Prices of the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator have risen by between $3000 and $12,100 depending on model – with no changes to standard equipment.
US car giant Jeep has introduced unprecedented price rises in Australia – despite making little or no changes to vehicles – and has been accused by its own dealer network of profiteering from short supply, amid concerns the brand is pricing itself out of reach of mainstream buyers.
The cheapest four-door Jeep Wrangler now costs 50 per cent more than it did three years ago, following new price rises for Wrangler and its ute sibling, the Jeep Gladiator.
Jeep dealers have been advised via confidential bulletins about two price hikes for the Wrangler – and one for the Gladiator – rolled out over the past two months, which have pushed prices up by between $2900 and $12,000 across all model grades.
Customers with orders placed – and contracts signed – before each price rise took effect will be protected from the increases. However, those Wrangler and Gladiator prices were increased by up to $7000 in February.
No changes are listed to standard equipment fitted to the vehicles. While rising parts prices and shipping costs have likely contributed to some of the price increases, many dealers believe Jeep is now profiteering from the short supply levels.
“Since Jeep became part of the Stellantis group, the price rises have been so high and so frequent that many dealers, myself included, are questioning the future viability of Jeep in Australia,” one major metropolitan Jeep dealer told Drive, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Customers can only take so much. It wasn’t that long ago, Jeep head office set a target for 50,000 annual sales in Australia. This is not the way to go about it.”
The first price rise came into effect on 1 July 2022 for the Gladiator, or 1 August 2022 for the Wrangler, and affects Model Year 2022 (MY22) vehicles.
The two-door Wrangler Rubicon was hit with the biggest increase, of $5600 – compared to $5200 to $5500 for other Wrangler models – while the Gladiator range has risen by between $2900 (Night Eagle) and $3200 (Rubicon).
The Jeep Wrangler was hit by a second price rise on August 1 – instead affecting Model Year 2023 (MY23) vehicles, adding $6000 to the price of the two-door Wrangler (only available in Rubicon spec), and $6500 to four-door Wrangler models.
In total, Jeep Wrangler prices have risen by between $11,400 and $12,100 between February (MY22) and August (MY23) – while the Gladiator has become $5000 to $5500 dearer over the same period.
At launch in early 2019, the Wrangler Unlimited Overland (four-door) was priced from $61,950 plus on-road costs – $25,000 less than today – while the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon was priced from $62,950 plus on-road costs, $27,500 less.
The current, entry-level Wrangler model – the Unlimited Night Eagle four-door – was $60,950 plus on-road costs ($20,500 less than today) when it arrived in showrooms in early 2021.
Standard features have risen over that period; the Rubicon’s $27,500 hike includes autonomous emergency braking, front parking sensors, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, and more.
The price of entry into the four-door Wrangler range – excluding the two-door, which is less popular – has risen from $53,450 plus on-road costs in early 2019 (Sport S), to $81,450 plus on-road costs now (Night Eagle MY23), up 52 per cent, albeit offset by more standard features.
Meanwhile, the Gladiator Rubicon launched in 2020 from $76,450 plus on-road costs, with the Night Eagle following in early 2021 from $68,450.
Jeep increased prices across other models earlier this year, with the Cherokee medium SUV hit with price rises of up to $3500 in February, and $1000 for the Compass small SUV range at the same time.
Many other car makers have also implemented price rises on multiple occasions throughout 2022, though rarely to the extent of the Jeep price hikes.
| Model | Old MY22 price (Feb) | New MY22 price (Jul/Aug) | Increase | MY23 price (Aug) | Increase | Total increase |
| Wrangler Unlimited Night Eagle | $69,750 | $74,950 | $5200 | $81,450 | $6500 | $11,700 |
| Wrangler Unlimited Overland | $74,850 | $80,450 | $5600 | $86,950 | $6500 | $12,100 |
| Wrangler Rubicon (two door) | $72,550 | $77,950 | $5400 | $83,950 | $6000 | $11,400 |
| Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon | $78,450 | $78,450 | $5500 | $90,450 | $6500 | $12,000 |
| Gladiator Night Eagle | $70,550 | $73,450 | $5000 | N/A (no price rise listed) | N/A | $5000 |
| Gladiator Rubicon | $79,250 | $82,450 | $5500 | N/A (no price rise listed) | N/A | $5500 |
The post Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator prices rise again by up to $12,100 appeared first on Drive.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar