Decision on Fiat 500-based Jeep Model Looms

The emergence of Jeep as a global brand with lofty sales ambitions means satisfying everyone, everywhere, no matter what the location or income of the would-be buyer. While Fiat Chrysler feels there’s definitely room to go bigger and pricier in the United States (we’re still waiting on that six-figure Grand Wagoneer), there’s also a desire to go smaller in overseas markets.

We’re talking sub-Renegade. And it just so happens Jeep has access to the platform underpinning the tiny Fiat 500 city car and plucky/adorable Fiat Panda that would make just such a model possible.

The question for Jeep is: does it really want to go there?

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  • OA5599 Been there, done that--Fordlandia.
  • MaintenanceCosts I love urban condos, but the idea of sharing an association with 50 Aston owners makes me break out in hives.
  • MaintenanceCosts My dad had a closely related, but much less cool, Corolla Liftback of the same vintage when I was born. Typical of a Toyota, it was the low-drama car in the household, compared to mom's backfire-prone and fussy RX-3 wagon. Both cars got sold when we moved overseas in 1981, but neither parent had the sense to buy something low-drama again for quite a few more years.
  • MaintenanceCosts When they target one specific plant well outside of contract negotiation time, you know it's bad.Even if you distrust unions, ask yourself whether an individual whistleblower could have made any difference here without the union backing him up.
  • FreedMike IIRC, weren't '70s Japanese cars prone to rust?