Jeep has decided that having two compact SUVs was not such a wise choice, so it will replace the Compass and Patriot with a single model this fall – and these are the first images of the final product .
Nabbed in Brazil by Autoo, they show that the upcoming small Jeep is, as we expected, more or less a scaled-down version of the Grand Cherokee rather than something more radical like the Renegade subcompact.
It will debut in Brazil at the end of this month, make its US debut at the LA Auto Show in November and hit the market in early 2017.
The C-SUV, as it is internally known, will be based on a bigger version of the Small Wide 4×4 platform of the smaller Renegade and the Fiat 500X. Power should come from either a 2.0-liter turbo or a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated unit and it will be available with either front- or all-wheel drive.
The, as yet unnamed, SUV will be built in three different plants around the world, namely Brazil, Mexico and China and, as Manley said, “In every plant, the status of the launch is very much on track”.
FCA is hoping the “Compatriot” (we believe it will be named the Compass, but anyhow…) will be more successful than its predecessors, which were lagging behind the competition in practically all respects, with the one redeeming trait being their low pricing. Well, the styling is certainly spot-on, the cabin seems much better and, seeing how good the Renegade/500X duo are, it’d be a big surprise if they botched this up.
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