Stellantis To Shut Down Jeep® Cherokee (KL) Production This Next Week!

Stellantis To Shut Down Jeep® Cherokee (KL) Production This Next Week!​

Automaker Also Has Announced Cuts At Tipton Transmission Plant...​

Stellantis has announced that it will idle its Belvidere Assembly Plant (BVAP) which manufacturers the midsized Jeep® Cherokee (KL) for the week of December 6th. The reason behind the shutdown in production… lack of semiconductor chips.

Stellantis To Shut Down Jeep® Cherokee (KL) Production This Next Week!

Stellantis has announced that it will idle its Belvidere Assembly Plant (BAP) which manufacturers the midsized Jeep® Cherokee (KL) for the week of December 6th. The reason behind the shutdown in production... lack of semiconductor chips.

moparinsiders.com

 

[bill burke]

I’ve owned two Cherokees over a seven year period and think it is a very good vehicle, dependable, comfortable and almost perfect for my needs. Almost. I also believe, if I could improve it my way, then the Cherokee would be a bit longer, a bit wider and have a bit more capable drivetrain. With the issues at Belvidere, including its single product and rumors of Challenger, Charger and hopefully some kind of 300 replacement coming to Belvidere, the opportune time to reinvent Cherokee is now. I believe a new Cherokee must be built off the new Grand Cherokee platform as a shortened, more capable RWD vehicle ready for a couple of versions of the new strait six that eliminates the current shortfalls and can be built along side the GC just about sized in the same segement as the old GC. Priced just below the now more costly GC it fits a clear niche hole in the Jeep lineup and should be a more popular GC alternative in the global markets. This move would also eliminate the too close relationship between the current Cherokee and the very similar Compass. Frankly I think the plans for exactly this are far along and being kept very quiet, because it makes absolute sense. Sure I have been beating this Cherokee drum for months, but it just is so clearly the best way to save the Cherokee. Cherokee is a product that has too much going to let it continue to whiter in obscurity.

 

[Jeepman]

I agree with Bill. That makes sense, let's hope it happens.

 

[TripleT]

same thing happened at Ford with the Escape plant

 

[Mopar392]

I’ve owned two Cherokees over a seven year period and think it is a very good vehicle, dependable, comfortable and almost perfect for my needs. Almost. I also believe, if I could improve it my way, then the Cherokee would be a bit longer, a bit wider and have a bit more capable drivetrain. With the issues at Belvidere, including its single product and rumors of Challenger, Charger and hopefully some kind of 300 replacement coming to Belvidere, the opportune time to reinvent Cherokee is now. I believe a new Cherokee must be built off the new Grand Cherokee platform as a shortened, more capable RWD vehicle ready for a couple of versions of the new strait six that eliminates the current shortfalls and can be built along side the GC just about sized in the same segement as the old GC. Priced just below the now more costly GC it fits a clear niche hole in the Jeep lineup and should be a more popular GC alternative in the global markets. This move would also eliminate the too close relationship between the current Cherokee and the very similar Compass. Frankly I think the plans for exactly this are far along and being kept very quiet, because it makes absolute sense. Sure I have been beating this Cherokee drum for months, but it just is so clearly the best way to save the Cherokee. Cherokee is a product that has too much going to let it continue to whiter in obscurity.

Cherokee can either get larger and offer a proper 3rd row and stay on the same FWD configuration. Or, move to a smaller than WL RWD configuration.
It needs to differentiate itself from Compass and GC.

 

[TripleT]

Why does every time they make production decision made on chip availablity it is used as a excuse to critique the product?