2024 Jeep Recon

2024 Jeep Recon - design Review

​​Overall Grade = C-
​AVERAGE

Front End: C-
    Good: Jeep Grille
    Bad: Oversized plastic bumper
Rear End: C-
    Good: Flower Wheels
    Bad: Bumper and offset lights
Side: C
    Good: Jeep company lines
    Bad: Simple character
Overall Appeal: C-
    Good: Jeep inspiration
    Bad: Simple Jeep inspiration​

​​​​​​Score: 48.92%
Grade: C-
Rating: AVERAGE
AutoLooks Rating: 4.9 out of 10

Front End: 48.15%
Rear End: 46.36%
Side: 54.21%
Overall Appeal: 46.96%

AutoLooks Buy List: WATCH
Recommended Tuner: YES
Trent Setter: YES
Future Classic: POSSIBLE
Stock Value: INCREASE

                Again, is seems that Jeep is serious about taking on the entire SUV-CUV marketplace.  From its release of the baby Renegade to the all-new Grand Wagoneer, Jeep is becoming more serious about the market they helped to create.  But does it seem like they are going too far these days, as they are starting to enter parts of the market which don’t really qualify as a proper utility vehicle.
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                The smaller they get the less useful they become and without a true competitor to the Suzuki Jimny, Jeep is really missing the boat when it comes to 

​micro-SUV’s.  That could all change as it seems Stellantis is getting serious about the stature of the Jeep brand.  Moving out on both ends, Jeep is now heading down lines which they have not entered before.  Sure, they have had the compass and patriot, but who really considers those as true Jeeps.  Now we have the Avenger and Recon and it seems that these small products may just be what Jeep needs.

                Small in stature and yet still very capable, the all-new Recon is Jeeps entry into the true sub-compact SUV ring.  Competing with products from Baojun and Suzuki, the Recon may just be what Jeep needs right now.  Of course, that is if it wants to stave off the threat of losing out on market share to the competition.

                Suzuki has had the small SUV market wrapped up, as the Jimny has been the go-to vehicle for his market for decades.  That could all change with the entry of the Recon, as this product not only brings a new niche to this market, but brings the Jeep niche to this market.
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                Available with Wrangler style removable doors, the Recon carves out its own niche in the sub-compact marketplace.  This could be what makes the Recon a viable model over its competitors, as we have all wanted a smaller Wrangler for a long time now.  Of course, this could be due to the fact that the Wrangler has moved further up the food chain in price and size.  So, let’s say hello to the new entry level SUV from Jeep.

​                Up front Jeep has decided to grace us with their new design language.  A more boxed end approach as opposed to the hard edges we have become used to with the Compass, Patriot and Grand Cherokee.

                Block lights are a decent touch, but really Jeep could have done a better job here.  Following the same block style as the front grille, the lights help to create the flat top appearance of the basic hood line.  The hood does have some nice interior lines, but could have used a taper along the side.  Using the taper hood style from the Wrangler would have helped out here along with emphasize the wheel wells.  Unfortunately, Jeep has decided to go with a bland outline similar to what we received with the Patriot.  Hopefully the Recon is more capable than the Patriot, as this model is supposing to help bring up the small-scale SUV market in Jeep.  If not, the Recon will go down as the 2nd generation Patriot, a bland styled econo-box.
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                A bit lower you will find that Jeep really wants to make sure you are safe out on those back roads.  An oversized bumper containing your skid plate and tow hooks is a good idea, but not with cheap plastic.  Add to this the overall size of the bumper and by no means is this a good point to talk about.  Protruding massively, the front bumper is more of an eyesore than a good fixture and hopefully will be toned down during the refresh.  That is to say, if it makes it to the refresh.

​                Blocks are a good way to build things, but when they come to vehicles, they are not the best to build with.  Utilizing a two-box profile, the side of the Recon is not much more than a blank sheet of nothing.  Besides the odd-looking rim choice, there really isn’t much else out here.

                A simple window design creates a floating roofline.  This is something new to Jeep and could work towards this products benefit.  But the simple layout of the windows may make others think that not much was put into the overall design of this product.  One good thing is that the rear windows to go down, allowing you to cool off more of the interior and giving you the feeling of an open world vehicle.  Better yet would be if the roof was removable, but for this price range, that would be asking a bit too much.
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                Removable doors are the one key feature with this product, as this will help the Recon stand out from the crowd.  You can see this feature, by the exposed hinges brought over from the Wrangler.  This will help with the overall appeal of this product, but in turn could make it look cheap.  Maybe some character lines or a lower door window would help spruce things up.

​                Similar to the front, the rear of the Recon is again bland and rather faceless. A limited amount of character gives the rear of the Recon a bland appearance which not even the 3D inspired tail lights could save.  This could be because the lights seem a bit off.  Sitting between the rear window and tail gate, the lights would have been better off being flush with the tailgate, or at lease running the height of the D-pillar.

                Again, it seems that Jeep has thing about oversized, protruding bumpers, as the rear one is just as bad as the front.  Unlink the front, there is no skid plate back here, just one (1) tow hooks.  They could have at least given us two, to make it count.
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                Sitting next to the driver’s side light, you find an odd location for the rear handle.  It is a good layout, but could have been turned another 90 degrees to make it more appealing.  Of course, the rear character lines do this no help as well.

​                Overall, the Recon is a product which suits its space in the market, but does not stand out from the crowd.  Its two-box design runs with the crowd, but when you want to stand out from it, you might want to be different.  Removable doors and lowering rear windows won’t make all the difference, but it could help.

Everett J.
​#autolooks

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COMPETITION:
Mazda CX-50 - 58.59%
Suzuki Grand Vitara - 59.46%
Haval Cool Dog - 52.00%
Ford Bonco Sport - 56.50%