Even slapping a badge on a car can prove to be tricky.
Jeep has traditionally been known as a car manufacturer for the outdoorsman. Rough and ready, but dependable and ready to serve the family. This was Jeep's unique selling point for years, but in the past two decades the company has seriously stepped up its game, and cars such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee now have a distinctly premium feel. The next step in Jeep's quest to play in the premium SUV market is the Jeep Wagoneer. This large SUV aims to take the battle to the Cadillac Escalade, but before Jeep can take on industry heavyweights, it needs to address some quality issues. As this tweet shows, it's all in the details, and if you want to charge premium prices, then you need to stick your decals on straight.
https://twitter.com/boring_cars/status/1472555440403890177
The Wagoneer isn't even badged as a Jeep product; that's how bad the company wants to remove its brand image from the new, more premium product. But this slip up at Stellantis' Warren Truck plant shows that the manufacturer is still having some teething problems. The image was taken during a pre-delivery inspection where it was thankfully caught on camera for us to enjoy. These decals are usually applied using a jig and other types of alignment tools. If applied with the correct tools, the job is almost foolproof. That means that this job was done by the hand of someone on some seriously strong medication, or just a wonky eye.
Jalopnik reached out to Jeep's PR department, and got the following explanation for the decal disaster.
“Early during the launch of the Wagoneer, Warren Truck did experience some issues with badge alignment. Those issues were corrected at the plant before any vehicles were shipped to customers, including the one pictured in this internal photo. As a permanent solution, hand-applied locating fixtures as well as machine vision systems were installed to verify badge alignment. The plant has a robust vehicle audit process that ensures every vehicle leaving the plant reflects the premium quality of the brand.”
It seems like this is the last we'll see of this issue, and hopefully, Jeep's 2022 Wagoneer will deliver the premium experience it promises.
Keyword: Try Not To Laugh At This Wonky Wagoneer Badge