Mopar to set up shop in Australia

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Mopar will set up shop in Australia when the next generation Jeep Wrangler arrives late next year.

Fiat Chrylser parts and service boss Pietro Gorlier says the parallels between Australian and American Jeep customers indicate a version of Mopar's Custom Shops would work Down Under.

In the US, 98 per cent of Wranglers are ordered with at least one Mopar accessory.

Gorlier has yet to determine whether the Mopar presence would amount to a physical site or whether local dealers would order customised vehicles from one of the 10 US factories.

"The demand is there, I just need to understand the maturity of the market in ordering," he says. "We will come out with something because Australia is a market with the characteristics to really mirror some of what we do in the US."

We have been the ones teasing everyone with Wrangler pick-ups in the past.

The move is part of a renewed push by the Fiat Chrysler-owned business to maximise both new accessory sales and restoration parts.

Gorlier cites Mopar's ability to design accessories during a vehicle's development as a major advantage the company needs to exploit.

"As much as I like to see hundreds of Wranglers accessorised by other companies, I like to try to get most of that business because our portfolio will be even more specifically designed for the new Wrangler," he says.

The next-gen Wrangler will have a two-door ute variant, widely tipped to be based on the four-door body.

"We have been the ones teasing everyone with Wrangler pick-ups in the past. In Australia our JK-8 kit, which converted a Wrangler into a pick-up, was very successful. Australia was the second highest market behind the US so I think the pick-up is perfect," Gorlier says.

Would you accessorise your Jeep with Mopar parts? Tell us what you think in the comments below.