As Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is getting ready to end the current Compass and Patriot crossover, the replacement for both models will reportedly roll off the assembly line on January 30, 2017.
Quoting sources within the company, AutoNews writes that the new compact SUV, referred to by some as the Compatriot (unofficial), will hit the production line at the Toluca plant, in Mexico, following a summer unveil in Brazil, where it will also be made.
The as of yet unnamed model will get a more refined and discreet look compared to its predecessors, while inside, it will use a simple layout, with the dashboard dominated by a large infotainment screen, flanked by air vents. It will ride on a stretched and widened version of the Small Wide 4×4 platform from the Renegade and Fiat500 and will be offered with both FWD and AWD. Joining the lineup later on will be a more rugged Trailhawk version.
In related news, FCA will pull the plug on the Compass and Patriot from the Belvidere, Illinois facility, on December 23, with the plant to remain idle through May 15, 2017, when it will be in charge of assembling the Cherokee, whose production will move from Toledo. In turn, the latter will start to build the next-gen Jeep Wrangler and its derivatives, including an upcoming pickup version.
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