Is Jeep the new Land Rover?

Is Jeep the new Land Rover?

19 May 2022 BY Jean-Sébastien Poudrier
Jeep Grand Wagoneer 2022

I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about Jeep lately, and I think it’s time to clarify the situation about the American manufacturer. If we looked back 15 years ago, Jeep was in a bad position, it was the financial crisis, and the brand went for smaller and more economical models like the Patriot and the Compass. However, the vehicle that really saved Jeep, in my opinion, is the Wrangler, thanks to its strong customer base. 

 

Today, Jeep is by far the most profitable brand in the Stellantis family, and even though each new model is more expensive than the previous one, people continue to buy. In the last few years, Jeep launched the Gladiator, a completely new Grand Cherokee, and the Grand Wagoneer. These aren’t cheap, and they are selling like lemonade on a hot day. It isn’t all about the Wrangler anymore. That starts to look like a Land Rover story where the British manufacturer started as an off-road SUV-making company. Today, most Land Rover won’t touch anything other than tarmac.

 

A Luxury brand?

 

Saying Jeep doesn’t sound like saying Mercedes-Benz, Audi, or BMW, or is it? Well, according to many studies, Jeep is apparently stealing a lot of customers from the main German luxury brand. The new Grand Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee L are very impressive vehicles. The popularity of the model has exploded since the new design came out.

 

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee price starts at around $52 500, which is still way cheaper than same-size luxury SUVs. However, things can get expensive quickly since you can reach almost $90 000 with options. So for the price point of its models, I think we can say Jeep is a luxury brand.

 

Where people have a problem seeing Jeep as a luxury brand is with the prestige of the brand. When you see somebody driving a Mercedes-Benz, success is the first thing that comes to your mind. When I see somebody in a brand-new Grand Cherokee, I have the tendency to say the same thing now. It’s clear that Jeep isn’t at the level of the German Manufacturers yet, and it will probably never be. However, I am sure Jeep is slowly turning into a luxury brand. Yes, most Jeep models are affordable in their base version, but the one you really want is usually a lot more expensive.

 

The new Compass, the Grand Cherokee, the Grand Cherokee L, the Wagoneer, and the Grand Wagoneer look like a luxury vehicle. However, I think Jeep will need to work a little more on the Cherokee, the Wrangler, and the Gladiator to raise its game.

 

Jean-Sébastien Poudrier



Tags: Audi, BMW, Jeep, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Author: Jean-Sébastien Poudrier