Torque Staff Report
Welcome to the Seven Slot Dispatch, our weekly aggregation of Jeep news and events from around the automotive landscape. Every week, we’ll be shifting into low range to bring you the latest news, gear drops, and industry moves shaping the Jeep world.
Whether it's fresh concept news from Moab, Utah, new initiatives from Stellantis, a dive into Jeep’s latest model, or a closer look at the community that's been living the Jeep life for decades, you'll find it all here — served up with the same grit and passion that built the brand itself.
Here’s the latest news and information.
Wrangler and Gladiator Climb as Stellantis Sees Q2 Sales Slip
Stellantis posted a 10 percent year-over-year drop in U.S. sales for the second quarter of 2025, as higher interest rates and ongoing inventory challenges continued to impact the auto industry. However, despite the broader slowdown, Jeep’s core off-roaders showed surprising resilience. Wrangler and Gladiator models both saw year-over-year sales increases, helping to anchor the brand amid shifting market headwinds.
Overall, Wrangler jumped 23 percent against this time last year, while Gladiator shot up 27 percent.
While Stellantis overall faced declines across several segments, executives pointed to the continued strength of iconic nameplates like Wrangler and Gladiator as signs of brand loyalty and the enduring appeal of rugged, adventure-ready vehicles. The company remains focused on long-term profitability, evolving production strategies, and maintaining demand for its most enthusiast-driven platforms.
Stellantis Revives SRT Performance Division Under Tim Kuniskis
Stellantis is bringing back its legendary Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division, with Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis now overseeing the performance group across Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler. The move reunites top engineering talent to develop high-performance vehicles, including potential new entries in the muscle and off-road segments. Kuniskis, known for championing the HEMI V8, emphasized that SRT's return is about delivering more performance than ever before. The revived division will also manage Direct Connection and Stellantis' North American motorsports programs, signaling a renewed focus on enthusiast-driven innovation across the lineup.
“We’re getting the band back together,” said Kuniskis. “SRT is another box we needed to check as we head into a product launch cadence enabling more performance than we’ve ever seen before. We’re working with our product development and technology organization to select the best engineers in powertrain and vehicle dynamics to build a team worthy of the SRT name.”
Wildwood Jeep Invasion Update
The Wildwood Jeep Invasion is the Northeast's premier Jeep event, and is taking place from July 11–13, 2025 on the beach near Wildwood, New Jersey’s Convention Center. This annual gathering attracts over 2,500 Jeeps and more than 100 industry-leading vendors, offering a unique blend of beachside fun and Jeep culture.
While registration for Jeep access to beach has closed, anyone can still attend and see all the exhibitions as spectator admission is free.
Some of this year’s Wildwood Jeep Invasion highlights include the always popular Beach Obstacle Course — constructed and monitored by Rausch Creek’s Bernie Gardula and his hard-working staff; daily off-road instructional classes by Off-Road Consulting’s Kyle Buchter; and plenty of vendor exhibits throughout the event area.
Quadratec will have one of its largest tent areas ever at this year’s Jeep Invasion, and will show off numerous Wrangler and Gladiator models with plenty of installed acccessories to poke and prod, as well as tons of new products available and even some scratch and dent items for purchase.
