1999 Jeep Journey
(Introduced Chicago Auto Show on 2/11/1999)
 Press Release Specs Gallery
Jeep introduced the Jeep Journey, an experimental vehicle, at the Chicago Auto Show on February 11, 1999. The fully-functional Journey was based on the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, combining "The Most Capable Sport-Utility Ever" with cutting-edge Magellan® communication and navigation equipment. "The Jeep team was given the task of designing a luxury 4x4 true to the Jeep heritage of legendary on- and off-road capability, equipped with extraordinary technological innovations and enough storage for an extended off-road trek," said Martin R. Levine, DaimlerChrysler Corporation's Vice President Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep Division. "With the experimental Journey, Daimler Chrysler's Jeep Division created the most capable mobile office ever and a fully self-sufficient trek vehicle". Except for the chrome wheels, none of the features have yet to appear on Grand Cherokee models.
The Jeep team based its design on the award-winning 1999 Grand Cherokee with the 235 horsepower 4.7-liter PowerTech V-8 engine and Quadra-Drive(TM) four-wheel drive system. On the exterior the design team applied Patriot Blue Pearl Coat high gloss paint over low gloss paint on fascias and bodyside cladding and added a custom brush guard and rally mesh covers for the grille and head, fog and tail lamps.
Front and rear skid plates, tubular rock rails and integrated front and rear Warn winches prepare the Jeep Journey for extreme off-road use. Seventeen inch high gloss chrome wheels with 235/65 R17 Goodyear Wrangler HP Extended Mobility (run-flat all-terrain) tires and a customized roof rack with stylized wind deflector and integrated front and rear high-intensity spotlights round off the exterior treatment.
On the inside, the Jeep design team used two-tone Deep Royal Blue and Taupe trim, brushed aluminum inlays on the instrument panel and doors, and seats covered with Deep Royal Blue leather with Royal Blue woven cloth accents. Journey-embroidered floor mats complete the interior appearance.
Enhancing the interior is cutting-edge navigation and communication equipment provided by Magellan. Not for sale until May of 1999, but already fully functional in the Jeep Journey is Magellan's state-of-the-art 750NAV® vehicle navigation system. "This all-new system represents a tremendous technological leap forward in terms of capability and performance," said Richard Eklund, brand manager Magellan Driver Information Systems. "It takes in-vehicle navigation and driver information technology to a new level of user friendliness and functionality. We are delighted that Daimler Chrysler's Jeep Division is showing our newest system in the Journey, the next level in sport-utility capability." With the 750NAV, the driver simply enters a street address, or selects from a menu of destinations that includes hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and more. No CDs are needed. The system provides turn-by-turn visual and audio directions to the destination. A special feature allows the driver to navigate even where there are just off-road tracks by using GPS-waypoints to position the vehicle.
In addition, Magellan's 750NAV system in the Jeep Journey is a true mobile multi-media center, coupled to a laptop computer in the luggage area, a remote keyboard on the passenger side and a color printer/fax machine in the rear center armrest. The system has a high-resolution, ultra-bright full-color touch screen display on top of the dashboard. To make Jeep Journey even more versatile for its driver and passengers, the vehicle comes equipped with two Magellan ColorTRAK® handheld GPS systems for hiking and boating, an integrated cellular phone with hands-free operation, a satellite-based world phone, Travel Note voice messaging and an interface with the ORBCOMM® network for mobile e-mail capability.
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