New Small Jeep Could Arrive in Markets Outside North America
Jeep may introduce a new subcompact model in markets outside of North America.
The new Jeep would slot beneath the Renegade in the automaker’s lineup. It will likely be built on Fiat Chrysler’s ‘Mini’ platform, which currently underpins the Fiat 500 and Lancia Ypsilon. The small crossover would be sold in European and Asian countries where small vehicles are more popular than in North America.
Automotive News reports the new small Jeep will be built at FCA’s factory in Pomigliano, Italy. The Pomigliano facility currently builds the Fiat Panda (shown), which also rides on the FCA Mini platform and is offered in Panda 4×4 and extra-rugged Panda Cross model variants. Production of the next-generation Panda is expected to be moved from the Italian facility to Poland.
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A concrete decision on the new small Jeep will be made by June, when FCA will present its new five-year business plan for 2018 through to 2022. The business plan is expected to include an aggressive sales strategy for Jeep in particular, with FCA Sergio Marchionne recently telling Bloomberg there’s nothing indicating “that Jeep could not own one in five SUVs,” sold – equivalent to about 5 million vehicles sold annually.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Let's hope it looks less like the Panda pictured here and more like almost anything else (except a Multipla).