Jeep pickup not happening anytime soon, model still undecided

Jeep Gladiator Concept

Earlier this year, Jeep CEO Mike Manley showed a concept Jeep pickup truck hybrid at the company’s 2010 Dealer Announcement Show in Orlando. At the show, Chrysler Group’s 2,314 U.S. dealers saw Manley end his presentation by saying: “You never know what might show up in your showroom someday,” after which a Jeep pickup concept rolled onto the stage.

Shortly after all that took place, we heard reports from sources that the pickup model would go into production sometime in the third quarter of 2011 badged as a 2012 model. Well, it ain’t happening.

While enthusiasm towards building a Jeep pickup truck remains high at the brand, there has been no “done deal” approval by the higher-ups.

Why? Well, the folks at Chrysler’s Ram brand are kind of upset stating that a Jeep pickup would cannibalize their pickup sales. Another reason is Chrysler is facing a shortage of engineers – so to build and engineer a brand new pickup Jeep would require a lot of resources.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)