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Jeep rolls out blacked-out Grand Cherokee 'concept'

Jeep rolled out a new trim package for the Grand Cherokee on Wednesday and is running a contest on the Internet to give it a name. For now, Jeep bills the new Grand Cherokee as a concept but says it anticipates bringing it to showrooms this spring--timing that implies that the production decision has already been made. The concept starts with the four-wheel-drive Grand Cherokee Laredo X package, then adds blacked-out trim, a mesh grille and 20-inch aluminum wheels painted in gloss black.

Land Rover confirms end of Defender production

It's been all but a foregone conclusion for some time now, but Land Rover has confirmed to our sister publication Automotive News Europe that the aging Defender won't live to see 2020. Originally conceived as an agricultural machine, the first Land Rover prototype used scavenged Willys Jeep bits left over from World War II. American kids of a certain age may have been captivated by the Land Rover's mystique while watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom back in the '70s.

BMW X5 (F15)

This is the new, third generation BMW X5, the biggest-selling SUV in its segment with over 1.3 million sold since the first was launched in 1999. While the previous versions have sat more in the high-riding wagon space (BMW prefers to call them Sports Activity Vehicles), this latest F15 model appears to have shifted closer to a more traditional SUV, appearing taller and less ‘squat', certainly than the car it replaces. This is partly due to the DLO, which dips down behind the A-pillar, creating a deep window.