Lucas Bell 
Podcasting has managed to become one of the great content mediums as of late. In a world where our collective attention spans appear to be waning, these long-form conversations offer a unique opportunity for genuinely interesting information to come forward. For automotive enthusiasts, the “Autoline After Hours” show is a great place to hear from folks in the industry with a bit less polish than normal. The show is helmed by industry veterans John McElroy and Gary Vasilash, who discuss hot automotive topics with a revolving panel of guests. Last week, McElroy and Vasilash had a chance to sit down (albeit virtually) with Head of Jeep Exterior Design Mark Allen. The Jeep executive talked about a ton of cool topics, including the new Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer models, the brand’s Moab Easter Safari projects, and even some future product plans.
If you are a Jeep fanatic, the hour-long episode of “Autoline After Hours” is worth a proper listen. For those who aren’t willing to dedicate that sort of time however, we’ll break down the highlights for you here. The show covers all of the new additions to the Jeep lineup that have come in 2021. These include models like the Jeep Wrangler 392, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the Grand Cherokee L, and the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models. Allen also confirms that the Wagoneers are indeed intended to start a new premium sub-brand for the automaker. That said, don’t expect the wood paneling to come back. Allen was never a fan of the look on the original models, and the look clashes too much with the concept the automaker has for the new SUVs. The aftermarket can fix that, however.
From there, the “Autoline After Hours” gets into a detailed discussion about each of the recent Moab Easter Safari projects that the automaker rolled out for the 2021 event. These concept vehicles include the electric Wrangler Magneto, Jeepster Beach, Orangle Peelz, Tog Dog, Red Bare, and Farout models. The latter is particularly interesting, as Allen hints that the unique Earl paint color it wore could soon find its way into the production palette. Speaking of production vehicles, Allen also suggests that some updated appearances may be coming to the Jeep lineup fairly soon. Based on the current lineup, this likely relates to models like the Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and Cherokee. The first two are due for a mid-cycle refresh, while the Cherokee is expected to undergo a generational update soon. All three new designs would be welcomed by buyers at this point.
We know that Jeep is currently in the process of becoming the greenest SUV brand on the market, with an onslaught of new hybrid and electric models slated to come in the near future. Allen does touch on these topics, but not in a way that strays from what Stellantis is willing to share. He is an executive after all, and knows a thing or two about media training. Regardless, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting more models like the 392 for too much longer.
So then nothing groundbreaking came out of the recent podcast appearance, but Allen did share some cool tidbits. As mentioned above, the show is worth a listen if you are interested in the iconic 4×4 brand. And if YouTube isn’t your sort of thing, the “Autoline After Hours” episode is also available in audio-only form on several of the major podcasting services.
