Jeep is developing a new ultra-compact
off-road vehicle that will slot below the Renegade in the company’s portfolio
and act as a direct rival to the Suzuki Jimny in the global markets it’s
offered in.
Discussing the vehicle during a recent
interview with Auto Express, Jeep’s European head of brand marketing, Marco
Pigozzi, said that it will be approximately four meters in length,
slightly longer than the compact Jimny that is 3.64 meters. “The
car will be able to be used as a bad-ass Jeep, but it has also been designed to
be used everyday,” Pigozzi said of the vehicle.
Jeep recently announced that it will
electrify its entire line-up by the year 2022 so the latest model in question
will feature some kind of electrified powertrain. Like the Suzuki Jimny
however, it is unlikely that the Jeep will have all that much power to play
with due to its small size and scarce overall weight.
As for what will underpin the baby
Jeep, that remains a mystery. Thanks to the merger between PSA Group and Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles, it’s possible the vehicle could use the same Common
Modular Platform architecture as electric versions of the Peugeot 208, Vauxhall
Corsa, and DS3 Crossback.
Nothing else is known about the
entry-level Jeep in question. If the car manufacturer is able to nail the
design of the vehicle and ensure it is enjoyable and capable off-road like the
Wrangler, we see no reason why it couldn’t prove as popular as the
latest-generation Suzuki Jimny.
The ultra-compact off-road segment is
about to get interesting.
