Baby Jeep due in 2022 – report

It’s no surprise, then, Jeep is developing an A-segment SUV to slot under its Renegade and rival the rugged yet characterful Suzuki.

Auto Express reports the American brand is launching an “ultra compact” SUV in 2022.

It’ll measure around four metres in length. For context, that’s the same length as a Hyundai Venue, around 400mm longer than a Jimny, and 200mm shorter than a Renegade and the related Fiat 500X.

Marco Pigozzi, Jeep’s European head of product marketing, told Auto Express, “The car will be able to be used as a bad-ass Jeep, but it has also been designed to be used everyday.”

When quizzed whether it’d follow the Compass and Renegade in offering an electrified variant, he said, “We have the capability to deliver the electrification we need.”

Jeep has committed to becoming the greenest SUV brand by 2022, offering electrification across its entire range.

Above: The Jeep Compass PHEV

Such an aim is critical for Jeep's success in Europe, where forthcoming EU regulations set a fleet-wide average emission target of 95g of CO2 per kilometre from 2021. That corresponds with fuel consumption of 4.1L/100km.

An A-segment Jeep has been featured in recent FCA future product plans, however the company’s plans have been notorious for their fluidity. Just look, for example, at the Chrysler 100, the next-generation Alfa Romeo 166 and GTV, and the Dodge Dart SRT – four products that appeared on plans but never came to fruition.

These reports, however, suggest the A-segment SUV is more than a pipe dream.

It’s not confirmed what platform the baby Jeep will use. It’s unlikely to be the current platform underpinning the A-segment Fiat Panda and 500 as it’s almost old enough to vote, dating back to 2003.

PSA and FCA’s merger hasn’t gone through yet so it’s unlikely Jeep would be able to get access to PSA’s EMP platform in time for a 2022 product launch.

That leaves the upcoming 500’s platform as a possibility. The next 500 will be all-electric but if its platform supports both electrified and ICE drivetrains, it’s a logical basis for a baby Jeep with optional electrification.