DETROIT, MI (WTOL) - A big day for Jeep at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Tuesday as they unveiled a new vehicle.
Although this Jeep was not made in Toledo, the time is coming for another Jeep for the Glass City.
Tuesday was all about the new Jeep Cherokee, but that does not mean the company is forgetting about the upcoming Wrangler pickup truck.
Although it will not go into production in Toledo until the second or third quarter of next year, Jeep said the anticipation is building.
It was a dramatic arrival for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee at NAIAS, which is the first Cherokee since production moved from Toledo to Illinois last year.
But making us forget about that loss, is the Wrangler which shined under the lights at NAIAS in Detroit.
Also on the way, the Wrangler pickup truck, also to be made by Toledo Jeep workers. The Wrangler pickup truck is still unnamed and no images have been reveled yet by Jeep.
However, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the Wrangler will launch next year.
"The problem with doing the truck is that we could have done it earlier but because of the fact that we were trying to get both the old Wrangler and the new Wrangler, we cannot lose any Wranglers," Marchionne explained. "Unfortunately, the financial damage associated with the shutdown of the plant in Toledo, is tremendous."
Marchionne did provide a big news update, saying the pickup is taking shape.
"And it will take nine months of retooling to get, the product is done," Marchionne said. "It needs nine months of tuning and trials to get the product up and running. So we will see it sometime in the beginning of 2019."
Therefore, while we admire the Wrangler, we will have to wait for Toledo workers to build the pickup. However, key people have seen it and cannot wait to show it off.
"That segment that it is going into has been growing tremendously over the last few years," Head of Jeep Brand Mike Manley said. "So for Jeep, it's returning back to a vehicle that we have had in our line. I have been involved in that product for four years and hopefully you can tell just from my facial expression, it is phenomenal. And we are going to get it in 2019."
"It's going to be a huge thing," Marchionne exclaimed. "I'm waiting for that car because I want to buy it!"
Manley also said that he would like people to buy both Wranglers.
