Jeep’s Jump to $100,000 SUVs Risks Leaving Loyal Buyers Behind
Wagoneers and Wranglers are so costly that the company is selling fewer vehicles as interest rates bite.
Rubicon on the left; Grand Wagoneer on the right.
Photo illustration: 731; Source: Stellantis (2)
For years, Jeep has been the go-to ride for drivers seeking adventure in hardy off-roaders that scramble through mud and over rocks, then clean up nicely. The challenge for its parent company—first Fiat Chrysler, now Stellantis NV—has always been leveraging that rugged image to expand its reach.
Jeep has had success steadily raising prices and extending the brand into luxury realms, with some of its full-size SUVs topping $100,000. That’s helped Stellantis Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares transform an historical underdog into the most profitable of Detroit’s three major automakers. But ever-higher prices are also making it harder to hold on to the brand’s loyal US customer base as interest rates bite.