99 Grand Cherokees and the Future

"I went to my Jeep dealer this weekend and got the 99 brochure. The Grand Cherokee is shown to have the new I-6, but the Cherokee still apparently has the old one. The dealer didn't have any information for me on why this is, but I speculate that there are a bunch of leftover I-6s from last year that Jeep wants to use up before they switch over to the newer I-6. (it would strike me as odd if Jeep wanted to make two versions of the same engine)..."

"The Wall St. Journal reported on Wednesday that the new Jeep Grand Cherokee would be shipped to dealers across the country this week."

"I was at my local Jeep dealer in the greater seattle area today and inquired about the new WJ. the salesman said 6 cyls will arrive in early september while the V-8's won't arrive till October or November. he said the v-8 was all new so would be arriving late."

"Saw 7 car-haulers full of GC's going eastbound on I-80 and I-76 around the NE. CO. border this past weekend (8-16) while heading back home from vacation. Also saw a maroon laredo going eastbound with an American flag flying off the back. I think you might find some on dealer lots soon...."

We also found an article about how design interns at Chrysler have come up with a couple of Jeep concept vehicles:

• The Jeep Centaur, the breeding of a mid-sized truck and utility vehicle that gives Jeep a strong entry into the truck market. A light-duty truck with construction capabilities, it rides high and digs deep, with a retractable plow that folds into the grille.
• The Jeep Orienteer, a new type of race car for a new form of competition known as RallyCross2. Racing on four-wheel-drive electric power, Orienteer has an adjustable suspension to conquer the steep grades and sand dunes of the race course. It also can be adapted for highway use.
• The Jeep Terrain, a sporty camping vehicle that features a rear fold-out tent and hot and cold storage within the console. Targeted at first-time buyers, it runs on fuel cells whose water by-product can be converted to drinking water for its camping passengers.

We've gotten our hands on some more 99GC images, we'll be posting them over the next few days...