2016 jeep renegade 1024x
Carsales Staff8 Mar 2018
NEWS

Mini Jeep on the way

Confirmation expected of shrunken off-roader in June

After much debate Jeep looks certain to go ahead and build a sub-Renegade mini-SUV, with official confirmation expected at the reveal of its next five-year product plan in June.

That's the take-out from the confident tone of Jeep global boss Mike Manley at the Geneva motor show.

Speaking exclusively to motoring.com.au after the European unveil of the Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Manley said the business case for a sub-four-metre Jeep was looking good.

"I have to say that one has moved on reasonably significantly," he said.

"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."

One of the barriers to the project getting the green light was the vehicle's ability to live up to Jeep brand's 'go-anywhere' DNA. But Manley said that was no longer an issue.

"That's one piece of the proposal that we are now very comfortable with," he said.

The baby Jeep is expected to be built at Jeep owner Fiat Chrysler's Pomigliano plant near Naples, where the Fiat Panda mini-car is currently built.

According to Automotive News Europe, the new Jeep would be based on the same FCA Mini platform as the Panda and the Fiat 500.

At 4260mm long, the Renegade (pictured) is one of the biggest small SUVs, so that creates room for a smaller Jeep to slot underneath to take on models like the Renault Captur, Nissan JUKE and forthcoming Volkswagen T-Roc.

Building it in Europe makes sense as Jeep thinks the model will have strong appeal there.

"The [sub-Renegade] Jeep has potentially universal appeal, also here [Europe] in particular," Manley said.

The Jeep mini is part of a substantial expansion of FCA's most successful money-spinning brand. A large seven seater Grand Commander has recently been unveiled for China and a seven-seat Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer is under development for North America and potentially global markets.

Manley announced on-stage at Geneva the Wrangler plug-in hybrid would be launched in Europe and confirmed afterwards to motoring.com.au with a nod of his head that Australia could also take it.

FCA boss Sergio Marchionne has piled the pressure on Manley, claiming Jeep can capture 20 per cent of the expanding global SUV market, or about five million sales per year. Jeep sold 1.386 million vehicle sin 2017.

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