Jeep to produce more accessories

[TerryMason]

SEMA has estimated that customers spend 6.1 billion customizing light trucks, and that the Jeep Wrangler is the most customized 4x4 SUV on the market.

So, with all that money on the table, Mopar plans to launch about 50 products each year, adding to their existing 450-part Jeep accessory catalog.

Helfman River Oaks Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Houston has been doing in-house modifications to Wranglers for about three years, specializing in lift kits, which raise the body off the suspension to provide more off-road clearance. New-vehicle Sales Manager Blake Helfman said doing the Wrangler work in-house has bolstered the dealership's bottom line and improved customer service.

"When we first started, we were doing them aftermarket, and we had quality issues," Helfman said. Now the dealership averages about 20 Wrangler lift kits per month, at a cost ranging from $9,000 to $11,000. The kits include tires, wheels and other accessories.

"We like to keep five or six custom-lifted Wranglers in stock at any given time, and it really helps sell them," he said.

Over the next six months, Mopar will have "a continuous launch" of accessories for the Wrangler, each certified by the brand and thus keeping the vehicle warranty intact, Gorlier said.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/201...crease-in-house-accessory-sales#ixzz2h8Zbadlt

I would like to see what an $11,000 wheel and lift combo looks like.