Toledo lands Wrangler, will lose Cherokee - Detroit Free Press
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has found a way to keep the iconic Jeep Wrangler in Toledo, but it involves the loss of the next-generation Jeep Cherokee. The automaker plans to move production of the Wrangler to the north side of its Toledo Assembly Complex, where the Cherokee is made, and launch the Wrangler there. It also has plans to produce a Wrangler-based pickup in Toledo. The decision was first reported today by Automotive News, which said FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne explained the rationale for the decision in an Aug. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (to know) that the only way I can move around the Wrangler is to move it into the other Toledo plant. A person familiar with the automaker's plans said the automaker is unlikely to announce its decision until contract talks with the UAW are complete and until the company's internal approval process is complete. The automaker plans to retool Toledo North plant for the next-generation Wrangler next summer. It also plans to make a Wrangler-based pickup in the adjacent Toledo South plant, where the Wrangler is currently made, according to another person briefed on the automaker's plans who could not be named because of the sensitivity of the information. Source: www.freep.com
