Jeep Wrangler Production Will Stay in Toledo

News and speculation about the next-generation Jeep Wrangler continues to evolve, though this new report should be a relief for fans of the off-roader. Rumors that the upcoming Wrangler will switch to a unibody chassis can finally be put to rest because recent developments suggest that its body-on-frame design will remain.

While discussing the Wrangler during the Paris auto show earlier this month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne made a few comments that concerned Jeep employees and city officials from Toledo, Ohio, where the Wrangler is currently built.

For starters, Marchionne stated the automaker is still considering aluminum construction for the Wrangler and that retrofitting the Toledo plant would be too expensive. He also pointed out that Chrysler’s plants in Belvidere, Ill., and Sterling Heights, Mich., had room for added production capacity. While Marchionne didn’t directly say Wrangler production would move to those plants, a number of Toledo city officials requested meetings with the CEO for clarification.

That said, Automotive News spoke with sources within Chrysler who confirmed that the Wrangler will definitely remain body-on-frame, and that it will be built in Toledo. There’s more news that suggests Wrangler production will stay put. Toledo’s city council recently approved the purchase of 32 acres of land next to the Wrangler assembly plant. The city will spend $9.4 million to buy that land, which suggests that Chrysler will expand the Toledo plant. Chrysler and city officials have refused to discuss the land deal, but the move should be promising for Jeep factory employees who were previously worried about the plant’s future.