Opinions differ on whether the shutdown is short-term or permanent, but it appears that market realities are impacting Cherokee sales figures.
Sales were not that bad before COVID-19 hit. 2019 was their best year for Cherokee at over 239,000 units. OTOH, the latest generation is pretty old, having started in 2014. I guess it’s time for a new generation of Cherokee or whatever replaces it. Maybe it will be an EV to keep up with the array of electric SUVs offered by competitors. That doesn’t mean it will be built in Belvedere though.
This story has played out many times in the past by many different carmakers. This is just the latest.
Illinois is not the cheapest place in the US to build cars. I am a little surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
I wonder if Jeep is going to increase production elsewhere to make up for the Belvedere plant’s production? By the posts here at least, seems like the Cherokee remains a pretty popular vehicle.
They were built in Toledo from 2013-2017, then in Belvedere until now. They are also assembled in China. If Stellantis imports them from the Chinese factory it would not be the first time. The Buick Encore is built in both South Korea and China for local markets and export.
You guys keep spelling it Belvedere with a “e”, like the Plymouth model. The town is Belvidere with a “i” as the article correctly spells it.
Wikipedia explains the word “belvedere” as Italian for “beautiful sight”
Or maybe someone at Chryco chose the town’s name and spelled it wrong! 
I thought it was a cheesy 1980’s sitcom about a British butler in America. And I remember thinking that someone must have named him after a car.
2 Likes