We thought that Jeep couldn't go smaller than the Renegade, we were wrong. Back in March 2022, Jeep dropped the first teaser images of its future baby SUV, and now, two months later, our spy photographers finally caught the first prototypes out for some testing sessions. The model was initially announced during Stellantis' Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan presentation, when Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis, announced this will be the first-ever 100% battery-electric Jeep SUV.
Updated 8-22-2022: The new baby Jeep was caught in the wild again, and this time our spy photographers managed to get a good shot of the interior too!
8/22/2022 - New Exterior Pictures of the new Baby Jeep
8/22/2022 - First Interior Shots of the New Baby Jeep
Original Story
The few details we have on this new model suggest it will be a completely new model and it won’t have too many things in common with the rest of the Jeep lineup. Instead, it will benefit from FCA’s merger with PSA, which means it will benefit from all of PSA’s latest technology.
Rumors suggest the model will be built on PSA’s e-CMP architecture - a special platform built for small vehicles. The same platform it used for models like the Peugeot 208 (and e-208) or the Vauxhall Corsa (and Corsa e). The only problem is that the e-CMP architecture won't be able to accommodate Jeep's traditional four-wheel drive system, which means that the new baby SUV could also be the first Jeep that won't be AWD. Or it could very easily mean that these rumors are wrong, and Jeep could go for a completely different platform. Only time will tell.
No matter what, the new baby SUV will be small. It will be built on an estimated 100-inch wheelbase (the Renegade has a wheelbase of 101.2 inches) and based on these spy shots it will look a lot like its big brother. It will be a four-door vehicle, but don't expect a lot of room in the rear seats - they will be more appropriate for children. Cargo room will most likely be pretty much nonexistent. Think that the Renegade already offers a very limited cargo space of just 18.5 cubic feet.
The same rumors suggest that the electric version of this baby SUV will deliver around 140 horsepower and a range of 200 miles. There will also be a 1.2-liter PureTech gasoline engine borrowed from PSA, but that will arrive later.
Initial rumors suggested this new model will be released before the end of 2022, but judging from the early stages of development showed by these prototypes, we doubt we will actually see the new model before 2023 at the earliest. The car's main target will be the European market, but it might end up on the North American market too. The model will be built at Fiat's Polish plant, next to the upcoming small Alfa Romeo Brennero and the Fiat 500X.