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| 2015 Jeep Renegade |
A Jeep executive addressed rumors about a potential new three-door model smaller than the Renegade and it appears there’s some truth to them. Adrian van Campenhout, head of international product planning for Jeep, said a smaller model is a possibility if there is demand for it.
“There has been some talk out there from some of our executives. If we study a smaller vehicle for markets that would demand it – there’s a lot of emerging markets with a lot of volume out there – that a Renegade is a flippin’ huge car. It’s ungodly expensive to these emerging markets, right?” van Campenhout told Australia’s CarAdvice.
The official added that a smaller Jeep could work in big emerging markets, such as India, and that if a decision is made to build it, it “would be consistent with the Jeep line-up, there would be capability associated with that vehicle.”
A smaller model than the Jeep Renegade (pictured) could rival models like the Suzuki Jimny, which means it could be offered exclusively in a three-door configuration for lack of space and for greater off-road capability.
“It’s an interesting proposal. With the ebb and the flow of two-doors, the Wrangler seems to just continue to sell and sell and sell. It just works,” von Campenhout said. Come to think of it, a mini Jeep Wrangler three-door would probably attract many customers who can’t afford Jeep’s most iconic model.
If Jeep decides to build a Jimny rival, it could call it Jeepster or Junior, names that the brand considered in the past for a small SUV.