Despite its distrust of SUVs, Jeep has no plans to “distort its DNA”

SUVs are increasingly criticized. Too long, too heavy, and even too broad according to some, the list of criticisms that are being piled on increases day by day. A bad attempt we have already returned to before. Faced with this, well aware of these accusations, of this growing distrust, manufacturers are cleverly competing to make their SUVs more socially “acceptable” and not to scare off customers. For some time now, for example, SUV coupes and lifted sedans have been flourishing. The Peugeot 3008, the king of raised cars in France, for example, succumbed to this trend. If the first is successful (BMW X4, Renault Arkana, etc.), the second is not so much (Citroën C5 How can a manufacturer like Jeep, an off-road specialist, focus? We asked a question to the brand manager in Europe Eric Laforge during the tests of Jeep Avenger hybrid.

The Franco-French thing

According to him, SUVs are not a problem. “I don’t know if it’s the population that has been against the SUV or if it’s certain political forces that are using it as a tool to get people talking.” The question arises a little for him because he sees it as a Franco-French thing. “Living in Italy, and not in France”, he sees this subject not without interest but from afar. And he is right. After all, when the city hall of Lyon announced last January that it will increase the price of parking for SUVs (well for big cars, because it could not define precisely what an SUV is), it was proud of the world first. It is true that, to our knowledge, this subject is little discussed among our European neighbors. Perhaps only in the Czech Republic is the question being asked at the moment.

“Our SUVs will have a 4×4 version, and they will be pure SUVs”

In fact, Jeep has no real interest in reviewing its strategy while this matter is still limited by its level. Furthermore, and this is also why it seemed important to us to ask this question to Jeep more than any other brand (we can do the same with Land Rover), and Eric Laforge summed it up very well: “Jeep’s raison d’être is SUVs” . He goes further: “we invented SUVs. We invented 4x4s. And today, we have no plans to distort our DNA by doing something that is not us.” There is no need to imagine a Jeep with a gently sloping roof or a Jeep that will be worse – not an SUV or 4×4, they will keep what has always characterized them, a very square shape, “boxy” (shaped like a box. ), as our mediator likes to point out.

Above all, it is not because the manufacturer will save his soul that he will put ecology aside. “We will stay in the SUV segment and these SUVs will have a 4×4 version. They will be pure SUVs.” Like all Stellantis Group brands, Jeep has high electric targets. It’s always the same: it aims for a 100% electric range by 2030 in Europe. In fact, new 100% electric products will increase between now and then. The Wagoneer S is coming soon. 600 hp, 600 km of freedom, 0 to 100 km / h in 3.6 s, here is the little information we have about this model. The Recon will follow, a 100% baby Wrangler. Finally, the American manufacturer already has a third electric model in its pocket that keeps a secret, well placed, but its presentation seems to be close.

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