We have more news coming out of the Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC camp. After the announcement on the new Alfa Romeo 1.8-liter turbo engine, the group said it has finalized plans to build a new small Jeep SUV model at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy.
The company noted that development of the manufacturing infrastructure at Mirafiori will begin in 2012 with production of the new baby Jeep model expected to begin in the second half of 2013 alongside an updated version of Alfa Romeo’s MiTo supermini.
While Fiat and Chrysler declined to provide any further information, Carscoop recently obtained Jeep’s 2012-2014 production plan, which points at a new small Jeep model that will sit under a common replacement for the Compass and Patriot. The new Jeep will be a B-segment SUV/Crossover similar in size to the Nissan Juke.
“This is an important step in our plans to re-industrialize our Italian manufacturing backbone in view of current market developments and the increased distribution reach provided by Chrysler Group” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive of Fiat and Chrysler Group.
“This leading-edge architecture will allow us to provide the most updated platforms for the development of our brands, and more importantly, will allow us to access the full powertrain offerings of both Fiat and Chrysler,” Marchionne added.
