Fiat developing jeep Compass-based SUV

Fiat is developing a new SUV based on the Jeep Compass. As you may be aware, Fiat owns the Jeep brand as it also owns Chrysler, the parent company of Jeep. In fact many new Jeep SUVs are based on Fiat car platforms. For example, the Fiat Small Wide platform has been used for the Jeep Renegade and the Compass.

For Fiat, building an SUV on this platform should not be a problem at all as even the petrol and diesel engines that the Compass uses is from Fiat. Fiat is building this new SUV mainly for South American markets. This means that it may be not launched in India.

One more thing to note is that Fiat may not want to create more competition for the Compass in India by launching another SUV in the same segment. Buyers may get divided between Fiat and Jeep. But India may be used as a production hub to build the new Fiat SUV and export it to right hand drive markets. That’s what is happening with the Compass also.

The Fiat SUV’s styling may be inspired by the Toro pick up truck. The Toro is sold by Fiat in South American markets. The engines for the new SUV could be lifted from the Toro as well. A 1.8 liter petrol and LPG flex fuel engine (138 Bhp)and a 2 liter Multijet turbo-diesel engine (170 bhp) may be the two options for buyers of the new SUV.

On the Toro pick up truck, the petrol engine uses a 6 speed manual supporting a front wheel drive. The diesel engine gets 6 speed manual and 9 speed automatic gearbox options with front wheel drive and all wheel drive options. The same may be carried over to the Fiat SUV.

Via AutoBlog.Argentina