the 4 door 4 runner trade pro in addition to the taco trade pro making them the most capable vehicles in their class. Many off road vehicles will be impossible to out sell simply cause they where the first and gained a massive cult following GM will not be able to com out with a raptor fighter as most people who needed that kind of truck like my self switched from GM to Ford already and aren’t looking back. As are power Wagon Owners, TRD Pro owners and Wrangler owners. GM needs to create a market segment like Ford did with the Raptor , because you would have to be a complete gm Fan boy to boy a Gm version of a Wrangler over the Jeep version, between the parts and aftermarket support most hard core off roaders will buy a jeep.
@Carilloskis – bang on analysis.
I think that GM should focus on a hardcore Colorado off-roader. The “Baja” truck niche is filled by the Raptor and even the Toyota “Pro” package. A “mud-bogger” Colorado or similar truck would be the target to go for.
Make it have good articulation but come up with a swaybar system that does not get plugged full of mud and becomes useless like Jeep/PowerWagon’s disconnect. All driveline vents should be plumbed into a system that sits high up into the body or better yet, the cab. A snorkel would be great and a reasonably watertight engine and electrical system. Give it Raptor like suspension and electronic nanny overrides. Also DO NOT neuter cargo capacity.