The Jeep brand needs no introduction. In fact, it has become such a household name that many people call any type of sports utility vehicle a “Jeep.” That’s recognition any brand dreams to achieve. That reputation was gained after World War II when civilian Jeep vehicles flaunted capable four-wheel-drivetrains, robust construction and a go-anywhere attitude.
For many years, arguably decades, Jeep vehicles were known as the benchmark in off-road capabilities, even though some rivals such as Toyota and Land Rover offered some pretty capable machines as well. Today, Jeep still carries that reputation, in addition to offering luxury at an affordable price.
However, Jeep models are getting less and less affordable, as prices started increasing even before the inflation period that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Its entry-level vehicles have gradually been eliminated from the lineup while models such as the Grand Cherokee have moved upmarket to challenge luxury-brand utility vehicles. The Wagoneer sub-brand was relaunched a few years ago as a rival to Lincoln and Cadillac.
Jeep also has to figure out how to sway its loyal customer base to fully electrified vehicles, and started its strategy by first introducing plug-in hybrid powertrains in the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee for the North American market. So far, its clients have responded well, as the Wrangler 4xe quickly became one of the best-selling PHEVs in the United States. Jeep must also find ways to keep its reputation as an off-road benchmark while other manufacturers introduce trail-ready variants of their existing products.
Current Jeep Model Lineup
The brand’s current North American lineup consists of the compact Jeep Compass, the midsize Jeep Grand Cherokee and three-row Grand Cherokee L, the full-size Jeep Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer in regular and extended-length L variants, the Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited, the Jeep Gladiator pickup and the fully electric Jeep Wagoneer S.
Jeep History
The Jeep name was arguably born during or after World War II as the U.S. Army needed a four-wheel-drive reconnaissance vehicle with a required set of specifications. American Bantam Car Company provided the original design and first build in 1940, while Willys-Overland was awarded the initial contract to manufacture the vehicle. Ford also provided its input in the final configuration and built units alongside Willys-Overland. The latter filed to trademark the Jeep name in 1943 and started advertising it as its own, which was contested by Bantam, and the Federal Trade Commission ruled in Bantam’s favor.
Hailed as a capable and robust vehicle, the original Jeep inspired many derivatives from brands on a global standpoint, including Jeeps built under license from Willys and replicas.
Surfing on its reputation after the war, Willys started working on Jeep vehicles for the general public and launched the Civilian Jeep or CJ in 1945, starting with the CJ-2A, followed by the CJ-3A. The Willys Jeep Station Wagon, Willys Jeep Truck pickup and Willys Jeepster followed in the 1940s as well. Willys was eventually granted the Jeep branding as a registered trademark in 1950. The CJ-3B, CJ-5 and CJ-6 followed in the Fifties, along with the two-wheel-drive DJ-3A and the Jeep Forward Control with its Cab Over Engine or COE design.
Willys was purchased by Kaiser in 1953, merging both companies to eventually become Kaiser-Jeep in 1963. The Jeep FJ-3 and FJ-3A, also known as the Fleetvan, were introduced in 1961. The iconic Jeep Wagoneer debuted for the 1963 model year as the brand’s flagship utility vehicle, available in two-door and four-door body styles, alongside the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck. The Jeepster Commando launched in 1966 and the Jeep DJ-5 was introduced in 1968.
Jeep was acquired by American Motors Corporation or AMC in 1970, which moved Jeep’s commercial and military business to a separate company called AM General. A fully electric delivery van variant called the DJ-5E Electruck appeared in 1974, of which the U.S. Postal Service purchased a fleet of units, which boasted a top speed of 33 mph and a driving range of 29 miles using 80% of the battery’s capacity. The Jeep Cherokee launched in 1974 and the CJ-7 arrived in 1976. Meanwhile, the Gladiator became the J-Series for 1972. In 1973, Jeep debuted its Quadra-Trac part- and full-time four-wheel drivetrain.
