Jeep has already expanded its range upwards with the hulking Grand Wagoneer L, now it’s getting ready to expand it downwards.
The baby Jeep is expected to debut in 2023, and will be around the size of the 4.23m-long Renegade.
Under the skin, the as-yet unnamed new model will likely be built on Peugeot Citroen underpinnings (dubbed EMP1) to cut costs, and open up the range of engines on offer.
Current EMP1 models have a pure-electric variant that uses a 50kWh lithium-ion battery and a front-mounted 100kW electric motor and offer approximately 321km of electric range, which should offer a guide as to what to expect from the baby Jeep.
The platform also supports petrol, diesel, and hybrid power, which suggests the littlest Jeep will offer a range of powertrains.
The as-yet unnamed model will not only be the first fully-electric Jeep, but the first product from the former Fiat Chrysler group based on a platform from Peugeot-Citroen. The two groups merged at the start of 2021 to form Stellantis.
Unlike the wider Jeep range, which is aimed at the USA and markets such as Australia first, the smaller model will be focused on cashing in on the European market with compact dimensions and more efficient engines.
It’s expected to be manufactured at the same Tychy, Poland plant as the upcoming Alfa Romeo Brennero. A small Fiat SUV on the same platform is also expected to roll off the Tychy production line.
Jeep already teased the upcoming entry-level SUV earlier this year.
Outside, it packs chunky lines and a classic seven-slot Jeep grille, which in EV guise is closed-off.
The tail lights share a bit with those of the Renegade, but overall the unnamed small SUV has a considerably less boxy, upright design more in the vein of the Compass.
The Renegade never set the sales charts alight in Australia, and was retired from the range in 2020.
Jeep blamed the weak Australian dollar; the fact it was outsold even by the Ford EcoSport the year before its axing may have also played a role.
