Stretched Chinese Jeep Concept Could Preview Chrysler Crossover

Chinese car buyers are big fans of stretched American midsize sedans, and extra-long crossovers are seen as the next logical way for U.S. automakers to woo buyers into the brand.

In China, where Jeep began production of the Cherokee in late 2015, a new vehicle has appeared online ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show. Rather than a longer Cherokee, the concept in the image seems to preview an entirely new three-row Jeep that could see a different body and badge in North America.

Discovered by Allpar, the image shows a vehicle that’s miles away, design-wise, from the Cherokee. (It certainly doesn’t scream “long wheelbase,” either.) With a front end bearing more of a likeness to the new Compass and C-pillars that seem to mimic the Renegade, the only thing connecting it to the rumored Asian-market hybrid crossover is the badge and the name on the license plate.

Going by this concept, it seems Jeep wants to turn a stretched Cherokee into a standalone model. The hybrid system planned for the seven-passenger crossover would be an adaption of the Chrysler Pacifica’s, potentially coupled to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ upcoming turbocharged 2.0-liter “Hurricane” four.

Allpar claims that production of the stretched Cherokee, or K8, should begin this summer, with the model bowing as a 2018 model. What significance does this hold for North American readers? Chrysler, a brand that has withered to just two nameplates, plans to produce a three-row crossover for the 2019 model year.

That vehicle, built atop some version of the Fiat CUSW platform shared by the Cherokee, is slated to be built next to the existing (and soon to be refreshed) Cherokee at FCA’s Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant. We’ll keep an eye on what FCA has in store for China when the Shanghai show kicks off later this month, knowing that the model’s dimensions and specifications could crop up over here.