The 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Altitude will feature red stitching on a black leather interior, body-color roof and bumper inserts, and black trim and accents throughout. Production is limited to 4,500 models.

Jeep first showed off a menacing, blacked-out design concept of its top-selling Grand Cherokee in January at the Houston Auto Show, inviting fans of the brand to suggest names for the package.

Officials ultimately selected three finalists and put them up to an online vote. Altitude won, and in late March the automaker said it would expand the package to Compass and Patriot.

Chrysler spokesman Patrick Hespen said Jeep decided to add Wrangler to the mix after seeing the interest in the other models. Jeep has made several limited-edition Wranglers in recent years, including two others for the 2012 model year.

“This model year alone we’ve had the Call of Duty and Arctic,” Hespen said. “They’ve been hot. We put them out there, people love them and buy them up right away.”

Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Unlimited Altitude is $33,740. A base Unlimited starts at $25,545, and the top-end Call of Duty Modern Warfare edition has a base price of $40,455.

Jeep hasn’t said whether it intends to make the package available on the Liberty.

The four Altitude editions are expected to hit showrooms in May. Chrysler will base the dealer allocation on sales and current level of dealer inventory.

Jeep officials say the special editions generate buzz and also play to Jeep’s large group of enthusiasts.

Through March, U.S. buyers had snapped up 29,772 Wranglers, a 30 percent increase over the first quarter in 2011 and a 55 percent increase from the first quarter of 2010.

Canadian sales of the Wrangler were 3,663 through March, up 56 percent from last year.

Autoworkers in Toledo, Ohio, built 51,104 Wranglers through March, up about 15 percent from the year before.

The 2012 Beijing Motor Show is home to a pair of concept vehicles from Chrysler Group that is aimed specifically at the Chinese market.

Jeep Wrangler “Dragon” Design Concept

With 2012 being the Year of the Dragon, Jeep decided to wrap one of its iconic Wranglers around a dragon theme. Although it’s strictly a design concept, Jeep says the vehicle could be put into production if consumers show enough of a demand for it.

The concept is based on a China-market Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, painted black with a body-colour three-piece hardtop. Several bronze-gold details are added to the exterior, from the 18-inch alloy wheels to the engine cover and bolts for the fuel filler door. Bronze-gold is a colour typically associated with dragons.

There is also a dragon decal that starts on the hood and runs down the driver’s side of the vehicle up to the passenger door. Much of the exterior gets blacked-out details, from black painted fenders and a gloss-black appliqué on the front bumper, to a black-finish LED exterior lighting package that features aftermarket projector headlamps, fog lamps, turn lamps and tail lamps.

Not surprisingly, the interior continues the same colour theme, with black leather seats getting bronze-gold accent piping and stitching. The outside edges of the seats get “dragon-scale” patterned bronze-gold leather, while a laser-etched dragon pattern is on the front of the head restraints.

“The Jeep brand is committed to China and therefore we must design and tailor our vehicles to the specific tastes and preferences of Chinese consumers,” said Mike Manley, Chief Operating Officer for Asia and President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “The Wrangler Dragon design concept is the first Jeep vehicle designed specifically with Chinese elements in mind and showcases the opportunity for special editions that might be available for China in the near future.”

“We’ve got about a month and a half left on demolition side, and we will begin immediately plans and layouts for implementing the infrastructure improvements,” said Paul Toth, port authority president and CEO. “The roads, we’re going to put a rail spur off the rail on the back side of the property. We really hope to see some vertical construction on the property before the end of summer.”

The goal is to create a road off of Central Avenue, the creation of a roundabout
that would allow access to the site from I-75, and the installation of a rail line.

So far, the port authority has received nearly $9 million for the redevelopment of the site.

And to further heat up the growing SUV segment in India, one of the most iconic and legendary brands in the automobile industry, the Jeep is all set to enter the Indian market and drive the SUV buffs crazy. The American brand, Jeep – part of the Chrysler Group – will be brought into India by the Italian automaker Fiat, who now owns the brand since the last couple of years. While the American brand has a wide range of cars in it’s portfolio, the two models that will make its way in the Indian market in the first phase will be the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep Wrangler.

For a long time now, Jeep was in the process of developing the diesel versions of its entire range to make their SUVs more suitable for the European market and hence, for the Indian market. After the launch of the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler, Jeep will most likely bring other models in the country such as the Commander, Compass and the Patriot.

It is also reported that once Jeep gets it gate pass in India and has firmly established its foot in the market, some Fiat-based soft-roaders will be introduced. And once that gets cemented, Chrysler and Dodge won’t be left too far behind!

The 2012 Grand Cherokee is now in its fourth generation and has been bestowed with a lot of updates that only makes the SUV look more muscular and modern. The aggressive looks of the SUV comes from the classic style elements and contemporary design thought the features like the trademark seven-slot grille, round headlamps and trapezoidal wheel arches. The same design theme follows on the inside with elegant interiors and cabin that consists of a neatly crafted dashboard, tight seams, premium quality materials and end-to-end uniform textures. Powering the Cherokee is the same 2,987cc engine that is seen on the Mercedes Benz ML-Class.

The Jeep Wrangler on the other hand, will be offered as a tough, lifestyle product as against the premium luxury status of the Grand Cherokee.

The Cherokee should be able to carry a price tag of Rs 50 lakh in India, if Fiat is able to import the SUV via the CKD route. The Wrangler could be priced between Rs 15 lakh and 20 lakh.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week began probing the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact car and 2010 Jeep Wrangler SUVs. NHTSA received two complaints about the 2011 Cruze and eight reports about the 2010 Wrangler.

The fires in the two Cruze cars began while the vehicles were on the road. Both were destroyed, according to the complaints, which do not identify the drivers.

A driver in a 2011 Cruze Eco said the car began smoking near the engine bay. The first flame appeared soon after the driver stopped the car and within five minutes, the Cruze was engulfed, the complaint said. A warning light on the dashboard illuminated only after the first sign of fire.

GM and Chrysler said they were cooperating with the government and were unaware of any injuries or fatalities stemming from the fires.

“We are conducting our own investigation and will share any findings with the government,” GM spokesman Alan Adler said in an email.

“Vehicle fires are very complex and can occur for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with the vehicle itself,” Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa said. “Poor maintenance, improper vehicle use or installation of after-market equipment often are causes of vehicle fires.”

In seven of the eight Wrangler complaints, drivers reported that the fires began while the engine was running.

In one case, a driver “saw an unknown liquid burning down to the ground from the engine area,” according to the complaint. “I attempted to extinguish the fire with water, but I was unsuccessful. Within minutes, it was a total loss.”

The Cruze was one of GM’s best-selling models last year, having sold nearly 232,000 of them. The No.1 U.S automaker estimates it sold 177,000 2011 Cruze cars. Chrysler, the No. 3 U.S. automaker, sold a little more than 122,000 Wranglers in 2010.

Regardless of whether its roots are red, white and blue or just red, the Mighty FC — i.e. Forward Control — has the stature and I-don’t-give-a-crap-about-your-human rights might befitting a superpower. Thank you, my Jeep comrades, for blessing me with the chance to drive it yesterday in Moab.

The cab over layout is nothing new for Jeep, which — under the auspices of Willy’s and Kaiser — produced something similar between 1956 and 1965. But amongst the now Chrysler-owned division’s array of rock-crawling Wrangler variants, it stands out as something special, and definitely bears more than passing resemblance to a Soviet missile hauler.

Not many American drivers have had the opportunity to pilot a truck which juts the driver’s feet out ahead of the front axle. Mark Allen — head of Jeep’s design department — and his team of like-minded Jeep aficionados admitted to geeking out about the ass-over-axle design, which garnered a lot of attention Monday as Jeep showed off its lineup at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Fitted with massive portal axles and bead-locked offroad tires, the Mighty FC is more or less made from parts they found lying around the Jeep factory.

Powered by an aluminum, dual overhead cam Pentastar V6 — which, rated at nearly 300hp, is no slouch — the FC is basically a mutated four-door 2012 Rubicon. It has the same automatic transmission and dual range transfer case, with the front axle position tweaked to accommodate the cab, which looks like a Wrangler body with its nose lopped off and reaffixed without an old-style snout. Allen made sure air lockers were added to both beefy axles, so the truck can crawl over challenging terrain without much of a problem.

Jeep wanted to show off its quiver of souped up rockcrawlers bad enough to wine and dine the cadre of journos willing to make the trek to the tiny desert town, but getting a crack at driving them was enough of a lure for most (it certainly was for me).

Driving the Mighty FC is absolutely bizarre. There’s something foreign about riding in front of the wheels that steer the vehicle (driving behind it, I watched the FC drift all over the highway as its newly-minted driver learned the eccentricities of its tiller), and with its high stance, going up and down steep inclines provides a heightened sense of adventure.

Ascending, all you see is sky, and descending, you get an intimate view of the downward slope. Its relatively short wheelbase makes the FC difficult to high-center, and there’s absolutely no front or rear overhang to worry about scraping as you go from one impossible pitch to the next.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk concept: Features new, 18-inch Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor off-road tires with enhanced side-wall protection on new, painted five-spoke alloy Mineral Gray Wheels. Modified Mopar rock rails are added to fully protect the lower body from rocky terrain. The grille surround, lower front appliqué, mirror caps and rear light bar carry on the Mineral Gray theme; contrasting in red are the upper grille mesh, front and rear tow hooks, Jeep logos on the wheel centre caps and bolt holes in the alloy wheels. A Mineral Gray and Red colour scheme is highlighted throughout.

Photo: Chrysler

2012 Wrangler Apache from Mopar: A new Mopar 6.4L Hemi V8 conversion kit specifically for Wrangler debuts on the Apache; it will be available this summer, initially mated to Chrysler Group’s W5A580 five-speed transmission. It produces about 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Other modifications on the Apache include Mopar front and rear axles, long arm lift kit, off-road bead-lock wheels, high-clearance flat fenders, rock rails, front and rear half-door kits, Stinger front bumper, Warn 9.5ti XP winch, Katzkin leather seats, locking centre console box and Mopar-branded interior.

Photo: Chrysler

Jeep Mighty FC concept: An homage to the 1956-1965 Jeep Forward Control, the FC started with a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, repositioned the cabin over and ahead of the front axle, lengthened the wheelbase and added a custom-built drop-side cargo box. The cab uses a roof from the Mopar JK-8 converstaion kit and custom-designed front clip. The interior gets Katzkin leather and a unique colour scheme.

Photo: Chrysler

Jeep J-12 Concept: Essentially an extended version of Mopar’s recently introduced JK-8 pickup conversion kit for the Jeep Wrangler. The team took a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited, extended the rear of the frame by 18 inches to relocated the spare tire under the bed floor and make the cargo box a full six feet. Off-road prowess is enhanced with a Mopar three-inch suspension kit, Teraflex sway bars, and classic 36-inch tires mounted on 16-inch steel wheels. The carpets were replaced with truck bed liner, and the bucket seats re-crafted into a bench seat trimmed in white and plaid.

Photo: Chrysler

Mopar Accessorized 2012 Jeep Wrangler: Mopar uses this one to highlight some of its 250 available Wrangler accessories, all heaped on a Rubicon. Off-road enhancements include two-inch performance lift kit, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires, front and rear off-road bumpers, Warn 9.5ti XP winch, rock rails, Kicker dash 6.5-inch two-way speakers, all-weather mats and more. Some prototypes debuting on the model include a locking centre console box, rear cargo cubby cover, new windshield-mounted LED lamps, new hard-top headliner and “Add-A-Trunk” partition for the cargo area.

Photo: Chrysler

Jeep Wrangler Traildozer concept: Working with American Expedition Vehicles, Jeep Design engineering a a Dozer Yellow 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a bolt-in 470-hp 6.4L Hemi V8 and a Getrag 6-speed manual transmission, 37-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials, 3.5-inch suspension lift, premium Mopar front and rear bumpers and rear corner guards, performance heat reduction hood, half-door kit and Mopar/Warn 9.5 Cti winch.

Based on a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, the hood has been replaced by a snub nose front clip and the two-seat cab section moved up and over the front wheels and engine, while a full-length pickup bed with drop sides has been created in the rear.

Unlike the original Forward Control Jeeps, which were typically used as commercial vehicles and rode close to the ground, the Mighty FC has been given a huge lift courtesy of a set of Mopar Portal Axles, which feature 1.5 to 1 reduction hubs and an axle that’s offset 5 inches above the centerline of the wheels. The catalog price for the pair is $23,500.

A beefed-up suspension, 40-inch tires on 17-inch beadlock wheels from Hutchinson and a front-mounted winch further enhance the extreme off-road capability of the Mighty FC.

While there are no plans for production of the Mighty FC, it’s very possible that Mopar will eventually offer all of the parts needed to build one if it proves popular enough, as is did with the JK-8 pickup truck conversion kit, which started out as a concept shown at the Safari.

The Mighty FC is one of six concepts Jeep with be bringing to the event this year, including an extended version of the pickup conversion called JK-12 that features a retro Jeep Gladiator-style front end.

Jeep said it collaborated with Chrysler’s Mopar parts and performance division to build the small concept fleet, which includes the J-12, Mighty FC, Wrangler Apache and three others. The company said it will release more information about the vehicles later this month.

Jeep has developed a tradition of showing wild custom machinery at the Moab gathering. The past few years have brought out interesting one-off concepts like the stripped-down Wrangler Pork Chop and the Military-style Nukizer 715.

Last year Jeep showed the JK-8, a custom pickup truck based on the Wrangler SUV. The JK-8 recalled Jeep’s production Scrambler pickup of 30 years earlier. The concept spawned a do-it-yourself kit that allows owners to turn their Wranglers into pickups.

Yet again, the rough-and-tumble Wrangler placed dead last in the magazine’s annual road test, scoring just 20 out of a possible 100 points. The Jeep Liberty didn’t fare a whole lot better, scoring 27 points to finish second-to-last.

The test crew at Consumer Reports liked the off-road capability of the two Toledo-built Jeeps, but they didn’t like much else. Bad marks were given to both vehicles’ fit and finish, driving position, comfort, ride, braking, and fuel economy.

Hurting the Wrangler is that it’s an off-road vehicle that happens to spend most of its time on the blacktop.

“As a car, it has a lot of downsides,” said Mike Quincy, an automotive specialist with Consumer Reports. “As a fun, weekend, off-road vehicle, it’s fabulous. But most people can only afford one car, and if a Wrangler is their one car and they’ve never lived with a Jeep or an SUV, Consumer Reports is here to say ‘this is what you can expect.’?”

Loyal Wrangler buyers know what they’re buying, Mr. Quincy said, and he’s well aware of the heat Consumer Reports takes for the low marks they give the Jeep.

“Part of the reason we criticize the Wrangler as much as we do, we’re also writing for somebody who’s never driven a Wrangler before,” he said.

The magazine does perform off-road testing, but the results don’t factor into the road test scores. That’s a point Chrysler Group LLC made responding to the rating.

“Consumer Reports applies the same road-test criteria for all vehicles it tests, so Jeep 4x4s undergo the same tests as luxury sedans and minivans without regard to unique capabilities sought by SUV customers,” the automaker said.

The magazine noted that this version of the Wrangler, with its much improved drivetrain, was the best ever, but still said the Jeep was “seriously outdated in the modern world.”

But that throw-back attitude is part of what sets the vehicle apart from its competitors, analysts say.

“I would be surprised if anyone in that market read Consumer Reports and decided not to purchase it,” said Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst with Edmunds.com. “It’s a niche market, and there’s not a lot of options for it.”

Ms. Caldwell said the Consumer Reports ratings typically mean more for more mainstream cars such as the Honda Accord and the Chevrolet Malibu.

Even Mr. Quincy said that greatly altering the Wrangler would be akin to sabotaging a piece of Americana.

“Jeep sells a lot of Wranglers as they are. The Wrangler also has an amazing value retention. It depreciates very little. People love the Wrangler. You could make a fair argument if Chrysler softened it, made it more civilized, and took away its edge — they would lose sales,” he said.