by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
The end of an era didn’t come with fireworks, giant celebrations or any other type of widespread fanfare.
At least, maybe not yet.
Instead, it came Thursday simply as the form of a leaked internal memo showing Jeep owner Stellantis plans to terminate the Wrangler nameplate by 2025.
According to the memo, the automaker will replace the Wrangler name with Cougar beginning with the 2025 model year, in a bid to draw more focus to its competition with Ford’s Bronco. Additionally, a term search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website shows Stellantis applied for the name ‘Cougar’ in November 2021 under “motor vehicles, parts and accessories.”
”Our focus study has shown the Cougar name reflects well in the following key terms—power, agility and great strength—everything you could want to say about a Jeep,” an unnamed Stellantis executive said in the memo. “Plus, horses such as Broncos are simply afraid of Cougars, and that will be a great marketing visual for us going forward.”
Stellantis Friday officially declined to comment on future name changes with any of its brands, or whether the Jeep model would undergo any modification, such as a change in the sport, sahara and rubicon trim levels in upcoming editions.
Jeep previously announced plans for a refresh of its Wrangler JL line for the 2023 model year, and the leaked memo did not indicate if that will still happen, or if the vehicle will remain in its current state through the end of 2024 production.
It is also unclear if Stellantis’ Toledo, Ohio manufacturing facility will remain as the Jeep Cougar’s production location. However, it seems highly unlikely the automaker would move locations as Toledo recently went through a whole expensive retrofit process when production started on the Wrangler JL in 2018.
Jeep first introduced Wrangler in 1986 as a replacement for the long-running, but spartan, CJ edition — marketing the vehicle for a whole new class of daily drivers, as well as the off-road crowd. The brand made comfort adjustments, updated the interior, slightly lowered and widened the chassis and beefed up safety and handling features.
Since the original Wrangler YJ, the brand moved to a TJ edition in 1997, offered a two- and four-door JK beginning in 2007 and currently has the JL.
In that time, Wrangler exploded in popularity, going from a niche vehicle to something that sells over 200,000 units per year for Stellantis.
Ironically, Ford was the last automaker to take on the Cougar name. Its Mercury division offered the Cougar from 1967-97 and then 1999-02 in a two-door coupe, but also saw versions in a convertible, hatchback, four-door sedan and station wagon.
Ford’s automotive patent for the Cougar was last renewed in 2001, and its 20-year lifespan recently expired — apparently leading Stellantis to move forward with that name claim.
Stellantis is no stranger to using animal names in its brands, as one of its most famous models is the French automobile Peugeot, which utilizes a lion logo because “Bold and powerful, the lion's teeth were intended to represent the strength and sharpness of the products,” the company says on its website.
Additionally, some Jeep and Dodge models use a Hellcat-themed engine powerplant.
Jeep’s former owner Fiat Chrysler announced in mid-2020 that it was merging with Groupe PSA. The new entity, Stellantis, debuted in early 2021.
However, do not expect to see any Wrangler vehicles swap over to a name like Cougar. While the Jeep brand is engaged in a fight with Bronco for 4x4 and off-road dominance, the Wrangler name is here to stay at least for the next several years — if not longer.
After all, it is April Fools Day.
