An overseas dealer has confirmed that the upcoming baby Jeep will be christened the Jeepster when it’s officially unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March.
According to the source who has actually seen the car, its styling will draw much of its inspiration from the original WW2 Willys Jeep, which seems to square with the aesthetic treatment doled out to the company’s 1998 Jeepster Concept.
The Jeepster will be underpinned by the same platform currently doing service in the Fiat 500X and will be offered with a range of compact petrol and turbodiesel powerplants. The likely candidates are Fiat’s 1,3- and 1,6-litre JTDm turbodiesels, and possibly the company’s much-vaunted 1,4-litre MultiAir petrol unit.
Owing to the model’s likely boutique buyer profile it’s expected that the majority of sales will comprise front-wheel drive models, although a more rugged (possibly Rubion-labelled) example could feature a fore/aft torque-apportioning all-wheel drivetrain.
