Jeep planning to launch a compact SUV

Mike Manley, Head of the Jeep brand, has reportedly confirmed that the company is planning to launch a new compact SUV, which will be slotted below the Renegade in the American automaker's portfolio. This step has been taken after the Renegade, which is currently the smallest vehicle in the Jeep line-up, received a favourable response from buyers. The manufacturer felt the need to produce an even smaller Jeep that it plans to aim mainly at developing markets like Brazil and India.

The upcoming compact SUV from Jeep has internally been codenamed as the Jeep MG or Jeep 526. It is likely to be built on FCA's new X6H platform, which is essentially an evolved iteration of the 326 platform. For the Indian market, Jeep could consider keeping the overall length of the vehicle under 4 meters in order to benefit from the lower excise duty applicable on small cars in the country.

The company hasn't revealed any timeline for the introduction of the new offering, as it is still in the initial phases of the product development cycle. But, since the manufacturer is currently concentrating on the recently unveiled Compass SUV, which will enter production in India next year, the all-new compact SUV is unlikely to be unveiled before 2018.

Source: Autocar