Jeep is Premium Partner and exclusive automotive Sponsor of the third edition of the European Winter X Games, the world’s premier winter actions sports event that will take place from March 14th to March 16th, in Tignes, France. A fleet of 45 Jeep vehicles will be available for different activities on the whole Winter X Games area during the three-days event. The ‘Jeep X Track’ built next to X Park will give visitors the chance to enjoy an authentic ‘Jeep experience’ on board of Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
At the X Fest – Jeep Cavern tent, the new Jeep Wrangler Arctic special-edition model will be on display for the public; here the brand will also entertain event-goers with a unique daily Ice Sculpture show. Among the professional athletes attending the competition, the renewed Jeep ambassadors and freestyle skiers Xavier Bertoni and Kevin Rolland will be there. The event will be on the web at jeep-people.com
For the second year Jeep® is returning to Tignes as Premium Partner of the Winter X Games: the world’s premier winter actions sports event celebrating this year its third European edition. Jeep is the exclusive automotive sponsor of this extraordinary event that will take place Wednesday, March 14th through Friday, March 16th, in Tignes, one of the biggest ski areas in the French Alps.
Ranked as an institution, the X Games are the reference of the extreme sports events and will attract in Tignes for the third year professional top competitors from all over the world: in the renowned French ski resort, 150 athletes will fight for victory in the competitions of slopestyle and superpipe held during the three spectacular days of extreme skiing and snowboarding of this year’s edition.
The sponsorship of the Winter X Games aligns with the brand’s commitment to the outdoors and action sport lifestyle. The exceptional athletes that participate in the Winter X Games truly embody the spirit of the Jeep brand and its core values of freedom, adventure, authenticity, passion and uniqueness. The event is also an additional opportunity for the brand to demonstrate that just as in extreme ski disciplines technique and skills are what allow the athletes to get past the difficulties of a ski run; in the same way, every Jeep model ensures the driver the ability to overcome any obstacle thanks to benchmark technology and unmatched off-road expertise.
Jeep has been a proud sponsor of the Winter X Games organized in Aspen, Colorado in the United States for ten years. Crossing the Atlantic, the Winter X Games retain their official vehicle partner: after hosting 150 athletes from all over the world and nearly 75,000 visitors last year during the successful European second edition, the 2012 Winter X Games return to Tignes with a full program of events for fans and participants.
A fleet of 45 Jeep vehicles will be available around the whole X Games area: the Jeep models will be involved in vehicle displays, off-road test-drives and shuttle rides of athletes, Media and VIP guests.
For the first time at the X Games in Tignes, the Jeep® brand is creating a special snow-covered driving course, called the ‘Jeep X Track’, where the public can be driven on a very impressive track and experience the iconic Jeep Wrangler and the flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee and test the vehicles’ outstanding off-road capability on the snow.
The ‘Jeep X Track’ is a 1,000 square-metre driving course — complete with hills and ditches — that will be built close to the X Games Park and will be open to the public during the three-days Winter X Games program.
The Jeep brand will also offer a number of additional events at the Winter X Games. Visitors can stop by the X Fest Jeep Cavern tent located in the sponsor village for the Jeep happy hour as well as for the autograph sessions that will be held by the two Jeep ambassadors, freestyle skiers and X Games Gold medal winners Xavier Bertoni and Kevin Rolland throughout the three days of the event.
At the Jeep tent, the brand will also host an authentic Ice Sculpture show: every day two ice blocks will be used to create a unique ice sculpture reproducing Jeep signature features and models of the lineup.
The new Jeep Wrangler Arctic special-edition model will be showcased for the public of the X Games: introduced starting January in most European markets, the new limited edition Jeep Wrangler Arctic model features a unique winter-themed exterior and interior design, enhanced by exclusive styling cues and details, unique black 17-inch wheels, body-color hard top and original Mopar® accessories. Available in both two-and four-door versions, the new Arctic special edition is powered by the new 3.6-liter V-6 petrol engine with automatic five-speed transaxle and by the 2.8-liter turbo diesel paired to a six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission with Electronic Range Select.
The Jeep experience at the Winter X Games will be presented to the Jeep-People online community at jeep-people.com through athlete bios, competition program, ambassadors’ stories and live multimedia contents from Tignes. Episode #7 of the web-video-show “Jackson’s Hole” with Henry Jackson, legendary snowboard commentator and show man, featuring Jeep® Wrangler Arctic as the star of the episode, will be produced at the X Games in Tignes.
About the Jeep® brand
The Jeep brand is styling, functionality, craftsmanship and benchmark capability. Every Jeep vehicle offers versatility and class-leading capability for people who enjoy the outdoors and seek extraordinary journeys when driving on extreme terrains as well as in the city. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full range of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. A brand boasting an extraordinary personality, Jeep has always been able to reinvent itself to offer innovative products that set the benchmark for an entire category of vehicles.
The Jeep vehicle lineup in Europe includes Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Jeep Compass. During 2011, all these four models were completely renewed and received significant updates.
2011 was also a very important year for Jeep: growth was strong and constant throughout the year. Beside the celebrations for its 70th anniversary and the renewal of the European lineup, the brand accomplished excellent sales results: with almost 24,000 vehicles registered for the full year in Europe, Jeep posted a 61.8% increase in sales and doubled market share to 0.2%. Sales were up in almost all European markets. The most significant performances were in Italy – where sales increased almost 118% and market share reached 0.5%– as well as Germany (+71.7%), France (+124.0%), the UK (+3.3%) and Spain (+21.2%). Jeep Wrangler was the best-selling model for Jeep in Europe in 2011.
