[Allpar News System]

The 2009 announcement that Jeep would sell a subcompact (B sized) SUV made by Fiat raised eyebrows and hackles among the Jeep community; immediately, and for years after, numerous postings on forums suggested that Fiat meant to slap a Jeep grille and trapezoidal wheel arches onto a Fiat. Recently, however, IndianAutosBlog managing editor Shrawan Raja told us that the “B-Jeep” would not be a restyled Fiat; and a two-year delay acknowledged this morning in the Chrysler five year plan update supports this theory. Raja told Allpar that the new car is being created primarily by Chrysler’s new engineering center in Chennai, India. The two-year delay would be explained if the original plan was to use a lightly modified Fiat, but Jeep successfully argued for increased uniqueness. Allpar’s “RVC” wrote that it shares Fiat’s SCSS platform (core hard-point dimensions), but will have a unique architecture, including different suspension designs. IndianAutosBlog is an autoblog-style..

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[MoparNorm]

Not quite sure what to make out of the Indian connection, other than there are fewer engineers at Chrysler than in the per-Daimler era.
It is encouraging to read that Jeep not only exhibited a rightful presence, but won out over the influence of the horrid Panda.
Now it remains to be seen if the actual events reflect that, or if it's more marketing spin.
My reason for being skeptical remain because of PR spin glossing over the shortcomings of Patriot and Compass.
In fairness, they are being replaced and Liberkee(r) is probably the first real example of what the future holds for Jeep.
Not thrilled that FWD was used as the starting point for Liberkee(r), but we will know soon enough if it is a Jeep, or just a tough looking car.

 

[Dave Z]

The info from I.A.B. is based on an interview with the Chennai facility chief, I believe. The full interview will be posted later this week.

 

[Bran]

Fiat Panda - A segment vehicle, mini platfrom (500, Ypsilon)
B-Jeep - B segment vehicle, SUSW platform (Mito, Punto, 500L, 500XL, 500X)

B-Jeep will be 2 feet longer than Panda and about 8 inches shorter than a Compass/Patriot.

IMO both the new Cherokee and B-Jeep will be cars, not Jeeps. Only Jeep left is the Wrangler.

 

[Truck451]

Maybe this vehicle will have a neutral position on it's transfer case too.

 

[RVC]

I really don't know why anyone would ever have thought that the Panda could be used as the basis for the B-Jeep. The only person on Allpar that kept insisting on that is Norm, regardless of the countless times that I tried to tell him that Panda and Jeep's paths do not cross in any way, shape, or form. It's one of Norms recurring nightmares I think
Anyways, very puzzling to say the least.

Incidentally, notice how the Indian source confuses the word platform. What Jeep insisted on was a unique architecture, the platform is the same SUSW that's already being used for the 500L and that will also be used for the 500x (the B-jeep cousin).
What the guys in Chennai are trying to say is that the 500x and the B-Jeep will differ in their architecture. Much the same way as the GC and the Levante differ greatly, or that the Ghibli will differ from the next generation 300.

Btw, Chennai is an established engineering center for the company. They do support work on almost anything.

 

[TripleT]

I really don't know why anyone would ever have thought that the Panda could be used as the basis for the B-Jeep. The only person on Allpar that kept insisting on that is Norm, regardless of the countless times that I tried to tell him that Panda and Jeep's paths do not cross in any way, shape, or form. It's one of Norms recurring nightmares I think
Anyways, very puzzling to say the least.

Incidentally, notice how the Indian source confuses the word platform. What Jeep insisted on was a unique architecture, the platform is the same SUSW that's already being used for the 500L and that will also be used for the 500x (the B-jeep cousin).
What the guys in Chennai are trying to say is that the 500x and the B-Jeep will differ in their architecture. Much the same way as the GC and the Levante differ greatly, or that the Ghibli will differ from the next generation 300.

Btw, Chennai is an established engineering center for the company. They do support work on almost anything.

If you want something other than a iterative optimization FEA, the all that stuff comes from the region of the world. If not the actual study certainly the code. Smart group of people.

 

[alltel12]

Maybe this vehicle will have a neutral position on it's transfer case too.

Lets start with a manual transmission,....starting to think Jeep forgot what they are.

 

[Dave Z]

Or maybe Jeep is adapting to the fact that 98% of American customers no longer buy manual transmissions.

 

[SouthPawXJ]

Wranglers have manuals across the board as the base transmission.

 

[link3721]

Or maybe Jeep is adapting to the fact that 98% of American customers no longer buy manual transmissions.

I think the Wrangler may be the only exception to that trend, though I don't know what the take rate for the manual actually is.

 

[Stratuscaster]

Compass and Patriot also had standard 5-speed manuals at one time - Patriot might still be configured that way today.

 

[Erik Latranyi]

With Jeep engineers working on a a unique architecture, it actually gives me renewed hope!

 

[gforce2002]

Compass and Patriot also had standard 5-speed manuals at one time - Patriot might still be configured that way today.

My 2013 Patriot is indeed a 5 speed manual.

 

[TripleT]

With Jeep engineers working on a a unique architecture, it actually gives me renewed hope!

Am I misunderstanding but I was under the impression that this Jeep wouldn't show up in this part of the world, or are you just happy the it will have some Jeep DNA?

 

[Erik Latranyi]

Am I misunderstanding but I was under the impression that this Jeep wouldn't show up in this part of the world, or are you just happy the it will have some Jeep DNA?

I am hopeful that these Jeeps may have some Jeep DNA and will not destroy the Jeep name as quickly as it would were they using a FWD car platform.

 

[TripleT]

I am hopeful that these Jeeps may have some Jeep DNA and will not destroy the Jeep name as quickly as it would were they using a FWD car platform.

Like the Compass and Patriot?

 

[link3721]

Like the Compass and Patriot?

Some of us abuse our Patriots like they were Wranglers. We try to keep them deserving of the nameplate.

 

[alltel12]

Or maybe Jeep is adapting to the fact that 98% of American customers no longer buy manual transmissions.

With all due respect, if 98% of American customers do not need a trail rated Jeep, should Jeep adapt to the buying public or still make what some of us think what a Jeep should be?

just asking

 

[drew54]

With all due respect, if 98% of American customers do not need a trail rated Jeep, should Jeep adapt to the buying public or still make what some of us think what a Jeep should be?

just asking

It is a great thought exercise, but why would someone buy a Jeep to begin with? What does the brand say to you? When you think Jeep, do you think 40 MPG sub compact? When you think 40 MPG sub compact, do you think of off road?