Jeep Is Working On A Sub-4-Metre SUV...

• The new SUV is projected to rival the off-road prowess of the Jimny in Europe.
• It will be 4 metres long and sit below the Renegade compact SUV.
• It could be based on the Fiat Panda 4x4 platform.
• Expected to arrive in 2022.

According to a news report, Jeep has confirmed an ‘ultra compact’ utility vehicle which will sit below the Jeep Renegade. It will compete with the Suzuki Jimny in Europe. Jeep’s Head of Brand Marketing in Europe, Marco Pigozzi, said in an interview that it will be 4 metres long. He also indicated that it will be designed for both on-road and off-road use. Details about its timeline or powertrain were not revealed, but we expect it to be unveiled sometime in 2022. 

News of the Jeep model started circulating online in mid-2018 when CEO Mike Manley spoke about it in an interview. He had said that the SUV was actively under consideration. The announcement was a part of the company’s general five-year plan, which projects 4 electric and 10 hybrid models by 2022. The upcoming small SUV is likely to be based on FCA’s next-gen Fiat Panda 4x4 platform. It will probably be a hybrid as well.

Jeep’s small car is likely to have all-wheel-drive. While the Panda looks like a jacked-up hatchback with cladding, Jeep’s car could go for a more upright, butch design. However, the Panda currently comes with viscous coupling which controls the transmission of power to the rear wheels. This means that most of the time, the Panda is front-wheel drive. Power is sent to the rear wheels whenever the front wheels lose traction. 

The Jimny is rear-wheel-drive instead. The body-on-frame car with rigid axles is exceptionally good for off-roading and can keep up with most factory-spec off-roaders. Will the Jimny come to India? There is a chance. Jeep has expressed that other than Europe, it is also looking at South American markets for its SUV. In addition, the car’s size could make it eligible for tax benefits under the sub-4-metre rule. 

Jeep is expected to unveil the SUV by 2022. If at all, expect the Jeep to come to India in 2023. Once launched, it will go up against the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster, Hyundai Venue, and the segment leader, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. We expect the two-wheel-drive versions of the car to be priced competitively in the segment. But hybrid and all wheel drive models, if launched, will be much more expensive.  

Source: AutoExpress, Autocar, Autoblog