One of the rumored world premieres for next week’s the Geneva Motor Show, Jeep’s new ‘baby’ SUV, continues to elude us in the digital world, but not in the physical world of our spies, who shot five-minutes’ worth of footage of heavily cladded prototypes undergoing tests in northern Europe.
You may have heard that Jeep’s as-of-yet unnamed model could use the Jeepster moniker. However, we learned via Autonews that Sergio Marchionne recently told analysts it will not be called Jeepster, with the report adding that, according to “two industry sources”, Jeep could go for the “Laredo” designation, which has been employed as a trim level.
Believed to measure a little over 4.2 meters in length (165+ inches), Jeep’s smallest model will share its undercarriage and other components with the upcoming Fiat 500x crossover, riding on the same Fiat-Chrysler group Small Wide platform architecture used on the 500L minivan.
The two cars will differ significantly in design, with the 500X that was leaked well ahead of its scheduled world premiere this summer being more of a crossover with the usual cute, rounded styling found on other 500 models, and the ‘baby’ featuring a more masculine, boxed look.
It will also have a different suspension setup with a higher road clearance and will be more capable off the road than the Fiat. While the 500X will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive versions from the get go, it is believed that the Jeep will be offered exclusively with AWD, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a FWD version arrives down the road as a more affordable and fuel efficient alternative.
As far as the powertrains are concerned, the two models will share their engine range, with the North American-specification Jeep gaining Fiat’s 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline unit. In Europe and other parts of the world, Fiat’s 1.3-liter turbo diesel and possibly even the 0.9-liter TwinAir turbocharged petrol, will find their way under the hood.
Video Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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