Grand Cherokee, Durango Going Grayscale Until February 2015

by Cameron Aubernon

Published: November 21st, 2014

grand cherokee durango going grayscale until february 2015

Were you hoping to have a red Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT or Dodge Durango Ron Burgundy Edition in your driveway in time for Christmas? You may have to try your luck on the lot, as new orders will be painted black, white, gray and silver all over for the next few months.

Automotive News reports the grayscale look will be in until at least next February due to upgrades at Chrysler Group’s Jefferson North Assembly’s paint shop in Detroit. The upgrades would allow the shop to paint vehicles with more complex colors than it could prior to the changeover.

The changeover, which follows those at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ subsidary’s Warren Truck and Sterling Heights facilities, will also shut production down for three weeks beginning December 22, the first time the plant has been shut down for that long in several years.

Until then, shoppers can comb through the lot to find a red or maximum steel SUV of their dreams: around 19 percent of 24,500 unsold 2015 Grand Cherokees and 8 percent of 719 unsold Dodge Durangos come in colors outside of the grayscale range.

#ChryslerGroup #Dodge #Durango #FactoryUpgrades #FiatChryslerAutomobiles #GrandCherokee #Jeep #JeffersonNorthAssembly #PaintColors

Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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12 of 91 comments

Mjz on Nov 21, 2014

The Automotive News article said that 70% of cars sold are painted either white, silver, gray or black. So this really won't have that big an impact on sales anyway.

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- Jpolicke on Nov 21, 2014
  
  The auto industry likes to point out that BWSG cars make up 70% of sales while ignoring that they make up at least that percentage of colors offered. Sort of like the Dilbert recollection of idiot managers that complain about 40% of sick days being taken on Mondays and Fridays.
  
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- Sigivald on Nov 21, 2014
  
  @jpolicke Though in their defense, they also run a lot of market research, and *probably* the Real Preferences are more towards those neutral colors than the ones enthusiasts might prefer. Color preference in a major purchase where resale value is a big factor is *not* going to be an even distribution.
  
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- Dtremit on Nov 21, 2014
  
  @Sigivald I suspect BWSG do as well as they do because they're everyone's second choice. White is oddly regional, though.
  
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- Occam on Nov 21, 2014
  
  @dtremit I've found that when I'm able to locate a car I want with a manual, it's almost always silver or white. I don't know if that's because they are more common, or if they intentionally limit them to the most popular/neutral colors since they're a niche choice anyway.
  
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White Shadow on Nov 21, 2014

Picked up a black 2015 Grand Cherokee two months ago. Biggest piece of shit I've ever own. Seriously. The 8-speed transmission alone is problematic enough to make me want to give it back. And Jeep dealers have no clue how to fix it.

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- Highdesertcat on Nov 21, 2014
  
  White Shadow, it is with deep regret that I confess that I believe you about your 2015 Grand Cherokee. My wife's three sisters each bought a 2014 Grand Cherokee and have all experienced annoying and recurring problems with theirs. The 2015 is fundamentally unchanged from the 2014 model. Although our 2012 Grand Cherokee has not had any problems in 60K+ miles, other than a thirsty power steering fluid reservoir that takes a very special synthetic silicone power steering fluid, we decided to place our bet on a 2015 Sequoia Platinum 4x4. We gave the Grand Cherokee to our 23-yo grand daughter to use, after we sold her 2011 Elantra this month. The Elantra had served her well all through college but was not a 4x4 and had more than 72K on the clock. It was time.
  
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Petezeiss on Nov 21, 2014

Damn, but that GC is one righteous looking machine, even in red. Big kudos on the straight and nearly horizontal beltline.

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Driver7 on Nov 21, 2014

The Grand Cherokee looks good in gray and white (fortunately, for those who can't find more adventurous colors). And speaking of car colors - the only car ever to look good in purple is the Rover 2000 TC. It's a elegant design that features tiny, vestigial tail fins. Corgi produced a scale version of the Rover 2000 TC in purple: http://www.vectis.co.uk/Page/ViewLot.aspx?LotId=463815&Section=0&Start=560

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- Petezeiss on Nov 22, 2014
  
  I've always loved the Rover 2000's looks. It should have been the English Volvo. God, what a stolid and reassuring design. Like a big, kindly cop.
  
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- Lie2me on Nov 22, 2014
  
  @petezeiss "what a stolid and reassuring design" as it dangles from the back of a tow truck
  
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- Lorenzo on Nov 22, 2014
  
  @Lie2me I think (hope) Pete means the P6, made by Rover before it was masticated by British Leyland. Rover came up with the design for the successor car under BL, but from what I've heard, only the ones built in Rover's Solihull plant were well made.
  
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