The Downfall of Jeep

There’s no doubt that you have seen a Jeep in the past week. They have gained a lot of popularity, but is it unwanted attention? Jeep’s history began in 1945 when they released their first civilian vehicle, one that was designed for construction workers and farmers rather than military use. As technology advanced so did Jeep, but did they go too far?

First, you have to understand what made Jeep so popular. After World War II, Jeep had gained a lot of popularity from how their vehicles performed on the battlefield and they had the most advanced off-road technology out of any other manufacturer. This causes the Jeep to pick up speed fast and they produce a series of compact off-road vehicles. In 1954 they released the cj5, which were manufactured until 1983, making it their longest selling model.

Over the years Jeep has always been up to date or even advanced with their technology and body styles, but they may have lost touch with their offroad roots and taken it too far. Jeep has made many changes that their enthusiasts didn’t like but some of the most significant were the square headlights and plastic fenders. Since the beginning of Jeep, they have maintained their iconic grill with two round headlights and a grill that typically had 7 vertical slots, and when Jeep changed it people freaked out. The square headlight era only lasted from 1987-1995 when Jeep switched back to their original grill.

In the early 2000s Jeep introduced plastic fenders and Jeep fans were not happy. With cheaper and flimsier fenders Jeeps no longer looked like capable off-road vehicles. With new fenders came a new market and Jeep was no longer the king of off-road. Jeep recognized that their vehicles were no longer the tough, rugged vehicles they once were and began building their vehicles for luxury rather than capability. 

The saying “stick to what you’re good at” applies to Jeep‒the luxury market has high standards that Jeep was not prepared for when transitioning out of the off-road world. There are many complaints about how Jeeps are uncomfortable and handle poorly. The luxury electronic parts often fail, causing people to complain and ruining Jeep’s reputation. In an attempt to regain their status in the car community Jeep released the Jeep gladiator, but instead of the classic Jeep look, the gladiator came with a truck bed. The reviews were not good and any hope for Jeep to return to off-road was gone.

With the release of the new Ford Bronco, everyone turned to Jeep hoping this would cause Jeep to strike back with an off-road capable wrangler but instead they backed down and released a hybrid variation. Jeep tried to glorify the hybrid wrangler with torque and horsepower specs, and it might have worked. The vehicle is set to be released in December and could possibly introduce hybrid technology to the off-road industry. Although Jeep is in a bad place right now, the new hybrid model could bring them back to the top. Only time will tell.