A Romanian-built offering based on a military vehicle is about to charge into the U.S. sport-utility vehicle market, although the low-volume model isn't likely to trample on Toledo-built descendants of the famed World War II Jeep, an expert says.
Miami-based Cross Lander USA announced yesterday it received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification for its four-wheel-drive Cross Lander 244X, to be built in its recently acquired factory near Bucharest that has made off-road vehicles for more than 50 years. The approval clears the way for the 244X, which will hit dealership lots next summer at a price starting in the low $20,000s, according to the company.
Cross Lander's first SUV for the U.S. market will arrive more than a year after initially expected and at a higher price. EPA approval took longer than expected, and currency exchange factors and upgrades to make the vehicle more suitable for the U.S. market helpd raise the price from below $20,000, a spokesman for the company said.
Equipped with a 4-liter V-6 engine, the 244X is billed as a "no-nonsense, no-frills vehicle" aimed at off-roaders, and Cross Lander expects to produce 10,000 of them the first year. Options include air conditioning and a safari roof rack, but not amenities like power windows. The vehicle will get 17 miles a gallon in the city and 22 on the highway, the company said.
The SUV is likely to compete with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape more so than Toledo-made Jeep Wranglers and Jeep Libertys, which have brand equity, said auto analyst Joseph Phillippi, president of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J.
Much of the 244X's success depends on price and value, Mr. Phillippi said. Off-roaders, he added, are a tough crowd to please when it comes to reliability and durability.
"It's going to be interesting because it's not exactly cheap," Mr. Phillippi said. "It's going to have to offer something other than being rugged, which may be another word for being crude."
Cross Lander has more than 140 dealerships nationwide, including Taylor Automotive Group in Sylvania Township. A dealership official did not return repeated calls seeking comment yesterday.
Contact Julie M. McKinnon at:
jmckinnon@theblade.com
or 419-724-6087.
First Published December 22, 2004, 12:37 p.m.
