B-Jeep: not just a Panda

wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I have to say that I've been intrigued by the idea of Jeep coming out with what some had referred to as a "mini-Jeep" but was discouraged after hearing it would be something of a rebadged and restyled Fiat Panda as shown in the photo below. However, I'm glad to hear that Jeep is pushing for it to be something more....

B-Jeep: not just a Panda
trailduster.jpg

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 Allpar and other forums suggested that Fiat meant to slap a Jeep grille and trapezoidal wheel arches onto the Fiat Panda, an all wheel drive car-based Fiat cute-ute.

Recently, however, IndianAutosBlog managing editor Shrawan Raja told us that the “B-Jeep” would not be a mere Panda; 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, and rides on a unique platform.

The two-year delay would be explained if the original plan was to use a lightly modified Fiat Panda, but Jeep successfully argued for increased uniqueness.

IndianAutosBlog is an autoblog-style comprehensive news and rumors source devoted to cars and trucks available in India, and as such, covers a much wider variety of vehicles than most North American publications (including, as it does, Indian, Chinese, and European brands not available in North America, as well as many specific models not sold in the US, Canada, or Mexico). The style is also less sarcastic, and the writers tend to show more wide-ranging and deeper technical knowledge.

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2013/01/b-jeep-not-just-a-panda
Click to expand...

I hope they come out with something cool like this:

http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?2016-2015-Mini-Jeep-Trail-Rated-Too

...because if they did, I would be interested :cool:
 
I'm not really a fan of either. The one above is jut ugly and the mini jeep looks too much like an FJ to me. Never been a fan of those. I will wait for the Jeep truck. :thumb:
 
I've always been a fan of smaller vehicles. It's one reason I have a 2 door instead of an Unlimited. I think a small Jeep would be great as long as it:

- is truly capable with low range, factory skids, etc.
- is easily modifiable where you can add reasonably big tires on it, say 31 inches
- is a convertible

Something about the size of an old CJ or even "gasp" a Samurai.
 
The 2nd one waS cool looking. Every one likes or dislikes different vehicles, its just smart business to try and appeal 2 other markets :thumbup:

Sent from my PC36100 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
I have to be honest, I was kinda hoping they were entertaining a Sami or even Geo Tracker sized Jeep. So long as it was a true 4WD vehicle with a low range, I could see how it could be modded out and be a lot of fun.
 
It's definitely not a family car, which is one of the appeals of the JKU. I would guess that as mentioned above it would cover some other markets just as the JKU appeals to a slightly different market than a 2 door.

I don't think most of us would be able to drive something that small where we want to go. :idontknow: :thinking:
 
wayoflife said:
I have to be honest, I was kinda hoping they were entertaining a Sami or even Geo Tracker sized Jeep. So long as it was a true 4WD vehicle with a low range, I could see how it could be modded out and be a lot of fun.
Click to expand...

Just dreaming here, but I'd like to see a retro CJ-2/3 stripper with a diesel powerplant, low range, overdrive and tits suspension options from the factory to handle up to 37" tires. Fed regs would probably make such a concept DOA for the consumer.:twocents:
 
Just read the following...

Chennai chief: “It will be a true Jeep.”

Indian Autos Blog recently interviewed Nagesh Basavanahalli, Managing Director of Chrysler India Automotive Private Limited (which includes the Chennai, India technical center, with around 1,000 employees). The facilities were set up in 2007, under Cerberus. Full interview and a rundown on Jeep and Fiat in India today.

Mr. Basavanahalli said that the Chennai technical center had played a major role in both the 2011 and 2014 Grand Cherokee, in the development of various components, particularly in the interior and electrical system; and that they now had “around 60% of the workload for computer simulation.”

Regarding the upcoming “B-SUV,” Basavanahalli said that they did not have a name settled yet, but it would be “a brand new platform, and because the work is just beginning and a lot of the things are on the drawing board, I would not like to get into the details. … The Jeep platform is very special to us. The Jeep customer has unique tastes: go anywhere, do anything, be available. Right? So taking a look at the global requirements of the Jeep, because it’s going to be a global product, it’s going to be done up for several parts of the world. Obviously it’s also going to be brought into India, but [meeting] unique Indian requirements.

“The way we do that cycle is we take a look, okay, these are the requirements from several parts of the world. It goes in. And then there is a core design that comes out. And then we also say okay, what are the things that we need to do to satisfy the Indian customer more or the European customer more, right? So it may get done afterwards. So we’re looking at several options in terms of the platform. But the bottom line is it will be a true Jeep. It will be a Jeep, and it will be on the right platform.”

In addition, with regards to the Jeep Wrangler, Basavanahalli said, “It’s our pillar because it stands for everything. It’s one anchor of the brand, right? So we will continue to protect that product, right? To your point also [regarding visual similarity with the inexpensive Mahindra line], I think we all know which is the original. So we know the capability, we know the capacity, we know what the product can do. And we feel when customers take a look at the product, I think they will make the right decision.”
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom