One of the concept vehicles is the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk concept using a Ecodiesel V-6 engine among other interesting features. The most interesting concept vehicles that will be shown off at the event is the deep Wrangler Mopar Recon, which is the grey vehicle pictured above. This impressive Jeep Wrangler is fitted with a 6.4-liter V-8 crate engine from Mopar producing 470 hp.

This Jeep also has a prototype 4.5-inch long-arm lift kit and 39-inch off-road tires. Another of the concept cars is the Wrangler Stitch based on the 2013 Wrangler Rubicon. The Stitch is light at 3000 pounds to give it a better power to weight ratio.

Another concept vehicle is the Wrangler Sand Trooper II from Mopar, which is the beige vehicle seen here. It has a 5.7-liter V8 engine producing 375 hp and 400 pound-foot of torque mated to an automatic transmission. Rounding out the concept vehicles is the Wrangler Flattop with an upscale look inside and out but still offering impressive off-road capability. The Wrangler Slim is designed for performance and lightweight. Many of the parts to build these concept vehicles can be purchased directly from Mopar.

[via Jeep]

Jalopnik ended up getting a sizable amount of photos of the new SUV, and we have to say the all-new design is rather odd. The company still stuck with their unique grille design that they’ve had since the beginning, but the headlights are a lot smaller this time around. However, Jeep added larger headlights further down the front, as well as floodlights toward the bottom.

All in all, the new 2014 Cherokee looks like the combination between a Nissan Juke, an Isuzu Axiom, and an Alfa Romeo. There’s plenty of body cladding all around the bottom, and you can’t leave out the big tires with a slight lift in suspension. It’s certainly a bold new design that Jeep has gone with, and it’ll be interesting to see the reception it gets when it eventually comes out.

It’s said the 2014 Cherokee will come in V6 and V4 engine options, but the V6 may have a 3.2-liter motor rather than the 3.6-liter to save on fuel mileage. Plus, it the V6 may be the only option in the US, while other countries will have the option of a four-cylinder 2-liter diesel offering. It’s expected that this 2014 Cherokee will make its official debut at the New York Auto Show next month.

[via Jalopnik]

Many of the tweets are also similar to what we saw yesterday, mainly dealing with the superiority of Cadillac over Jeep, mixed in with some incoherent language and hashtags. The background was also changed to a McDonald’s-laden blinged-out car, pretty much confirming that it’s the same hacking group that we saw yesterday, due to the McDonald’s reference.

If it is the same group, then the Defonic Team Screen Name Club are the ones behind today’s Twitter hack. The group is best known for hacking into Paris Hilton’s phone a while back. Of course, Jeep is gaining hundreds of new followers by the minute, similar to how Burger King’s following grew by 30,000 users in about an hour’s time.

Jeep’s Twitter account hasn’t been suspended, unlike Burger King’s account, and it seems things are back to normal. Jeep’s head of brand communications Todd Goyer says that the company is “aware of the issue and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible.” Most of the branding is back to normal and all of the irrelevant tweets have been deleted.

According to the leak, the 2WD Grand Cherokee Laredo will be the cheapest option with a starting price of $28,795, with a couple rungs higher being the Grand Cherokee Summit at $47,995. Things keep going north from there, with Grand Cherokee SRT coming in at $62,995, a $2,700 increase over the previous model, according to Auto Blog. Fully loaded, buyers are looking at a cool $72,000+.

In addition to the pricing, a full breakdown of each Cherokees’ features is also provided, also said to be a leak of official data, which you can view here. Jeep has not made a comment on the leak, and nothing official has been stated in terms of price. As with all leaks, rumors, and speculation, don’t take it as indisputable fact.

This follows an announcement by Jeep on January 15 that it plans to start back up manufacturing in China after it ceased operations back in 2009. Currently, only import models are available in the nation, where they enjoy moderate popularity. The company also plans to increase its number of dealers in China to 200 by the end of this year.

[via Auto Blog]

In addition to Jeep production, the deal with Guangzhou also allows for the building of more Fiat models, which is also owned by Chrysler. For now, Chrysler has an estimated 150 dealerships in China, and has stated plans to increase that number to 200 by the end of the year. The three imported models available for sale in China already include the Grand Cherokee, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Wrangler.

Chief Operating Office of Chrysler and Fiat in Asia Mike Manley offered this statement. “The expansion of the agreement with our GAC partners will allow us to unleash the potential of both our Fiat and Chrysler Group brands in China … The reality is you can’t ignore the size of the market or the opportunity that it represents.”

This comes after the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT’s unveiling today. The SUV features a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine with 465 pound-foot of torque, as well as an 8-speed transmission and towing capacity up to 7,200 pounds, a reported 44-percent increase over the 2013 model. To keep fuel costs down while being a tad more environmentally friendly, the vehicle also features Eco-Mode, a feature that optimizes transmission shifting. Sadly, there’s no pricing or available info yet.

[via WSJ]

The new engine and transmission helps increase the towing capacity of the SUV to 7200 pounds, which is a 44% improvement over the 5000 pound towing capacity of the 2013 and earlier model Grand Cherokee SRT. Jeep says the new eight-speed automatic transmission is engineered to optimize shift quality and shift points for fuel economy, performance, and drivability.

The 2014 model also features an Eco-Mode that optimizes the transmissions shift schedule to help save fuel. The engine also deactivates four cylinders when full power isn’t required. The 2014 model also has an improved and retuned Selec-Track system to deliver more torque to the rear wheels in Track Mode to optimize rear-wheel drive characteristics.

The vehicle also comes standard with one control and has an upscaled interior with new LED lighting. The vehicle also features an 8.4-inch touchscreen and a seven-inch programmable multiview gauge cluster. The car also features Uconnect to sink with smartphones and more. Pricing and availability information are unknown at this time.

Jeep is offering a diesel power option for the first time in the Grand Cherokee. The available engine is a 3 L V-6 turbo diesel engine designed and built by Italian company VM Motori. The engine creates a whopping 420 pound-feet of torque giving Grand Cherokee a towing capacity of 7400 pounds.

The available diesel engine in the new Grand Cherokee has 240 hp. The diesel version of the vehicle is expected to be in showrooms this March with fuel economy ratings of 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway for rear wheel drive versions. The diesel engine will be backed by an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission.

That same automatic transmission will be found in all 2014 Grand Cherokees. Jeep says that the extra forward gears is good for an additional two mpg on highway for the V-6 and an extra one mpg for the V-8. The 2014 Grand Cherokee is also refreshed on the outside with slimmer headlights and upgraded interior materials and electronics.

[via Edmunds]