Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has reportedly finalized plans to build a Jeep Wrangler-based pickup.
The long-awaited model appears to be moving forward as part of the solution to a production conundrum in Toledo, where FCA currently builds the Wrangler on one line and the Cherokee on another.
Adding the pickup bodystyle will allow the company to keep producing the next-generation Wrangler in Toledo and move the Cherokee to another factory in Michigan or Illinois, according to an Automotive News report.
“We found a solution that accommodates a variety of other interests to us because of the way in which we can move some product around,” FCA chief Sergio Marchionne said in an interview with AN. He did not announce the pickup plans, which were allegedly confirmed by a separate unnamed source.
The company a decade ago unveiled a Wrangler-based pickup concept, known as the Gladiator (pictured). The project was later dismissed as too expensive, however Jeep chief Mike Manley earlier this year opined that such a model “fits into the portfolio exactly.” It is unclear if the new pickup will be the same size as the Gladiator, or downsized to avoid cannibalization of the Ram 1500.
Full-size pickups have dominated the segment for several years, but automakers appear to be seeing more opportunity in the midsize models. General Motors today claimed its Colorado is “America’s fastest-selling pickup,” with each unit spending an average of just 19 days on dealer lots, and Ford is rumored to be bringing the Ranger back to the US market.
Suppliers are said to be preparing for the Wrangler and its pickup counterpart to reach combined annual sales of 350,000 units, effectively doubling the Wrangler’s 2014 sales numbers.
Additional details surrounding the Wrangler pickup could be announced after FCA and UAW officials wrap up their latest round of contract negotiations in the next few weeks. The pickup is not expected to launch until the next-generation Wrangler’s arrival in 2017 or 2018.
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