Report: Marchionne Wants a Jeep Range Rover Competitor
Flagship Model Could Top $100,000
For some, the world is not enough, and despite the Jeep brand’s record-breaking global sales for the last several years, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne is not convinced that the brand has exploited every potential market niche. At a ceremony opening an Alfa Romeo and Maserati dealership in Canada, a Bloomberg report quotes him as saying, “When I see a Range Rover on the street, my blood boils, because we should be able to do a thing like that, and we will.”
Many interpreted that as a hint that FCA has an ultra-luxurious Jeep model in development. Plans for a revival of the Grand Wagoneer are well-known, and that model is expected for the 2018 model year. However, some believe the Range Rover rival that Marchionne is alluding to could sit above even the Grand Wagoneer and possibly fetch as much as $100,000 all-in.
FCA is also planning premium crossover models from its Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands, but Jeep has the most historical legitimacy in facing off against Land Rover, with a proven track record of off-road development and prowess. However, some question whether a six-figure Jeep would stretch the brand too far, which currently ranges from models under $20,000 (the Renegade) to the Grand Cherokee SRT, which carries an MSRP of just under $70,000.
Source: Bloomberg
