Jeep will not throw in the towel and quit Australia despite one of the darkest years in its sales history.
Addressing rumours parent Stellantis was about to tug Jeep from Australia after falling sales and a near revolt from dealers after it axed the best-selling Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s senior vice president for global product planning, Matt Nyquist, said the brand remains safe Down Under.
MORE: In the dirt at Jeep’s Easter Safari
“There are no plans to withdraw Jeep from the market, we are committed to Australia,” he told media at a recent event in the US.
According to VFACTS data, last year Jeep only managed to sell a paltry 1682 cars – its lowest annual tally since sales data was first collected back in 1997, with the brand suffering a four-years consecutive slide in sales.
Acknowledging mistakes had been made from the brand that back in 2014 sold more than 30,000 Jeeps locally, Nyquist said he believed a comeback was still possible.
MORE: Jeep’s Grand Cherokee discontinued in Australia
“Australia is a great market for Jeep, it’s had its ups and downs, for sure, but the environments and landscapes that require 4×4 and capability means [there remains] a good synergy between Jeep and the market.”
With the axing of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was once described as “the backbone” of the Jeep franchise by dealers, it has been mooted by some that Jeep would be saved by a raft of new products.
Eagerly awaited models included both the rugged Recon and sports car humbling Wagoneer S EVs – that were originally locked in for a local arrival as far back as 2022 by then CEO, Christian Meunier, who was the architect behind the ill-fated plan to transition Jeep to becoming the “greenest SUV brand in the world”.
Now both cars future Down Under is less than certain.
MORE: Australian Jeep dealer unleashes on Stellantis
Given the chance to reconfirm both flagship EVs that were due for an arrival later this year, the senior exec cast fresh doubt on whether they would reach these shores.
“We are always studying evolution of the market. The industry has changed dramatically around those products (Recon, Wagoneer S), particularly in the US, but we’re always studying to ensure we have all the right products in the right place at the right price”.
Despite refusing to lock in its most capable battery-powered 4×4 and Jeeps latest all-electric Range-Rover rival, Nyquist was adamant that as well as being loyal to Australia, the brand remained committed to engineering right-hand drive Jeeps.
“We are committed to right-hand drive. Once you engineer a vehicle for right-hand drive, the rest – like regulations – are relatively straightforward.
“For all of our key products we want them to be available for right-hand drive.”
With both Recon and Wagoneer S off limits for at least a 2026 arrival, Jeep will underpin its sales recovery on new models like the next-gen Compass and Cherokee SUVs.
Jeep’s product planning boss wouldn’t be drawn on how the US 4×4 brand would turn around its fortunes Down Under, preferring to not interfere with the local outfit’s plans, but keen pricing is unlikely to be enough.
Even with $40,000 drive-away pricing the small, smart Jeep Avenger looked like it had all that it needed to be a firm success but the compact EV has failed to make a dent on the sales charts.
With a lack of V6 turbo-diesel on both the Wrangler and slow-selling Gladiator, plus the arrival of more and more capable, cheaper tech-laden Chinese rivals, the weakened Jeep brand might still continue to struggle to recover lost ground.
The brand has faced fierce criticism from dealers worried about Jeep’s direction. An open letter to former chief executive Carlos Tavares by American Jeep dealers called out a “rapid degradation of our iconic American brands”. An Australian Jeep dealer told us in 2025 that, although the brand plans to stay in Australia, “it will never get back to what it was”.
– with David McCowen
