Quote:
Originally Posted by ARB 4X4 Accessories
Hi guys, it's great to see that you're interested in ARB protection equipment for your WK2 Grand Cherokees. It's certainly a product line that we're committed to developing and acknowledge that there are many people who require protection equipment for off road and remote area travel in these vehicles.
Unfortunately, with the release of so many new and facelift vehicles recently, coupled with an unprecedented demand for our products in the last 6 months, some development projects have, regrettably, been delayed. With many of the recent releases being either updates to existing vehicles or the expansion of existing product ranges, development for these projects has taken priority of late.
To give you some background, our design engineering department has over 30 full time engineers working to develop a range of ARB products for new and updated vehicles. The engineering and development work required to develop, test, refine and re-test any single product before it's made available to our customers is substantial, particularly with modern vehicle impact systems, stability control (ESC) and CAN bus electrical systems.
We're aware that the current delays are very frustrating for our customers and are subsequently investing millions of dollars in new machinery and facilities in order to increase our development and manufacturing capabilities and reduce future delays.
As soon as we have some concrete development information, I'll be happy to make it available here on the forum. In the mean time, we apologise for the delay in releasing our range of WK2 Grand Cherokee accessories and ask that you remain patient in the knowledge that we're working as hard as we can to bring these products to market.
Cheers, Sam.
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Thanks Sam for taking the time to post and update. Not sure if the info provided helps or hinders in our quest to fit up our new WK2 Jeeps with aftermarket accessories. In effect, what I'm beginning to realise is that if you purchase a Jeep, then ARB's not for you. Look elsewhere.
Business must be good for ARB that we don't matter in the urgency stakes. Is one of the 30 design tech's at least dedicated to the WK2?
By the end of Sept, I'll have spent just over $5k on accessories for mine and despite 6 visits to ARB outlets since last November, not one of those dollars has gone your way despite my best attempts to do so.
While I also accept there is a supply v demand rationalisation, if the ARB Marketing and Management departments understood the demographic of the WK2 Grand Cherokee (predominantly 35 to 70 yo cashed up males) the decision to at least provide a bullbar would have received more urgent attention and more than reap a financial return to the ARB shareholder/owners.
Today I'm taking up options as independant manufacturers go to market. i.e. ECB & LRA, and the longer you leave it to realise you may have made an error in deciding to delay, the longer it will be for these customers and their decendants to come back to ARB when next we upgrade.
If not already done, someone in ARB needs to look at how many WK2's have been sold and who has them. The bullbar particularly needed urgently for not only offroad work but for the huge caravan touring market in Australia. Assume someone in ARB has heard of the term Baby Boomers and mid aged executives and the financial market power they can spend in.
Please don't take this as a negative, just a good customer trying to give you feedback and $$$$'s business.
Scott