For those of you patiently waiting for a production Jeep pickup that you can pick up at your local dealership, we have bad news. Automotive News is quoting Jeep CEO Michael Manley as saying it won't be happening anytime soon.
"It is too late in Wrangler's product cycle to add a pickup. The 2015 or 2016 time frame makes more sense. That's when we will refresh the Wrangler," said Manley at the Frankfurt Motor Show. All hope is not lost, however, as Manley says he is "working closely with the product team because [he thinks] a pickup would be a great addition and a natural extension of the product line."
In the meantime, buyers are welcome to order up one of Chrysler's Mopar Jeep JK-8 pickup conversion kits, which will convert Wrangler Unlimited models into a small pickup. The JK-8 Independence kit includes a pickup bed floor, body panels, a fiberglass cap and a bulkhead. Dealers or ambitious do-it-yourselfers can do the conversion. The kit costs $5,499, and Mopar says it has sold about 300.
While it's certainly not as good as a ready-made machine, the JK-8 kit is reportedly selling better than Jeep had expected, which can only bode well for the chances of a production pickup in due time.
Source - Autonews
"It is too late in Wrangler's product cycle to add a pickup. The 2015 or 2016 time frame makes more sense. That's when we will refresh the Wrangler," said Manley at the Frankfurt Motor Show. All hope is not lost, however, as Manley says he is "working closely with the product team because [he thinks] a pickup would be a great addition and a natural extension of the product line."
In the meantime, buyers are welcome to order up one of Chrysler's Mopar Jeep JK-8 pickup conversion kits, which will convert Wrangler Unlimited models into a small pickup. The JK-8 Independence kit includes a pickup bed floor, body panels, a fiberglass cap and a bulkhead. Dealers or ambitious do-it-yourselfers can do the conversion. The kit costs $5,499, and Mopar says it has sold about 300.
While it's certainly not as good as a ready-made machine, the JK-8 kit is reportedly selling better than Jeep had expected, which can only bode well for the chances of a production pickup in due time.
Source - Autonews
