If you were hoping for a glimpse of the 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you’ll have to reign in those hopes a little longer.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced Thursday it will not unveil any new vehicles in Detroit - choosing instead to utilize the upcoming Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, which starts Jan. 3, to debut a new vehicle. It is not clear what that vehicle may be, but one possibility could be a self-driving Chrysler Pacifica SUV and not the JL. FCA is currently partnering with Google to develop an autonomous Pacifica and the CES would be an ideal launching platform, said AutoTrader analyst Michelle Krebs.
“FCA needs to show the world it is in the advanced technology game,” Krebs told the Toledo Blade. “CES is a good locale for such a debut. Fiat Chrysler has not ventured to CES before, while its competitors have.”
The announcement comes as a bit of a surprise as FCA has used the Detroit show since 2010 to pull the curtain down on many of its new releases. Industry speculation throughout most of the summer and fall suggested Detroit would be the logical place to give buyers a look at the next-generation Wrangler, as well as a potential first look at the upcoming Jeep Truck, but IHS Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Brinley believes the timing just wasn’t right for FCA.
“Not having a car in Detroit is much more about FCA's product development life cycles than anything else," Brinley told The Detroit Free Press. "I am certain it's not a decision that was taken lightly."
FCA declined to say what it planned to reveal at the CES, but Jeep CEO Mike Manley said towards the end of November that the JL unveiling may not come until later in 2017. This could mean a possible co-debut at April’s Moab Easter Jeep Safari and New York Auto Show, or a stand-alone reveal sometime later in the summer. Manley said he still expects the vehicle to launch by the end of 2017.
Normally, the big three Detroit automakers hold press conferences during the NAIAS to reveal new or redesigned vehicles as it is one of the industry’s most important shows. Last year, the NAIAS has 61 vehicle debuts. Ford and GM do plan to unveil new vehicles at the show.
“Obviously, Detroit is the biggest show and very important to us,” FCA spokesman Rick Deneau told the Toledo Blade. “CES is also a big opportunity. I think it will prove more obvious why specifically we are showing the vehicle first at CES once it’s revealed.”
