How much are you willing to pay to drive a new take on an old, but revered, Jeep name?
That seems like the question Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executives are looking to answer based on how its customers react over the next few years.
But be warned, this answer could be a severe case of sticker shock if you are in the market for a new Jeep Truck.
During the recent Paris Auto Show, Jeep head Mike Manley dropped the first warning shots, saying about the upcoming Grand Wagoneer “I’ll use US dollars, but pushing the car up to $130,000 to $140,000 may be possible.”
Woah.
And with the (as yet unnamed) Jeep Truck set to launch sometime in 2018 – possibly right around the same time as the Wagoneer series - this pricing level (and how it’s received) may go a long way towards determining just where FCA will set the truck cost.
Now, to be fair, that Grand Wagoneer price Manley was referencing would be for the highest end version (we hope), and is a vehicle designed to compete against an entirely different class of machines; think Mercedes and Land Rover.
But even if the base Wagoneer models come in around the expected $70,000 price point, it is entirely possible a positive reaction to even that could raise what we end up paying for the Jeep Truck.
“I don’t think there’s a maximum price ceiling per se for Jeep,” Manley said during the Paris Auto Show.
Currently, Jeep’s most expensive vehicle is the Grand Cherokee SRT, which starts slightly over $65,000. While no one really expects a new Jeep Truck in that price range, it may not be out the question based on where it looks like FCA wants to take the brand.
After all, the profitable North American SUV and light truck market remains red hot right now, even as the car market dips. As long as gas prices remain in the current general area, industry experts believe this demand will continue. For FCA, which has just about exited the car market entirely, it certainly wants to continue capturing as much of that market as possible behind the presence of their new models. It only makes sense then for them to look at setting the price ‘bar’ as high as the market allows.
The automaker hasn’t said yet how many Jeep Truck vehicles it expects to manufacture initially, but many believe the number to be far less than the new Wrangler JL, which probably will enter the market just shy of $30,000.
As far as pricing, the Jeep Truck could find itself on lots with a base sticker somewhere between $35- to 40-thousand. Possibly even higher, depending on how FCA execs decide to answer that ‘how much are you willing to pay’ question.
So, how much would you be willing to pay?
