Jeep To Confirm Possibility Of A Sub-4 Metre SUV Soon

If reports are to be believed, Jeep is likely to confirm the possibility of a sub-Renegade SUV when it unveils its next five-year product plan in June 2018. If Jeep plans on building this mini-SUV, expect it to make its way to India to rival the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza apart from the Ford EcoSport, Honda WR-V and the Tata Nexon in the sub-4 metre SUV space.

In a recent interview, Jeep’s global boss Mike Manley said that the proposition for a sub-4 metre SUV was looking promising. “You will probably have to wait until our big event in June when we talk about the next five years to see if it’s in the plan,” he added.

The biggest challenge Jeep is likely to face in developing the sub-4 metre SUV is giving it Jeep’s ‘go-anywhere’ DNA. However, Manley says that it’s no longer an issue, without divulging any further information about the mini-SUV. The baby SUV is likely to be built at Fiat Chrysler’s Pomigliano plant near Naples, Italy. This plant is the production hub for the Fiat Panda as well.

The mini-SUV is likely to be based on the same platform as the Renegade, which measures 4260mm in length. Although reports say that the mini-SUV will be built in Europe, we have reasons to believe that it could be produced in India as well. That’s because the Jeep Compass, which is built at Fiat’s Ranjangaon facility near Pune, is based on a modified version of the Renegade’s platform. Hence, it should be fairly simple to build the mini Renegade for right-hand drive markets here as well. The success of the Compass has strengthened FCA India’s position in the country and the new SUV should only make its hold in the SUV segment stronger.

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