Report: Jeep eyeing entry-level pickup market?

All hail the Jeep Comanche? Well, not exactly. But the old XJ-based single cab pickup certainly has something of a loyal fan base. The same can be said of every other pickup truck the Toledo-based off-road specialists have ever created, including the classic CJ-8 Scrambler. And the darn-near-perfect-in-every-way Jeep Gladiator concept from 2005 got nothing but rave reviews from everyone who saw it at the Detroit Auto Show.

So, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that our friends at PickupTrucks.com are reporting that Jeep is once again considering entering the pickup truck market. Apparently, newly minted Jeep CEO Mike Manley has his eyes on the segment globally and believes that the concept of a Jeep pick 'em-up-truck has some profitable legs.

Considering that the Ford Ranger continues to sell in reasonably decent numbers despite not seeing any real updates since the Jurassic period and that the Mahindra pickup has generated a good bit of interest before even hitting the American scene, we have to wonder if there may be some pent-up demand for a small, capable pickup in America. In any case, don't expect any sort of official comment from Jeep... but feel free to keep your fingers crossed.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]