1986 brought the highly anticipated debut of the new Comanche. Like the Cherokee on which it was based, the new Comanche could be personalized to suit virtually any taste or pocketbook, and that made this new Jeep quite popular for both work and play.
Jeep management made the decision to introduce the Comanche in a longbed version first, which may have been part of an effort to prove the new rig was "more truck" than Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S-10. Whatever the reason, the fact was that the lowest-priced Comanche, at $7,049, was several hundred dollars more expensive than its American rivals, not to mention the popular Japanese imports. This faux pas in planning would hurt the Comanche somewhat in its quest for new buyers, but only for this model year.
Under the hood, Jeep engineers installed the AMC 2.5-litre four-cylinder as standard equipment. The four came equipped with throttle-body fuel injection -- a new design feature for '86 -- and it produced 117 horsepower. Buyers could also select a 115-horsepower Chevrolet 2.8-litre V6, which had been available in Cherokees since 1984. It was, unfortunately, a poor choice, and time has proven the 2.8 to be unsuited to the rigorous use commonly associated with four-wheelers and pickups. Part of the reason for its lack of reliability stemmed from the fact that the 2.8 was first designed and engineered for smaller cars, NOT for trucks. In addition, the little V6 simply didn't produce enough torque to move an unloaded Comanche very quickly ... and if the truck was loaded, well, let's just say the results weren't pretty.
Despite the V6's low power output, Four Wheeler Magazine thought very highly of the new little Jeep pickup, enough so to earn the 1986 "Four Wheeler of the Year" award. Buyers liked the new truck as well -- and, unlike many first-year models, those buyers had few worries, particularly since the Comanche's "main ingredients" had been thoroughly proven in the Cherokee for two years.
With such an encouraging start to its production life, Jeep's engineering and marketing teams could be forgiven if they had chosen to let the Comanche stand on its own for its second year. But with the competition continuously improving their trucks, surely Jeep would have to make some alterations to the product for 1987, although nothing major was expected.
But, then again, Jeep has never been a company that does what is expected! |
