Mexican Media Brands
FCA Rules Out All-Aluminum Body for Jeep Wrangler
CEO Sergio Marchionne confirms Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has decided against giving its next-generation 2017 model Jeep Wrangler SUV an aluminum unitized body.
#aluminum
Share
CEO Sergio Marchionne confirms Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has decided against giving its next-generation 2017 model Jeep Wrangler SUV an aluminum unitized body.
Marchionne tells reporters the iconic Jeep will be able to achieve about the same desired fuel economy improvement by retaining a steel frame and adding an aluminum hood, doors and tailgate.
Switching to a unitized aluminum architecture would require an extensive overhaul of the Wrangler assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. Marchionne floated the idea last autumn of such a project but declared it would be "outrageously" expensive to execute.
Reports last October indicated FCA might abandon an all-aluminum design. Marchionne confirms that bolting aluminum panels to a steel Wrangler body would be considerably easier to accomplish and result in significantly lower materials and manufacturing costs.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Creating a Low-Cost Chassis Architecture
The engineers at Zenos Cars have combined recycled carbon fiber, drinking straws and aluminum to create a chassis for a low-volume sports car.
-
On French Concept, Inclusive Mobility, Nissan Frontier, and More
French conceptual mobility vehicles, VW addresses mobility for the disabled, a look at the 2022 Nissan Frontier, MINI surveys people about EVs, engineering the Sportster S engine, Honda’s avatar robot, and a driver shortage addressed
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.