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FCA's 5-Year Plan Focuses on Ram and Jeep
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles today released the company's next five-year business plan at an event in Balocco, Italy, a tradition started by FCA Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne 14 years ago. The idea is to give the world — and financial markets — guidance about the company's future goals. Reports filtering out from the event show that the company plans to focus its attention on the four brands that comprise most of its current and future profits. This means major investment in both technology and product for Ram, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
Ram: Production Rebel TRX, New Global Mid-Size Truck
For truck enthusiasts, Ram and Jeep news are the big stories. The 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX concept — the Hellcat-powered Ford F-150 Raptor fighter that Ram showed at the 2016 Texas State Fair — is headed for production. The concept made 575 horsepower from its detuned, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine, but had all the requisite off-road goodies to allow it to blitz over any terrain at top speed, just like a Raptor. The truck featured a coil-link rear suspension and internal bypass shocks, steel bumpers front and rear, suede seats with six-point racing harnesses and more. FCA says that the Rebel TRX will see showrooms by 2022 at the latest.
Ram is apparently also developing a new global mid-size truck as well, which is meant to compete with the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma and the revived U.S. Ford Ranger slated for 2019. The company did not say whether the Dakota name would be revived, from when Dodge sold a mid-size pickup. Fiat would also get a version of the truck to sell globally, according to reports.
Finally, the next-generation 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks are set to debut at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in January in Detroit.
Jeep Gets Electrified, Adds New Models
Jeep will focus on product expansion and electrification. FCA said that it wants Jeep to account for 20 percent of all utility vehicles sold globally by 2022, a tall order in any market environment. To do that, it will need more models, which it plans to bring by expanding into the A segment (smaller than a subcompact) globally, as well as adding new models in North America. We'll see a three-row version of the next Grand Cherokee, and the return of the big Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models to sit atop the Jeep lineup. The Desert Hawk trim level will appear in the first quarter of 2020, gracing the Cherokee at first. The trim is meant to allow for high-speed desert running through sand by meeting eight unspecified desert-related engineering qualifications, according to the Jeep presentation.
Electrification also will be the focus at Jeep, with each nameplate in the lineup offering an electrified version by 2021. There will be 10 plug-in-hybrids and four fully electric models in the Jeep lineup, according to Jeep head Mike Manley, as reported by Automotive News (subscription required). Included in those models could be versions of a fully electric Renegade, Compass and Cherokee, and maybe even a Wrangler.
Beyond that, Jeep also plans to offer a subscription-based service, wherein subscribers sign up for a tier-based monthly fee and can get access to FCA vehicles, depending on which level they've chosen. Jeep is also planning to run a pilot program for "borrowing" vehicles based on "coins" that one earns through purchasing a product and other means. If you buy a Wrangler or a "Hawk" model (such as a Trailhawk, Trackhawk or Desert Hawk), you earn coins to use against borrowing another model in the lineup; you can purchase more coins as needed to maintain access as well. That program is slated to have a trial in the northeastern U.S. market next year, while the subscription service is set to go nationwide then as well.
