While FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) isn’t setting many sales records with its cars, its trucks are on fire. Jeep is maintaining its traditionally strong sales numbers, and Ram pickups have recently outsold Chevrolet’s (!!!) to become the nation’s #2-selling trucks behind the Ford F-Series. That’s huge.
Here we’re looking only at Jeep, Ram, and Ram Commercial vehicles; in an earlier post, we covered What’s New for FCA’s 2020 cars.
2020 Jeep News
Jeep
Cherokee
Most notable for 2020 is that the Advance Safety Group — which includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and intervention, and rain-sensing wipers — is now available on all trim levels but the off-road-oriented Trailhawk. Also, Alexa Skill Technology is now available on Uconnect 4C/4C Navigation with 8.4-inch touchscreen. Cherokee is offered with three engines: a base 2.4-liter four with 180 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque; a 3.2-liter V6 with 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque (good for a 4500-lb towing capacity), and a 2.0-liter turbo four with 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
First Spin: 2019 Jeep Cherokee
Compass
The base Sport model now offers two option packages that add notable safety and convenience features. Included in the Safety and Security Group are blind-spot and rear cross traffic alert, rear obstacle detection, and rain-sensing wipers. With the Advance Safety Group comes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and intervention, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and auto-dimming rearview mirror. Added for high-line Limited, High Altitude, and Trailhawk models is a Luxury Seat Group that brings ventilated front seats, a power front passenger seat, and memory driver seat. Later in the year, a new Velvet Red Pearl Coat paint color is to be added.
Test Drive: 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude
Gladiator
New for 2020 — though introduced earlier this year — Gladiator is essentially a Wrangler with a short pickup bed added to the back. You can read a full review of it here. One item to add is that a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine is due to be available sometime in 2020.
Grand Cherokee
Aside from some minor trim changes, the biggest news is that the Active Safety Group (forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and intervention, and automatic high beams) is newly available on the base Laredo, and a sunroof is newly standard on “step-up” Limited and Trailhawk models. Seven models are offered, including the potent Trackhawk with its 707-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8.
Renegade
Renegade is also adding safety and convenience availability to its lower-line models. The base Sport can now be optioned with the Safety & Security Group (Blind-spot and rear cross traffic alert, rain-sensing wipers, and security alarm), while both the Sport and step-up Latitude can be ordered with the Advanced Tech Group (forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and intervention with lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear obstacle detection, park assist, and automatic high beams).
First Spin: 2015 Jeep Renegade
Wrangler
Redesigned for 2018, the Wrangler is now — or will soon be — offered with four engines. Available in lieu of the standard 285-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 are a 270-hp 2.0-liter turbo four, a 3.6 V6 fitted with a mild-hybrid eTorque (electric-motor assist) system, and later in the year, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel.
Test Drive: 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2.0T
2020 Ram News
Ram
1500
New for 2020 is the return of a turbodiesel engine option: a 3.0-liter V6 with a stout 480 lb-ft of torque. It joins the standard 3.6-liter V6, 5.7-liter Hemi V8, and 5.7-liter Hemi with mild-hybrid eTorque system. Most other changes are minor, though the off-road-oriented Rebel gets a Safety Group option that includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with Stop, Go and Hold, lane-departure warning and intervention, and automatic high beams. Though not new — as it was added late in the 2019 model year — the 1500s offer a MultiFunction 60/40 split tailgate that can open like a side-to-side refrigerator or conventionally as a one-piece tailgate.
2500/3500 Heavy Duty
Biggest news here is that lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control are now available on all trim levels, there’s blind-spot monitoring that includes trailer coverage, you can now monitor trailer tire pressures, and there’s an auxiliary camera system that supports up to two different cameras. Oh, and the “heavies” are available with the same MultiFunction 60/40 split tailgate as the 1500s. Other than that, there are mostly just detail changes for 2020.
First Spin: 2019 Ram Heavy Duty
ProMaster City
While we’d consider this compact van as more of a commercial vehicle, Ram doesn’t list it as such, possibly because it’s available in a 5-seat passenger version. But regardless, it’s essentially unchanged for 2020.
First Spin: 2015 Ram ProMaster City
Ram Commercial
ProMaster
New are 136-inch-wheelbase 2500 and 3500 models with standard-height roof, and a 3500 with high roof. Otherwise, there’s now a standard trailer hitch that allows for a maximum trailering capacity of 6800 lbs.
3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab
Newly available for 2020 is lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, body-colored bumpers, and a telematics tracking system.
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2020 Jeep News
