Jeep reveals its bold new plan for Australia

Jeep is one of the most recognisable car brands in the world, but Aussie buyers have fallen out of love with the tough American SUVs, but that is all about to change.

Jeep’s on a bold new mission to win hearts and minds, with a promise to become the world’s greenest SUV brand and better deal with disgruntled Australian customers.

At the presentation of the brand’s new Gladiator 4x4 convertible ute in New Zealand, freshly installed Jeep Global President Christian Meunier said: “We want to revitalise the love affair between Australia and Jeep.”

Jeep is getting ready to launch its new Gladiator ute in Australia.

The eloquent Frenchman acknowledged issues with Jeep reliability and the way dissatisfied Australian customers were treated had played a part in the brand’s fall from grace in the sales race. In 2014 over 30,000 Jeeps sold here. Last year it totalled just 7326, while 2019 sales are down 25% on 2018.

“Between Jeep and Australia there should be a love story, I know there has been (in the past),” he said. “I don’t think it’s dead but it’s a little slow now and I want to make sure we revitalise the love affair.” Meunier also suggested Jeep’s values of “freedom, authenticity and adventure pretty much fit to what you guys (Australians) are.”

Jeep’s image has been battered by poor reliability issues.

Numerous Jeep recalls, reported poor customer service and high profile media cases highlighting reliability problems have been partly responsible for sales drops.

A longer five year warranty, cheaper capped price services and lifetime roadside assist have been recent attempts to address the slide, while Kevin Flynn has been installed as new boss of FCA Australia, Jeep’s importer.

“We understand where we’ve been weak, and we understand what we’ve got to do to correct that,” Flynn said. “So many issues could have been dealt with a lot faster, quicker and more competently. Technical competence and speed in response, I think that will alleviate a lot of issues. We will have the solutions and then we’ve got to start changing opinion. It isn’t a product issue.”

Jeep has grand plans to electrify its entire range.

Addressing its future product, there’s suggestion Jeep’s going all in on electrification as soon as 2022. “Our mission is greenest SUV brand in the world, but also the most capable and most fun to drive off road and on road,” Meunier said.

The global boss said all Jeep models would be electrified by 2022, meaning full electric or plug-in hybrids would be available in every model in its range, alongside conventional internal combustion versions. “That means we’re going to be pretty serious about it; Jeep is not going to be what it is today,” he said.

Marrying Jeep’s renowned 4x4 abilities with electrification would make the product “the best ever,” while maintaining the 80-year-old brand’s DNA. “They can be zero emission for at least 50km for the plug-in hybrid,” he said. “You’ll be able to go off road in silence in nature, and that’s pretty cool stuff.”

Before Australians embrace greener, Compass, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Gladiator product, the bond of trust between brand and some previous customers must be repaired.

Fresh management, product, innovation and customer care promises are steps in the right direction, and the top brass are confident sales improvement in Australia will result.

“We’re going to have a lot of work to do to make sure the past is the past,” Kevin Flynn stated. “The trust factor is going to be a key component of our action in marketing and the backup in service. And we’re going to have to prove it.”

Originally published as Jeep reveals its bold new plan for Australia