Aussie decision on Jeep's Range Rover rival soon

Jeep will decide within three months whether to produce its new-generation Grand Wagoneer – a seven-seat luxury SUV to rival the likes of BMW's top-selling X5 – in right-hand drive guise for markets including Australia.

So says the iconic US brand's global chief Mike Manley, who told Auto Express last year that Jeep's born-again Grand Wagoneer, teaser images of which have been published by Autoblog.com (pictured) following a US dealer event in October, would be a direct competitor to big premium SUVs such as the Range Rover.

The new Jeep flagship was confirmed as part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' five-year business plan in 2014 and will bring Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz levels of luxury, three rows of seats and a near-$100,000 pricetag to match.

Speaking to Australian journalists at this week's Los Angeles motor show, Manley, who is also FCA's Asia Pacific chief, said the new model will go on sale in the US and Europe by 2020, but indicated RHD production was unlikely.

“That is one [the Grand Wagoneer] that possibly won’t make right-hand drive," he said.

"The project hasn’t been ruled out yet. We have requests from all of our right-hand drive markets for it. We have time as well, because that’s scheduled for the end of [20]19, so that one is right on the table today.

"In fact [FCA Australia boss] Steve [Zanlunghi] gets his input in the coming probably two to three months so we can make the decision."

However, Manley suggested the Grand Wagoneer could become a global 'halo' model even at the expense of profitability.

“For me it’s going to become another halo for the brand and then sometimes the financial dynamics don’t matter as much as it being a halo. But at the moment that’s one is where the decision is the question.”

Asked what other Jeep products were on his wishlist for markets like Australia, Manley nominated a sub-Renegade micro-SUV and a seven-seat mid-size SUV in the same vein as the top-selling Toyota Kluger.

Jeep does not currently offer a seven-seat model of any kind in Australia, where large three-row SUVs are highly popular, and there is a growing trend towards seven-seat versions of mid-size SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Nissan X-TRAIL, Mitsubishi Outlander and, soon, Honda's CR-V and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Motoring.com.au understands that instead of developing a three-row version of the Grand Cherokee, Jeep is working on a larger, reskinned version of the new Cherokee due next year.

“The only thing that I would then next look at is a good three-row mid-sized Jeep," said Manley.

"Grand Wagoneer is too big. It’s going to be significantly longer and wider than Grand Cherokee. It’ll be three row.

"If you look at, for example, what Toyota has done with their three-row, Ford have just announced a three-row Edge [for China], Hyundai have a three-row, Kia have a three-row.

"I think given the fact families are migrating away from vans [people-movers] but still occasionally need three rows that’s usable, for us it has to be a market we look at.

"Jeep has historically until the late 1990s always had a full-size SUV above the Grand Cherokee. It doesn't suit all markets but there are a few key markets around the world."

Manley restated his commitment to right-hand drive models, especially for Jeep, but stopped short of guaranteeing it for every  Jeep.

"I'm very passionate about right-hand drive for the UK and Australia," he said.

"I have no intention of walking away from right-hand drive. There may be a specific model where for a whole host of reasons it is almost impossible to financially justify right-hand drive, but for Jeep we intend to be in right-hand drive markets for a long time – forever.

Local FCA boss Steve Zanlunghi -- who was previously the MD of FCA UK, the only RHD market larger than Australia -- confirmed that at least the Grand Wagoneer was under consideration for Australia, for which at least one seven-seat Jeep appears to be on the horizon.

"We're on record as saying a new Grand Wagoneer is under development," he said.

"Right-hand drive is under discussion and we're looking at all the different business cases. We're working on it".