JT (Wrangler Truck) pushed to late 2019

Thanks for the very sad info @vgeh lol. That sucks to hear. Can you tell us why it was delayed? Is it because of the diesel problems?

 

Figures.. we're defiantly gone now..

 

I'm a little confused by this.

Isn't the upgraded 3.6L going in the JL which is due out late this year? Is the S1 2019 you mention just in regards to the JT?

If so is that when the JT is going into production?

 

Oh man bummer! Only silver lining here is this hopefully means a more polished and issue free product. They'll have 2 years of JL/JLU production under their belt after all.

 

@vgeh what does "S1" mean?

 

Head > desk (repeat)

 

$100 says this is because of the FCA Diesel issue with the current Diesel in the the Ram/Grand Cherokee:

Sounds like they are updating/redoing the current 3.0L diesel as a result of the this issue and it wont be ready till then. This would also suggest no JL/JLU diesel to MY 2020 either. The ONE positive is it shows the diesel is STILL planned.

This is s HUGE bummer for me personally as 2019 was already a long time for me to wait to replace my 2013 JKU. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait it out till 2020.

 

yup won't be interested...I intend on buying by end of next calendar year so I'll just cross this off my list.

Wonder if this will impact the wagoneer comeback as well.

 

We'll be able to tell if that's the case when we see if they do/don't pull the Ram 1500 and Grand Cherokee diesel models until MY2020 since that should be the same engine going into the JT/JL.

 

Same. I will need a vehicle by the end of 2018 (get back to the US in March '18) and this was going to be it. We can't get by as a 1 car household for two years, 9ish months was pushing it as it was. Not sure what my plan will be now. Ugh.

 

I have a new plan. Find one of these in decent condition and swap in a V8. I'm sure my wife will LOVE the idea of another project.

 

Well if it's any indication, they've pulled the current 2017 Grand Cherokee ecodiesel from the website. Ram 1500 still has it available for one model.

 

If anything, I'd argue delays with the JT aren't simply engine this or management that. The JT has to be a completely a different vehicle than the JL. It can't just be a Wrangler with a bed slapped on the back. If it's going to be a true truck, it needs to have true truck capability and that means being able to tow and haul things, something the Wrangler has never been good at.

I always laughed at the goofiness of the JK8 conversion kit and the ridiculously expensive AEV Brute that gave you a nifty truck bed and that was all. You spend a ton of money turning your Wrangler into a truck that cannot tow or haul anything more than what a 4-door sedan could back in the '90s, regardless of what you do to the powertrain.

 

Along the lines of what you are saying though, a delay in the diesel may be a very good reason to hold up the JT. If they want to improve that tow rating the diesel will be key.

 

I agree and disagree.

The JT will have to be a truck for sure, but it only needs to compete with the Canyon, Colorado, and Tacoma. None of those are known for towing capacity, or even cargo space in the bed. I think a JK with the Brute conversion kit could easily hold its own against those, the only reason it doesnt is the cost. Simply adding a bed to the JK makes it 1,000x more useful. I have put sheets of plywood, 2x4s, and various landscaping materials in my JK without issue. The biggest problem for hauling stuff usually involves the current sports bar getting in the way, and having a open bed removes this issue.

There is no way FCA will make the JT compete with the RAM as it simply doesn't make business sense. I do think the diesel is a key motor however for the JT as Chevy already offers one and its pulling buyers from the Tacoma like crazy. Also it makes the truck much more capable for towing toys (RZRs, Snowmobiles, PWC) which is what owners of those pick up usually want.

 

The JT wont compete with the 1500 if anything it will be competing with the Canyon/colorado, Tacoma, Frontier, and new ranger.

 

Yeah, the JT isn't a full-size truck competitor, it's mid-size, and they're coming back with a vengeance. Toyota had it mostly to themselves for a while, but Chevy is looking to change that and so is Ford.