"Our future, like the history of our brands, is interwoven with the City of Detroit," said Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne. "Detroit long has been home to renowned innovators and craftsmen. So it is in the Motor City, home of our industrial heritage and a resilient people, that we are entrusting the manufacture not only of the ultimate American sports car, the SRT Viper, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most awarded SUV ever – but also a diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee for North American markets.

"We believe that investing in Detroit is not only the right thing to do, but it is a smart thing to do as we work to write the next chapter in our shared history," Marchionne said.

The new third crew of approximately 1,100 jobs that Chrysler Group is adding at JNAP, home of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango, will be part of an operating pattern, called the 3-2-120 schedule, that allows each employee an additional 49 days off per year while enabling the plant an additional 49 days of annual production.

Mopar plans on supplying as many JK-8 kits as it can to dealers, though given the size of each package, it's proving difficult for them to carry a large amount in stock. "The kit is too big and too complex to have too many on the shelf," remarked Gorlier. That said he's enthusiastic about the response so far. "It's exciting for an aftermarket product."

The only automotive plants that is going to keep running from the Detroit Three is the ones in Toledo, Ohio. It is the birthplace of the Jeep brand and Toledo’s wealth is rising and falling with the successes and failures of Chrysler’s off road marque, and this year, the automobile manufacturer is going to be seeking out volunteers that will continue assembling their hot selling Wrangler and Liberty SUVs.

Jeep brand sales were up 50 percent in November, the brand's best November sales performance since 2003 and its 19th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. All Jeep brand models posted sales gains in November, including a 23 percent increase in Jeep Grand Cherokee sales.The new Jeep Compass logged the largest sales increase. Compass, offering unsurpassed 4x4 fuel economy and off-road capability in the compact-SUV segment, posted an imposing 887 percent sales increase in November, its eighth-consecutive monthly sales record this year. The Compass' 887 percent increase was by far the largest year-over-year percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group model in November.

Jeep Wrangler set another monthly sales record in November; the SUV's sixth-consecutive monthly record this year. Not only were Wrangler sales up 41 percent in November, the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world also received the Residual Value Award in the "Compact Utility" category from ALG, the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data. The annual ALG Residual Value Awards recognize vehicles that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year period. In addition, Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com named Wrangler Best Resale Value in its class and, for the second consecutive year, one of the Top 10 cars with Best Resale Value.

• Jeep brand sales (36,246 units) increased 50 percent compared with the same month last year (24,202 units)


• Jeep Wrangler sales (9,225 units) were up 41 percent versus November 2010 (6,552 units)


• Jeep Liberty sales (5,201 units) increased 53 percent compared with November sales a year ago (3,398 units)


• Sales of the Jeep Compass (4,262 units) were up 887 percent versus the same month in 2010 (432 units)


• Jeep Patriot sales (4,013 units) were up 46 percent compared with November 2010 (2,754 units)

"The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon owned nearly all aspects of off-road testing during our annual 'Four Wheeler of the Year' competition," said Four Wheeler Editor John Cappa. "The grueling 1,000-mile trek put each contending vehicle through its paces in several on- and off-road environments, including high-speed graded roads, jagged rocks, shifting sand dunes, and more. The universal do-all capability of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon allowed it to outperform the other competing 4x4s, making it our 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year award winner."

the automaker can barely build enough Jeep Wranglers to keep up with demand. It means that while Chrysler is publicly focused on the Liberty plant -- amid much fanfare last week -- capacity concerns to meet expected and planned-for demand worldwide for the Wrangler could result either in another upgrade to Toledo Assembly or a decision to make more of those sport utility vehicles in a Chrysler factory elsewhere.

Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said today that Chrysler plans to invest $1.7 billion to build its next generation Jeep SUV at an assembly plant in Toledo and may name the new vehicle the Cherokee.

Out of the box, the 2012 JK Wrangler is the most capable and refined Jeep Wrangler I’ve ever driven. The 3.6L Pentastar V-6 has been reduced by more than 90lbs, compared to its 3.8L predecessor, helping to slightly increase approach angle. Also, the relocation of the alternator to a higher position on the engine helps to achieve maximum water fording.

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In essence, the Rubicon is far more capable and efficient than its predecessors in stock form. The enhanced powertrain, improvement of approach and departure angles, and overall drivability make the vehicle extremely pleasant to drive