Jeep Wrangler

In a recent press conference held at the Country Music Hall of Fame, two of the most famous country music artists and real life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill said that Chrysler Group’s Jeep brand has announced its sponsorship to the couple’s North American concert series tour called the “Soul2Soul Tour 2007″.

The Jeep brand is really a great sponsor for the couple. In fact, a Jeep vehicle called the “Date Jeep” was a part of the coupe’s love story. Faith Hill explains:

“In 1996 in State College, Penn., we were doing a show together. We took a ride in a borrowed Jeep and that’s where we decided that we were going to be together and build a life together.

Back in 1996, we were in State College, Pennsylvania it was in March and we were doing a show together, we borrowed the Jeep of this runner for the fair where we were performing. That’s where we definitely decided that we were going to be together, that from that point on we were going to take this relationship seriously and make a life together and it started in that Jeep right out there and it’s a nice little way to finish out a circle…and you can add all the details that I left out.” (talking to Tim McGraw).

Tim McGraw added:

“Well there’s not too many details I want to add. She tracked down the Jeep and gave it to me for my birthday a couple of years ago and I thought that was a pretty cool surprise. We’re excited. I had a Jeep when I was in high school, always had a good time in them, tore a few up in the mud. And this one is very special to us as you can tell that she told. And we’re excited to get back on the road again. Last summer was really cool for us, that was the third time we’d been on tour together. The first tour was my Spontaneous Combustion tour which was my first headlining tour.”

The Soul2Soul Tour 2007 will commence in Omaha, Nebraska on June 6, visiting other cities in North America ending the tour at Anaheim, California on Aug. 10. With Jeep’s sponsorship in the Soul2Soul Tour 2007 concert series, the brand will be a part of every concert venue. In addition, the company will also develop a special “Soul2Soul” 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that will travel along the tour with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Of course, the couple will also bring their “Date Jeep”, which is a red 1978 Jeep CJ-6 to go along with the concert tour. For the concert viewers, Jeep will conduct special events in concert venues along with product placements. The company will show off some of the latest Jeep models and other Jeep parts for on- and off-road capability like the Freedom-Drive II off-road package and Jeep fender for instance.

Moreover, as a part of Jeep’s sponsorship, the brand will also include online activities for country music lovers and at the same time auto enthusiasts.

John Plecha, Director of Jeep Brand Marketing and Global Communications commented on their sponsorship and said: “Tim and Faith have a story about how the Jeep brand has been part of their lives that’s not unlike the thousands of stories we hear every year from Jeep owners all over the world.”

“As members of our Jeep family, it made perfect sense to blend our brands into a mutually beneficial partnership. We are very pleased to be associated with these two very talented artists who reach a broad audience much like the seven vehicles in the Jeep lineup.” he added.

Everything about the Patriot screams Jeep. The Patriot with its strong and rugged looks is unmistakably Jeep. The Patriot is a compact SUV that is designed to attract buyers who wants the comfort and luxury of an SUV but at the same time loves the classic Jeep styling with its best-in-class off-road capability.

Aside from the obviously Jeep features of the Patriot, it also offers excellent fuel economy plus interior flexibility and utility at a reasonably great value. According to Trevor Creed, Senior Vice-President-Design, “Simple yet distinctive geometric forms and planar surfaces define Jeep Patriot’s timeless proportions.—-Combined, these features give the Jeep Patriot its robust, strong, capable off-road image.”

Classic Jeep Design

The box-design of the Jeep Patriot is designed to hold maximum cargo volume, excellent utility, and rugged driving conditions. Creed said, “Patriot’s style is classic Jeep; its design focuses on functionality, simplicity, and capability. Patriot is designed to appeal to customers who want a vehicle that is practical in terms of form and function, as well as different from the crowd of compact SUVs currently on the road.”

The face of the Patriot reflects a classic Jeep with its brand’s signature seven-slot grille, a robust bumper, round headlamps, and a clamshell hood. The body color fascia is carefully integrated with the grille for a high-quality Jeep appearance. There are also a couple of models with bright fascia overlay.

The fascia-mounted round fog lights which are offered on both Patriot Sport models and standard on Patriot Limited models helps in improving visibility especially during bad weather. The Patriot is also equipped with a separate park and turn signal lamp that is wrapped around its corner. The simple and rectangular shapes that the Patriot and prominent in Jeep vehicles is timeless and functional.

A stiff windshield and upright backlight combines to give the Patriot a distinct look. The black roof molding channels water over the Patriot’s roof provides this compact SUV with a smooth fit and finish. The standard roof rack of the Patriot gives it the extra room for carrying additional gears. The Patriot is equipped with black racks while the Limited models are provided with bright colored racks. The Limited Patriot models were also provided with a body-color bodyside molding. There are also additional Jeep design cues that are added to accentuate the classic boxy side view such as the trapezoidal wheel openings and all-terrain tires. The high beltline that the Patriot possesses completes the vehicle’s protective side profile.

The rear of the Jeep Patriot also features an upright backlight and a bold bumper. A six light emitting diode or LED is integrated into the liftgate header together with the center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) and washer nozzle. The Patriot’s modular tall tail lamps are set at far corners of the vehicle in a classic Jeep style to enhance visibility. In the rear fascia is where the Patriot name is inscribed and complemented with a Jeep badge placed on the light bar in the center of the vehicle. In addition, the black step pad with a non-skid surface enhances the Patriot’s functionality which is what Jeep customers like about this brand in the first place. The Patriot’s four doors and a rear liftgate provide easy access to this compact SUV’s roomy and functional interior.

All of the Jeep Patriot models are equipped with the Freedom Drive II Off-road Package with tow hooks and skid plates needed for an ultimate off-roading experience. There are two firmly mounted tow hooks in the front while one tow hook is mounted to the left side of the rear fascia. The Jeep Patriot just like its other siblings is equipped with high quality Jeep components like the Jeep expansion tank that plays a vital part in any Jeep engine. The expansion tank provides storage space for the coolant when it expands therefore preventing the loss of coolant in the engine.

The Patriot is mounted on a 103.7-inch wheelbase with a 59.8 inch wide track. Its wheel placement enhances vehicle stability, dynamics, and quality. The large wheel openings accommodate 16-inch steel wheels with all the season touring tires, 17 inch aluminum wheels and OWL all-terrain tires contained inside a signature Jeep trapezoidal wheel openings. The remarkable 9 inches of ground clearance that the Patriot Trail Rated models possess is made possible by the Patriot’s large wheels which measured 27 to 28 inch outer diameter tires and suspension design.

All of the 2007 Jeep Patriot models are available in Green Metallic Clear Coat, Inferno Red Crystal Pearl Coat, Light Khaki Metallic Clear Coat, Marine Blue Pearl Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Steel Blue Metallic Clear Coat, Stone White Clear Coat and Black Clear Coat.