With the proliferation of boutique crossovers gaining ground on the international car market, it seems that one of the off-roading fraternity’s icons, Jeep, may have something small up its sleeve…
In an interview with British motoring publication Autocar, company CEO Mike Manley stated that “there’s definitely space in the market for a Jeep-brand B-segment SUV. We’re already working on a project that will meet that need, and expect to have the car on the road by 2013.”
Manly did not go into specific details regarding this upcoming baby Jeep model, but reports suggest that the vehicle may be underpinned by the Fiat Grande Punto platform. Should this be the case, engine options such as Fiat’s 1,3- and 1,6-litre JTDm turbodiesels, and possibly the company’s much-vaunted 1,4-litre MultiAir petrol unit, could be earmarked for this model.
Much like such likely rivals as the Mini Countryman, the baby Jeep is likely to be offered with a front-wheel drive set-up as standard and a general purpose all-wheel drivetrain, think something akin to a torque pump set-up apportioning drive between the front and rear axles, on top-end models.
In keeping with the image-conscious clientele at which this model will be aimed, the styling will be distinctive and likely to play on the brand’s go-anywhere heritage. “Imagine a slightly softer and smaller updated version of the Wrangler’s iconic grille and headlight design and you’ll have a good idea of how its front-end should look,” Manley said.
Such a move is bound to cause a stir among died-in-the-wool Jeep fanatics, who generally like their vehicles to be big and butch, but given the positive reception that boutique crossover utility vehicles (think CrossPolo, Mini Countrman et al) are getting, not to mention the skyrocketing petrol prices, the move seems to be quite a canny one…
