Around the Industry – 17.5 Part 2

Around the Industry – 17.5 Part 2

WILL GRAND CHEROKEE BE GETTING HELLCAT TREATMENT, DUBBED TRACKHAWK?

It seems that Car and Driver have found themselves a snitch inside FCA that is feeding them some interesting information. Said nameless snitch has claimed that SRT is currently at work finding ways to Hellcatize Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. They went on to say that this new performance version of the Grand Cherokee will not display the SRT badge like the one pictured here, but will instead by dubbed the “Trackhawk.”

A direct swap of a Hellcat engine would provide the Grand Cherokee with 230 additional horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque beyond what the naturally aspirated 6.4L Hemi powered model currently has. With such a massive lift in power, Car and Driver says Jeep’s engineers are currently trying to address potential durability problems with the four-wheel drive system that the high level of torque could cause. That’s going to be important because if you are going to start playing with Porsches and BMW X5 M’s, 0-100 kmh in less than four seconds will require some heavy drivetrain reinforcement.

If the rumours prove true, the car is expected to arrive sometime in mid-2016.

LAND ROVER BUILDS 6 MILLIONTH VEHICLE

Land Rover is celebrating the production of its landmark 6 millionth vehicle. The completion of a Range Rover LWB Vogue SE saw Land Rover hit the manufacturing milestone and fitted the vehicle with a bespoke puddle lamp graphic to signify its unique status. This same graphic was projected on to the wall of the Solihull manufacturing facility to mark the moment when the 6,000,000th vehicle rolled off the production line.

Andy Goss, Director, Group Sales Operations, Jaguar Land Rover, said: "For 67 years Land Rover has been building the world's most capable all-purpose vehicles. It's fitting that the 6,000,000th Land Rover to be produced is a Range Rover, since this year marks the 45th anniversary of the original Range Rover's launch, and even today, the vehicle remains peerless.”

The 6,000,000th vehicle was built at Land Rover's Solihull facility, where the company has been producing its iconic 4WD’s since 1948. Of the 6,000,000 Land Rovers produced, more than 900,000 are Range Rover vehicles. The original Land Rover Series I was unveiled at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30 April 1948, so this year marks the 67th anniversary of the brand.

LAND ROVER TO BUILD CONVERTIBLE VERSION OF EVOQUE

Yup, they went there. Land Rover is pumping out all sorts of new developments as of late and has now confirmed that they will be chopping the top of the Evoque off and proudly proclaiming it “the world's first premium compact SUV convertible.”

While we would love to provide you with more information on this interesting vehicle, Land Rover filled 90% of their press release with talk of the prototype driving around in unfinished subway tunnels 40 m below the streets of London. We’re thinking they only did the stunt so they could show the roof being open without getting rained on. Other than that, it looks like they simply chopped the top off and have a new model to flog. However, we’re willing to bet that a fair amount of body stiffening was required to stop the roofless Evoque from flopping around like a wet noodle when lifting wheels into the air over off-road obstacles.

What little info we do have says the convertible will be built alongside the five-door and coupe Evoque at Land Rover's Halewood plant in the UK and will be on sale in 2016. We have been promised more information a little later this year though.

HONDA GOING MAINSTREAM WITH NEW RIDGELINE

There is no arguing that the Honda Ridgeline is a bit of an oddity, and it seems as though Honda themselves agree, and are even a little bit embarrassed of their own offspring. “No one wants to have to explain why they bought what they bought,” John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda, told Autoguide.

Honda is learning that it just doesn’t pay to be different in the staunchly “we don’t like change” North American truck market. As a result, the Ridgeline has had somewhat of a tumultuous life, always seemingly dangling from a noose with Honda unsure whether to pull the trigger on the quirky pickup or update it. Rumour has been abound for years that Honda would cancel the slow selling truck, but they always seem to rethink a way to keep it alive, and now we are confident it will be around for at least another generation.

Honda is hard at work on an all-new Ridgeline that will be somewhat different in design than the current model. Mendel said the new version will have more truck-like proportions and traditional styling than today’s Ridgeline. He also mentioned that it probably won’t have “as sharp an edge,” ostensibly meaning it will be less polarizing.

While the controversial looks will likely get smoothed out, you can expect Honda to continue to pack the new Ridgeline with the same “out of the box” thinking that makes the current vehicle so loved by the faithful. Clever storage spaces, a hybrid unibody/box frame architecture and car-like handling will likely be on tap once again as the second generation Ridgeline will be based off the Honda Odyssey minivan platform.

The 2016 Ridgeline is set to hit the market sometime in 2016 with an all-new Odyssey minivan following at some point after as the company continues to update its light-truck portfolio.

LAND ROVER LAUNCHES HERITAGE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The new Land Rover Heritage Driving Experience is now open at the company's customer test facility in Fen End, West Midlands, England. For the first time, customers have to opportunity to experience Land Rover's rich heritage through driving vehicles from the Series I that started the legend in 1948, to the modern lineup, and everything in between, on- and off-road at a new customer facility in the heart of the UK.

A variety of packages will be available allowing visitors to focus on a particular decade or era, or to journey throughout Land Rover's heritage. Professional instructors will be on hand to provide direction, interesting facts and anecdotes to ensure visitors get the most pleasure and excitement from their time on the circuit or on the new off-road track. Customers will also have the opportunity to view stunning vehicle exhibits in detail and browse a fully stocked merchandise outlet. Land Rover packages start at £40 ($78 CAD) for passenger rides with an expert Land Rover Experience instructor. Example Land Rover Heritage Experience packages include:

The Series I, II and III vs. Modern Defender: £85 ($166 CAD) Drive a Series I, II or III, followed by the present day vehicle they became – the Defender. See how Land Rover's adventurous DNA has passed from generation to generation, and how these classic machines took on the world's toughest terrains.

Land Rover Historic Drives: £90 ($175 CAD) Drive the vehicles that started the legend, both on- and off-road. Choose from an original Series Land Rover, a classic Range Rover or a more unusual creation – the 101 Forward Control – a transporter designed for the British Army.

Range Rover Then and Now: £125 ($244 CAD) Compare the classic Range Rover with its 2015 offspring, both on- and off-road. Time behind the wheel includes a track induction for a higher speed experience, and time off-road putting both cars through their all-terrain paces.

Land Rover – The Collection: £250 ($487 CAD) The full Land Rover Experience incorporates all the key models in the brand's history from the 1940’s right up to the 2010’s, including the Series Land Rovers, special military vehicles, collectible expedition-prepared vehicles and the modern line-up from Defender to Range Rover.

If you are a Roverphile that finds themselves in the U.K., this is a must see.