Editing American Motors Corporation (section)

=== Jeeps ===
[[File:Jeep Cherokee XJ 4D Laredo burgundy SOP rr.jpg|thumb|right|Jeep Cherokee Laredo]]
[[File:Jeep Comanche Pioneer white MD r.jpg|thumb|right|Jeep Comanche Pioneer]]
More beneficial to American Motors' future was the introduction of an all-new line of compact [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)|Jeep Cherokee]] and [[Jeep Wagoneer|Wagoneer]] models in the autumn of 1983 for the 1984 model year. Renault's [[François Castaing]], head of AMC's product development team, designed the new Jeep platform with styling by Dick Teague. Renault was interested in selling the Cherokee in Europe, but the vehicle needed to be lighter and more fuel-efficient to meet European expectations. The new XJ weighed {{convert|3,100|lb|kg|0|abbr=off}}, due to its unibody construction and lighter components such as the front seats taken from the [[Renault 9 and 11]] and new [[Renault Alliance]].

According to David Tracy, "The new XJ Jeep ... was {{convert|1200|lb|disp=sqbr}} lighter, {{convert|31|in|disp=sqbr}} shorter, six inches narrower, and four inches lower than the Cherokee SJ it replaced, and yet — thanks to unibody construction — the XJ kept 90 percent of its predecessor's interior volume." And, not only was fuel economy much improved, but "articulation is also better, as is ground clearance, as well as approach, departure, and break-over angles. These, along with its smaller profile, make the XJ better both off-road and on."<ref>{{cite web |last=Tracy |first=David |title=It's Incredible How Big of a Quantum Leap the Jeep Cherokee XJ Was over Its SJ Predecessor |date=May 29, 2018 |url= https://jalopnik.com/its-incredible-how-big-of-a-quantum-leap-the-jeep-chero-1826390951 |work=Jalopnik |access-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230405094941/https://jalopnik.com/its-incredible-how-big-of-a-quantum-leap-the-jeep-chero-1826390951 |url-status=live }}</ref>

AMC's initial forecasts of 40,000 Cherokee and Wagoneer sales were shattered, with sales amounting to 75,000 in their first year. The three leading [[off-roading]] magazines, ''[[Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road]]'', ''[[Four Wheeler]]'', and ''Off-Road'' each named the new Jeep Cherokee as the "4x4 of the year."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Renault Connection |date=May 1, 1985 |url= https://www.automotive-fleet.com/147556/the-renault-connection |work=Automotive Fleet |access-date=November 15, 2023}}</ref> The popularity of these downsized Jeeps pioneered a new market segment for what later became defined as the [[sport utility vehicle]] (SUV). They initially used the AMC {{convert|150.4|cid|L|1|abbr=on}} [[AMC Straight-4 engine|OHV four-cylinder engine]] with a [[carburetor]], and a General Motors-built {{convert|2.8|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} carbureted V6 was optional. In 1986, throttle-body injection replaced the carburetor on the 2.5&nbsp;L I4 engines. A Renault {{convert|2.1|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} Turbo-Diesel I4 [[Diesel engine|diesel]] was also offered. Starting with the 1987 models, a new {{convert|4.0|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} I6 engine, derived from the older {{convert|258|CID|L|abbr=on}} I6 with a new head design and an electronic [[fuel injection]] system, replaced the [[Outsourcing|outsourced]] V6. American Motors' "new" engine was designed with help from Renault and incorporated Renault-Bendix ([[Renix]]) parts for fuel and ignition management. The 4.0 developed an outstanding reputation for reliability and toughness. Retained by Chrysler after the buyout, the design received continuous improvements and refinements until its discontinuation at the end of the 2006 model year. The AMC 4.0 engine saw extensive application in XJ Cherokees and Wagoneers, Grand Cherokees, and Wranglers, and many of those engines saw (or are seeing) extremely long lives, quite a few exceeding {{convert|300000|mi|km|abbr=on}}. Chrysler built the XJ Cherokee until the end of the 2001 model year in the U.S. and until 2005 in China.

Three other designs continued to be used after the Chrysler buyout: the Grand Wagoneer full-size luxury SUV, the full-sized J-series pickups (built on the same chassis as the earlier SJ model Wagoneers and Cherokees that dated from 1963 with the AMC {{convert|360|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8), and the [[Jeep Comanche]] (MJ) compact pickup, which debuted in 1986. Unlike most sport-utility vehicles based on adapted pickup truck designs, the Cherokee XJ SUV came first, and the Comanche was designed as a later pickup truck version.

Production of the full-sized pickups ceased after 1987. The Grand Wagoneer and 360 V8 engine were dropped after 1991 (the last American-made vehicle whose engine used a [[carburetor]] for fuel delivery), and the Comanche was discontinued after 1992.