AutoGuide.com

Based on job descriptions posted on Chrysler’s careers website, it appears that the American automaker is recruiting new talent for its next-generation Jeep Wrangler model due in 2016.

The descriptions reveal that the next-gen Wrangler will go on an extreme diet, much like what RAM did for its 2013 1500 pickup. This points that the Wrangler Stitch concept that Jeep showed off at this year’s Moab Easter Jeep Safari will heavily influence the next-generation design.

SEE ALSO: Jeep Wrangler Stitch Concept Video, First Look

Jeep is seeking to use high-strength steels for its frame and will scrap some of its steel body panels for lighter weight aluminum. The RAM 1500 used advanced high-strength steels to shed 30 pounds. To help increase fuel economy, the 2016 Jeep Wrangler could incorporate the air suspension found on the Grand Cherokee and RAM. Not only would it provide extra clearance when necessary, it would help reduce drag on the Wrangler at highway speeds.

Also from the job descriptions, Jeep hinted at the possibility of a diesel engine in the Wrangler as well as incorporating the automaker’s eight-speed automatic transmission.

[Source: Automotive News]

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