Production to halt at Stellantis' Jefferson North plant for 8 weeks for retooling

Production at Jefferson North Assembly Plant will stop beginning next week so Stellantis NV can retool the Detroit plant for the new generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, the automaker confirmed Friday.

The plant on the city's east side will be down for eight weeks. Jefferson North produces the previous generation of the Grand Cherokee, which was redesigned for the 2022 model year, and the Dodge Durango SUV. The automaker has said the $900 million investment will create 1,100 jobs and allow it to produce plug-in hybrid models as well as have the flexibility for fully battery-electric models.

The '22 Grand Cherokee has a 4xe plug-in hybrid option. Jeep says it will have a fully electric vehicle offering in each of its segments by 2025 with the first, a small two-door SUV, launching early next year.

Grand Cherokee production won't be halted completely, though. The adjacent new Mack Assembly Plant, which was announced with a total $4.5 billion investment into Michigan alongside the Jefferson North commitment in February 2019, already is producing '22 two-row Grand Cherokees along with three-row Grand Cherokee L SUVs.

Jefferson North employs 4,874 people, according to Stellantis' website. The previous-generation Grand Cherokee launched there in May 2010, followed by the Durango in December 2010.

Stellantis also expects Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois will resume production of the Jeep Cherokee crossover next week after idling for two weeks due to a global semiconductor shortage.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble