Ram and Jeep Will be the Stars of the New Stellantis

Fiat Chrysler, the parent company of the popular 2021 Ram 1500 and the 2021 Jeep Wrangler, is now part of Stellantis but don’t expect to see major changes in your favorite brands. Stellantis is the result of a merger between PSA, which owns Peugeot, and Fiat Chrysler. There will eventually be changes but the bottom line is that Ram and Jeep are Fiat Chrysler’s stars in the United States and Canada and will continue to be under the new massive automaker.

Sales for nearly every automaker were down in 2020. Fiat Chrysler overall saw sales fall 17 percent, but Ram was only down about 11 percent and Jeep was down about 14 percent. Both of the brands have important new models coming out shortly.

The 2021 Ram TRX

Ram has the 702-horsepower 2021 Ram TRX being built as we speak that is expected to be incredibly popular. Truck fans have been waiting for this huge horsepower truck since the TRX was shown as a concept in 2016. Ram promised that the 2021 Ram TRX would be the fastest and most powerful mass-produced truck on the market. The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V-8 delivers 702-horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. The TRX’s frame uses high-strength steel to improve durability and stability both on and off-road. The HEMI V-8 is mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlite transmission.

Jeep is Debuting the 2021 Grand Cherokee L

Jeep is unveiling its all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and racing into the full-size SUV market. Jeep is promising to marry its legendary off-road performance with luxury and comfort. Most importantly Jeep is offering a three-row Grand Cherokee for the first time.

The Grand Cherokee L is packed with a number of new technologies, but it is clear from the design that it is a Jeep through-and-through. The exterior design screams Jeep and includes all the major Jeep design cues like the signature seven-slot-grille and wheel arches. Jeep has sold 7 million Grand Cherokees over the last 30-years, but the design team was very careful to not make this the same Grand Cherokee with just an added row of seats. The long awaited larger Grand Cherokee L gives Jeep lovers the ability to move into a larger, more luxurious Jeep while growing their families.

Jeep has a number of other vehicles coming to market including an all-new Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer that will compete against the other large premium SUVs, like the Cadillac Escalade, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.

Jeep also has a new hybrid electric 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe headed to dealers soon.

The New Stellantis

The new automaker will be the 4th largest automaker globally and control 14 different brands. You know the Fiat Chrysler names like Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Maserati. Stellantis also has Peugeot, Citroen, Holden, Vauxhall and a luxury brand called DS. You can expect the company to save money by reducing the number of platforms and powertrains that they use. Eventually, Stellantis will weed out underperforming models and perhaps, even brands, but first it will try to save money by streamlining operations. For example, Jeep has already announced that it will build a smaller Jeep in Poland, and it will be built on platform already used for other small vehicles.

Perhaps, the most comforting thing for Ram and Jeep fans right now is that Mike Manley, the former CEO of Fiat Chrysler, will continue to lead Stellantis in the U.S. Manley used to run the Ram division and is strongly affiliated with both Ram and Jeep. I would expect Manley to continue to fight for the Chrysler brands as Stellantis continues to evolve.

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