Official Word Regarding the (Stretched) Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

TheToledoBlade.com has a great article about the upcoming Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - a stretched version of the Wrangler that will go on sale in April of 2004.

The article also mentions the all-new 2005 Grand Cherokee as well as the Liberty Renegade.

Here's some snippets:

The Wrangler Unlimited, to be priced between a $19,335 X and $25,085 Rubicon, will be available in full force in April, months before dealerships originally had expected. No jobs are expected to be added at Toledo Jeep Assembly to build the Unlimited, which The Blade reported more than a year ago was in the works.

The Unlimited has a wheelbase 10 inches longer than the 93.4 inches on other Wranglers and an overall length that is 15 inches greater, allowing 2 extra inches in the second-row seat as well as more cargo room, said Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler's executive vice president of sales, marketing, and service.

...snip...

The automaker prohibited photographs of the vehicles it unveiled yesterday at Cobo Hall, including the Detroit-made 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Officials also declined to talk about production and sales plans, such as how many Unlimited models will be made at Toledo Jeep and whether new or existing Wrangler customers are expected to buy them.

Longtime Jeep salesman Ron Szegedi said he anticipates the Unlimited will attract different buyers to the Toledo-born brand, such as those who don't want an SUV as big as the Liberty yet need more cargo room than currently available in a Wrangler.

...snip...

The Wrangler Unlimited will be 30 percent quieter on road and better at crawling over rocks off road than other Wranglers, said Jeff Bell, vice president of Jeep. "In a phrase, it's more Wrangler, " he added.

The Unlimited, which has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, will be shown at the Detroit auto show with both hard and soft tops. Mr. Bell said the Wrangler Sahara model will be phased out in 2004.

Although all Libertys will be refreshed for the 2005 model year, the Renegade version will have some unique features beyond a light bar and side fenders that have a bolted-on look. The 2005 Renegade is more masculine, with a straight hood line resembling the Wrangler, a different grille, front bumper lamps, skid plates, and other features.

Be sure to check out the entire article.

DetroitNews.com also has an article covering Chrysler's new vehicle lineup - and it includes a rendering of the all-new 2005 Grand Cherokee (it has been described as both "muscular" and "boxy" - check it out here (rendering at the bottom of the page).