Jeep Killed Its Small '80s Pickup Truck, But Is The Market Ready For The Comanche To Return?
Jeep Killed Its Small '80s Pickup Truck, But Is The Market Ready For The Comanche To Return?
Chloe ClougherTue, June 2, 2026 at 12:25 AM UTC
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A 1987 Jeep Comanche driving on country road - Hodson Motors / Youtube
Jeep first introduced the Comanche in 1986, built on the Cherokee's platform. The compact truck quickly found fans thanks to its impressive cargo capacity and the beloved 4.0-liter inline-six engine that became available with later model years. Sales peaked in 1988 at 43,718 units, but numbers soon trailed off, and the truck was discontinued after the 1992 model year. Still, there was clearly a market for the Comanche at the time, and while Jeep has seen no valid reason to revive the nameplate since, it's easy to argue that maybe now is the time for the automaker to reconsider.
We only need to point toward Ford's class-leading Maverick to prove how big the market for small pickups is in 2026. The Blue Oval managed to shift 131,142 units in 2024, 155,051 in 2025, with this year's figures already looking promising — 48,057 Mavericks were already sold as of the end of April, says Ford Authority. In 2023, we reviewed the base XL model and loved it, proving the mighty compact doesn't need to be far removed from its competitive base price in order to impress.
Slate Auto's 150,000 deposits secured for its upcoming compact truck is another signifier that Jeep should reawaken the Comanche, too. Those deposits are hardly a big commitment at only $50 and fully refundable, but they still prove there is a strong interest in the segment.
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Jeep should act fast to avoid repeating history
Two Jeep Gladiators parked on the beach - Stellantis
Jeep has certainly made a name for itself in the adventure and off-road segments. The Wrangler is the go-to adventure tool, and the Grand Cherokee continues to boast impressive sales, too. However, failure to act has hurt the American automaker in the past, and not jumping on a compact truck now could be history repeating itself.
One example is the Gladiator. A cool midsize for sure, but by the time Jeep introduced it in 2019, a number of other mainstream automakers had already launched established models in the segment. Convincing buyers to switch allegiance for a new model isn't always easy, which could explain why the Gladiator never really matched the sales that established trucklets like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger , and Chevy Colorado were raking in. It's a similar story with the small crossover SUV boom. Honda and Toyota enjoyed years of sales success before Jeep dipped its toes into the water with the Patriot and Compass.
Ford has already established itself as an industry leader with the Maverick, and Slate Auto is poised to make a significant dent in the segment. Even automakers not traditionally connected with trucks have found success in the segment. Hyundai's Santa Cruz is a notable example, even if the Ford Maverick did absolutely destroy it in terms of sales. Still, the market is hardly saturated, and Jeep's loyal fanbase would no doubt enjoy such an offering, but will Jeep find the courage to jump early, or will it miss the bandwagon again?
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Source: “AOL Money”
