Next-Gen Jeep Wrangler Could Have Aluminum Body
Ford unleashed aluminum — lighter but pricier than steel — to the masses with the aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 pickup truck, and Jeep could be close behind. Automotive News reports (subscription required) the Wrangler SUV will have an aluminum frame when Jeep redesigns it for 2017 or 2018, but it will retain the body-on-frame architecture that’s loved by hardcore off-roaders.
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The combination means the next-gen Wrangler should preserve its go-anywhere roots but could shed hundreds of pounds versus the current SUV, which weighs in at 3,760 to 4,340 pounds, depending on model, and that could boost gas mileage versus the current Wrangler’s 18 mpg combined EPA rating.
The news confirms an Oct. 2 report in The Detroit Free Press that the next Wrangler might have an aluminum body. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the time that the automaker might consider moving the redesigned Wrangler to a different manufacturing location from FCA’s current plant in Toledo, Ohio — reportedly the site of Jeep’s 1941 birth, now home to the Wrangler and Cherokee — but that he “will never build a Wrangler outside the U.S.,” according to the Free Press. (Jeep is one of several FCA brands.) At least for now, the Automotive News report quells any possibility that FCA would switch the Wrangler to a unibody platform, which car-based crossovers like the Cherokee and Patriot employ. It also suggests Wrangler production will stay in Toledo.
Jeep last redesigned its iconic off-roader for the 2007 model year, adding a four-door Wrangler Unlimited that’s proven popular ever since. Company officials at FCA’s investor day told reporters in May to expect a new Wrangler in spring 2017. We asked FCA for comment, but spokeswoman Gabrielle Schulte declined.
Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
