Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor Company claims it wants to become the world’s biggest sport-utility brand. Originally an SUV- and truck-specific company, Great Wall has grown in recent years to build cars as well and has ambitious plans to expand into other markets, including the United States. The most solid proof of such high hopes comes from news that Great Wall is interested in buying Jeep (but only Jeep) from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, according to a new report from Automotive News.
According to that industry trade publication, Great Wall has been watching Jeep for some time and is “deeply interested” in acquiring the company to elevate its own brand and accelerate its mission to dominate the SUV market. Great Wall president Wang Fengying claims the company has reached out to Jeep. However, FCA told Automotive News that is not the case.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has made it abundantly clear in recent years that he is open to mergers and partnerships, but most of his attempts thus far have been to merge FCA in its entirety, not just one brand. He showed interest in working with General Motors in 2015 and earlier in 2017 expressed a desire to open talks with Volkswagen. Now the tables have turned, and he’s faced with a company coming to him with a potential offer.
As further demonstrated by Marchionne’s admission that Ferrari will build an SUV, such vehicles have never been more significant to automaker profits. And when it comes to off-road-capable crossovers and SUVs, Jeep is one of the best companies. Marchionne has gone so far as to confirm the possibility of spinning off Ram and/or Jeep into separate companies, as FCA did with Ferrari. Fresh off the release of its bananas 707-hp Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Jeep has a lineup that is as expansive as it has ever been. It currently has five models and their variants, and the new Wrangler and a pickup-truck version are coming soon. Great Wall currently has three SUVs, one pickup, and two cars in its lineup.
For now, it appears to be all talk. Marchionne is well aware that Jeep is the gem of FCA and one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and that’s without mentioning the huge potential hurdles to getting such a sale approved under the current presidential administration. Still, buying the whole ball of wax just to get Jeep wouldn’t be unprecedented: When Chrysler purchased the entirety of American Motors in the late 1980s, its primary interest was in Jeep, and, despite the creation of the short-lived Eagle division, AMC’s other brands faded into history.
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