Australian Jeep dealer unleashes on Stellantis over sales slide

Jeep’s global failings are spilling into Australia as a local dealer unleashes a stunning tirade on their parent company amid legal action.

Jeep dealers left “high and dry” by the brand’s “embarrassing” strategy in Australia have had crisis talks with the manufacturer following the axing of its best-selling model.

Imports of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, described by one dealer as “the backbone of the franchise” have been suspended by the company as it pivots to smaller, greener models.

MORE: Jeep axes Grand Cherokee in Australia

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee is no longer available to order in Australia. Picture: Thomas Wielecki

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the owner of an Australian Jeep dealership said the company “showed us their project plan for the next few years” and that “we’ve got a few lean years ahead.”

“We’ve lost the backbone of the franchise and we’re hoping that when the new models arrive they can start picking up the slack,” he said.

“The message is that they’re definitely not going.

“But we will be in decline for 12 months and it will never get back to what it was.”

MORE: Stellantis’ $9.1bn slide

Jeep has pushed into premium territory with new and expensive models.

The dealer insider said franchise holders sought legal representation after investing “enormous” sums in their showrooms – often millions of dollars.

“The amount of hassle to be a dealer is extraordinary, and frankly, they take it for granted.

“If you don’t have the right colour tile down they want to rip up the tiles and put down new ones.

“When the fact that they promised 50,000 sales per year people went out and got bank loans, they built facilities, and they’ve been left high and dry.”

The brand’s parent company, Stellantis, says “the Jeep brand remains fully committed to the Australian market and Stellantis continues to invest heavily in its global product portfolio”.

Stellantis is fighting for survival with no chief executive after Jeep dealers called for the axing of global boss Carlos Tavares.

MORE: Jeep dealers lash out over falling sales

The luxurious 2023 model Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Tavares pushed for Jeep’s biggest sellers to be more profitable – almost doubling the cost of Grand Cherokee models that pushed into $100,000 territory.

The brand has ditched all V8 powered models and focused on electric vehicles such as the Jeep Avenger, an electric two-wheel-drive runabout that costs about $65,000.

2025 Jeep Avenger. Picture: Supplied

Former Jeep executive Christian Meunier told us in 2019 that “Our mission” is to be “the greenest SUV brand in the world”.

“Jeep is not going to be what it is today,” Meunier said at the time.

But the strategy has backfired.

Meunier is out and American Stellantis executives are openly discussing the return of “Hemi” V8 power for premium RAM and Jeep models in the US.

But that might not happen in Australia, where our relatively small share of global sales – and increasingly green government regulations – may make it impossible for muscular models to return.