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Jeep says it doesn't fear Chinese newcomers like the GWM Tank 300 and a host of other incoming products because not only are the American brand's vehicles "cooler", but its Chinese rivals can't offer the "proven capability" of models like the Wrangler.
So said Jeep Wrangler product manager Rick Crichton, who told CarsGuide that, while Chinese brands had "credible" cars, he believed his customers would "rather be behind the wheel of a Wrangler".
"They largely occupy a different subsegment of the market, right? They're at the entry to the market perhaps for price-conscious individuals," he says.
"They're not going to have the proven capability, and proven over decades of time, that the Wrangler can offer. So things like front swaybar disconnect, locking front and rear diffs, fully floating rear axles.
"These are all one-percenters, you might call them, over and above some of the competition that set the Jeep aside and give it its rightful position."
Crichton was talking at the launch of the new 2024 Wrangler, which ups the tech and comfort, and swaps out the V6 for a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.
The new powertrain offers slightly less power, but more torque, but perhaps more importantly, it helps to significantly improve the on-road manners of Jeep's most iconic off-road vehicle.
Already GWM has launched the Tank 300 in Australia, and there are more off-road-ready offerings from China on their way, with the list expected to include the BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5 and even Chery's Jetour off-road vehicles.
But it's off-road capability and durability that Crichton says separates the Jeep from the pack.
"That's what the Wrangler's got to rest its laurels on, that it has proven over decades that it is the four-wheel drive that you want to be behind the wheel of in tough situations," he says.
"So by all means, they have credible cars, but I'd rather be behind the wheel of the Wrangler."
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