Jeep: Seven models is too much, Chrysler may shrink lineup

Ditch the compass, keep the Patriot.

Liberty is all new so you cant really change much now.

Ditch the commander, make the next Grand Cherokee look more 'rugged Jeep' and less 'grocery getter highlander'. I know the capability is there, but the looks arent.

I won't look at either of them even though my wife wants a small SUV.

I agree about ditching the Compass. They had some great looking concepts for a small, urban JEEP and then they came out with that sad looking thing. I think they can and should do at least one thing that's not necessarily TRAIL-RATED, but with all wheel drive and a sporting nature. Maybe a three door, something A3 with a JEEP edge.

The compass is definitely horrible.

I know that Jeep is an off road focused company, but could they at least offer an option for a more powerful engine. I'm specifically speaking about the Wrangler and the only available engine being a 202hp slug (although 240ft-lb torque). I'm not talking about a 300hp Jeep Wrangler, but 230-250hp option would be nice.

How about a disel wrangler? Lots 'o torque for rock crawlin'!

M35MT, you are on the right track. I once met some AM General engineers in the parking lot as they were leaving a government building. This was at the time when the real aluminum-bodied Hummer (not the H2 or H3) was available in the civilian market. We spoke extensively about diesel vs. gas engines and their advice was that diesel engines are much better for hard off-road use than gas engines.

They can drop the Compass easily, bad idea from the beginning with bad styling to boot(a Jeep that can't go off-road, why???). They can also drop the Commander(which has happened already), make the next-gen Grand Cherokee a little bigger to accomodate a 3rd row. They can take that extra money and develop better interiors and powertrains for the remaining models and that could be a good start.

This is hilarious. What a joke!

C'mon Chrysler! Wake up!

I think they ARE waking up. They will be a leaner and more focused company now with new owners and some seriously pedigreed new managers at the top. I'm looking for a big turnaround for them.

I've been saying this for months... dump the Patriot AND the Compass, you don't need either, you have the Liberty. Who needs a 2 ft long Jeep? Nobody wants a Jeep in that class anyway--they'd rather have a CR-V.

Actually, scrap the Liberty, too, and bring back the Cherokee. You can also drop the Commander and make a long version of the next-gen Grand Cherokee to fill in the spot. Of course, keep the Wrangler, but as Benzo said, give it a more powerful engine option.

Oh and, one more thing: make them all better on the inside. Even the Wrangler. They're pitifully cheap.

Jeep has always been a bright spot in Chrysler's so so lineup. Both the compass and patriot defeat the purpose of having multiple brands. Save the onroaders for Chrysler and Dodge. Also, the new Liberty was poorly designed. Having sold primarily to females in the past, it should now be marketed to males, as females are now far more likely to chose a more carlike vehicle like a CRV. With the Liberty being a true off-roader, it should really look the part. And the 3.7 liter V6 sucked when it came out, to not update it after 6 or 7 years is pathetic.

I agree with most other posts (ditch the Compass first, and the Patriot), except the third-row option on the Grand Cherokee - this vehicle has always been a 5 seater truly capable of off-road performance - market it as anything resembling a family vehicle, and I think you lose the off-road branding earned. IF there is a market for a family-type vehicle, create something else under the Chrysler name, but do not dilute Jeep brand imagery.

Also, on the Wrangler, I see no reason to update the interiors. It is a basic off-roader - making the interior more expensive across the base lines will inflate the price for a segment that largely does not care. The interiors on the Grand Cherokee are quite nice as is.

The Liberty, based on the new ad campaign, seems to look more rugged and seems to have at least some trail capability. I think they did this correctly, although the customer perception of the vehicle has definitely gone the way of the CR-V (more female/domestically inclined); perhaps reviving the Cherokee name with a more rugged platform(although smaller than the Gr. Cherokee) is warrantted to recapture the correct target market.

Oh, I still think they should have a five-seat GC, but make a seven-seater an OPTION. Why is it not allowed to have seven seats when the Land Cruiser can, and they're both off-roading icons?

The Grand Cherokee and the Land Cruiser don't belong in the same class. They're not the same size but they should be.

I agree they need a 7 seat option for the GC. The Commander was a good idea just executed wrong. The lineup should be the GC in seven and five seat versions the Liberty and the Wrangler. If they want to add a vehicle they should add a fun crossover like the Toyota FJ. The Compass is a wasts and the Patriot as well

Reducing the number of models is a good idea. Adding some quality to them would be even better!