Many new models arrived in the 1980s, including the Jeep CJ-8 or Scrambler with its removable half-cab to create a pseudo pickup. Jeep also debuted the part-time Command-Trac four-wheel drivetrain in 1980 and the full-time Select-Trac system in 1983. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer launched in 1984 and the brand had already started moving its SUV upmarket, while the second-gen Cherokee appeared for the same model year as a smaller model than the outgoing generation, and the Wagoneer became a posher variant of the Cherokee. The Cherokee-based Jeep Comanche pickup launched for 1986, while the well-known CJ was retired in favor of the new-generation Jeep Wrangler, also known as the Jeep YJ, for the 1987 model year. The Chrysler Corporation acquired AMC in 1987, bringing in the Jeep brand into its portfolio.
During the 1990s, the Jeep lineup was streamlined to the Wrangler, the Cherokee and Wagoneer, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee launched for the 1993 model year, replacing the bigger, body-on-frame Grand Wagoneer. However, a new Grand Wagoneer also arrived for 1993, based on the Grand Cherokee, but was sold for only one model year. The new-generation Wrangler, also known as the TJ, arrived for 1997. In 1998, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler Corporation merged to become DaimlerChrysler AG, allowing vehicle, platform and technology sharing that eventually trickled down to the Jeep lineup. In 1999, Jeep launched its Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive 4×4 systems.
After the turn of the century, the Jeep Liberty debuted for the 2002 model year, replacing the Cherokee, although the Cherokee name was kept for international markets. Jeep launched the Rock-Trac four-wheel drivetrain in 2003, followed by the Quadra-Drive II system in 2005. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited launched for 2004 as an extended-wheelbase variant of the regular-length model, while the new-gen Wrangler or JK arrived for 2007 in two-door and Wrangler Unlimited four-door configurations. The full-size, three-row Jeep Commander and the high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT-8 launched for 2006, while the subcompact Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot arrived for 2007, along with the Freedom Drive full-time all-wheel drivetrain.
DaimlerChrysler sold the Chrysler side of its operations to Cerberus Capital Management in 2007, and the resulting company became known as Chrysler LLC, of which newly renamed Daimler AG still held a 20% stake. Following the financial crisis at the end of decade, Chrysler LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and with U.S. government financial support, the company was reorganized as Chrysler Group LLC, and Italian manufacturer Fiat started acquiring shares of the American company in 2011. Jeep’s Selec-Terrain full-time four-wheel drive system arrived in 2011.
In 2014, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was formed, also known as FCA.
After two generations of the Liberty in North America, the Jeep Cherokee nameplate returned on a redesigned model, arriving for the 2014 model year in conjunction with the brand’s Active Drive full-time 4×4 system, while the subcompact Jeep Renegade followed for 2015. FCA’s Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 engine found its way into the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk, sold from 2018 to 2021. The Jeep Gladiator launched for the 2020 model year as a new midsize pickup truck based on the Wrangler Unlimited. In 2021, Stellantis N.V. was formed following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s PSA Group.
The fifth-generation Grand Cherokee was initially introduced in 2021 as the extended-length Grand Cherokee L, while the regular two-row variant arrived for the 2022 model year. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates were revived on a pair of full-size SUVs for 2022 as well, available in regular and extended-wheelbase configurations. As the brand gradually moves over to electrified powertrains, a plug-in hybrid powertrain appeared for 2021 in the Wrangler Unlimited and in 2022 in the Grand Cherokee–called the 4xe.
Over in China, the Jeep Grand Commander launched as a midsize three-row crossover, as part of the GAC Fiat Chrysler joint venture. Based on the second-gen Compass, another midsize three-row crossover was developed for foreign markets and launched in 2021, called the Jeep Commander in Latin America and Jeep Meridian in India. The brand’s first fully electric model is the subcompact Jeep Avenger, which launched in Europe in 2023.