I mean, it's not a Wrangler, to expect all Jeeps to be Wranglers would be like expecting every Dodge to be either a Charger or an Omni, every Chevy to either be a Suburban or a Corvette.
There's a reason I call my Compass a lifted Caliber 😂

 

Well obviously we don't expect it to be a Wrangler. I'm on the same page you are, not every Jeep needs to be Wrangler-capable, but it's kind of sad that it's not much more than an body-swapped Citroen. I don't mind platform sharing, but the European view of Jeep is broken. They see them as just generic cars with a certain look. Not vehicles that are actually capable.

 

I've kinda thought for a little while now, that the non-Wrangler midsize Jeeps should benchmark more Subaru than their Wrangler cousins.
Subarus are impressively capable for what they are.
Trying to benchmark a RAV4 is not saying much at all.
For even MORE capability than, say, an Outback, that's where the Trail Rated packages can come in.

 

Are we really complaining about the DNA and capability of the Compass, when it's 1st gen was a reskinned Caliber?

 

Fair point.

But I would remind everyone that back then, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Commander, still offered Jeep-like levels of capability.

Moreover, Chrysler offered a Dodge version in the form of Caliber; Stellantis doesn't even bother with Dodge or Chrysler any more. Meanwhile, Jeep is increasingly splitting up into Wrangler/Gladiator...and everything else.

Some of these new "Jeeps" Stellantis is churning out are simply shameless. We keep being promised that upcoming Recon, Cherokee, will fix all that...IF and WHEN they do materialize...

 

Remember when we were told Jeep can mean different things in different markets.
But in the end it has the same problem everywhere - an expectation of premium prices without being a truly premium product.

 

Yes. Jeep was always more "premium" in Europe than over here.

Cherokees and Grand Cherokees sold in Europe in much smaller volumes and at greater price premiums, giving them an aura of "luxury" in Europe that never quite existed over here. Which was all fine and dandy.

The issue, though, came to a head when first under FCA and then Stellantis, Jeep's market positioning in N.A. began being dictated from Europe: all of a sudden, Jeep's luxury aspiration, which was widely accepted in Europe, didn't get much traction here. And it still doesn't, as disappointing Wagoneer sales, and grossly overpriced JLs, JTs and WLs, prove.

 

In Europe, Aldo has it right - supply was small, the range was small, the price had to be high, and they gulped fuel (even XJ) compared to Eurocars, so they had that aura, but when you flood the market with cheap Citroëns and Fiats, you lose the aura

 

Funny thing about Alfa was that the Giulia really was a good car to put their money where their mouth was, following in the spirit of the 4C (? I've forgotten the name now), but the Stelvio was less remarkable (and easier to drive), and in the end I have to admit there was something lacking besides having more than two cars.

I think there might be room for one “driver’s car” image brand at that level. Audi tries, Cadillac tried, Acura I think might have maybe tried, but premium sporty is a tough nut.

 

Funny thing about Alfa was that the Giulia really was a good car to put their money where their mouth was, following in the spirit of the 4C (? I've forgotten the name now), but the Stelvio was less remarkable (and easier to drive), and in the end I have to admit there was something lacking besides having more than two cars.

I think there might be room for one “driver’s car” image brand at that level. Audi tries, Cadillac tried, Acura I think might have maybe tried, but premium sporty is a tough nut.

The missing ingredient was (1) a reassurance of quality, and (2) a spotless dealer experience.

Alfa Romeos were plagued with quality issues, mostly electrical gremlins, for the first few years. This sealed the fate of a brand with already suspect quality reputation. At least here in N.A.

Alfa Romeo never really exceeded industry average on JD Power's CSI and VDI studies until recently. Giulias and Stelvios are reportedly now quite reliable, but they are 10 and 8 years old, respectively. That's a lifetime in luxury circles.

 

Two of the missing ingredients. I don't think a lot of people were excited by them. Might just be that what Americans who remember Alfa Romeo think of Alfa Romeo is not a typical sedan. I don't know what would work for them, though. Coupes really don't sell well and the (4C?) was their coupe.

 

Yeah. Lack of product is definitely a key missing ingredient.

 

I'm a bit surprised they didn't pounce on Maserati when they had the chance. If they hadn't rebooted Alfa, Maserati would have been much easier to sustain.

 

"But it feels like a box-ticking exercise to us”

Sadly, that is seeming to describe pretty much every new vehicle STLA launches.

 

I am starting to like the previous FCA-platform Jeeps a lot more than the current stuff.