McIntosh is now inside a Jeep luxury car.

The McIntosh system is available only on the top trim lines, and the blue "meters" and badging are virtual on the display. The speaker distribution is  better than the base and mid-line sound package and performance is supposedly pretty good. Mc was looking for product placement and Jeep is the most successful domestic brand in the Stellantis/FCA group. It is a large car system, high-powered (1375W, class D, DSP, 19-23 speakers, depending on the model) and is slotted above the mid-spec Alpine system and a non-brand base system. 

I can't see how this will hurt the brand. It is a draw in that it is Jeep-exclusive, at least for now, and it is a broader market than the very limited placements McIntosh has made in the past. They already do some bespoke marine installations.

Given the need for every premium audio brand to establish its brand identity, this is far from the worst thing a company could do.

McIntosh is a chuck of Americana (Woodstock, Grateful Dead, etc) as is Jeep. Foreign ownership (Fiat) dilutes this to some degree, but the visuals of "years past" are still pretty impactful.

Establishing a connection between the two is pretty good marketing. I’ve seen worse. Recently, in fact.

An alright audio brand partners with mediocre auto brand, seems like a match. From the music perspective, nothing jumps out from this brand, except likeness of the Blue Meters and the liquidity/ease to re-sell.

Every time I have ever ridden in a jeep product I think; who buys this junk? Obviously the person I am riding with 🤨

.....and there's always....

"Frankly, Scarlet...I could give a damn..."

Mac's?  Fine....

Jeeps?  OK for the 'weekend warriors'.....like many 4wd, will Never See dirt and/or mud, so....?

HO? If you're really serious 'bout vehicle 'fi'....You've already ripped your dash 'n doors apart multiple times and it takes more time to 'light it up' than putting on the seat belt and twisting the key.....

...and, at that point....you're into 'burping' your subs, just to see how many nearby cars' alarms can be triggered.....

....and it's hardly what we're about....I trust.... ;)

Right? *L*