Stellantis announced in March that it would introduce a small, handsome, electric Jeep to the marketplace in 2023 and an alleged photos of the prototype model under camouflage has made its appearance online.
The grainy, black and white photo, which as Autoblog noticed, was posted to the Autopareri forums on May 30, appears to show a vehicle that looks a lot like the concept renderings shared by Stellantis when it first announced the upcoming electrified Jeep.
With elaborate headlights, sharp side mirrors, boxy overall proportions, and the steeply raked windshield of the concept, from what we can see the renderings were pretty accurate. That said, the photo is still quite grainy and the vehicle’s finer details are hidden, so it’s hard to analyze the design too deeply. The photo is encouraging, though, because the crossover was well-liked for its handsome form when it was first shown off.
Read More: 2023 Jeep EV Revealed At Stellantis Roadmap Event
Although Stellantis did not reveal the car’s name, it was understood that the EV was being referred to internally as “Jeep Junior” or Project 516. Now, though, MoparInsider claims, citing unnamed sources, that the vehicle will revive the Jeepster name.
Most anticipate that the new crossover will be based on the e-CMP electric vehicle platform because the much-touted STLA Small platform, Stallantis’ upcoming EV-only architecture, won’t be ready in time for this project.
That means that this Jeep is likely to share its underpinnings with the Peugeot e208 and the Opel Corsa e. Both are front-wheel-drive only and the Peugeot is good for a range of 225 miles (362 km). The platform is also capable of incorporating internal combustion engines, which could make a plug-in hybrid version of this crossover possible.
Jeep is expected to start producing the new electric vehicle at Stellantis’ plant in Tychy, Poland in the fourth quarter of this year.
