Jeep Renegade spotted testing in India, but why

It seems Jeep has started testing the Renegade compact SUV in India. A test mule of a heavily camouflaged Renegade was spotted recently. The spotters say that the vehicle in question could be a decoy used to test the Jeep 551/C-SUV, which Fiat will build at the Ranjangaon factory next year. The 551 will replace the Jeep Compass/Patriot globally, and will sit above the Renegade in terms of price and positioning. We have a different take on this.

Jeep doesn’t need the Renegade’s body to test out the upcoming 551 SUV. Such kind of testing happens only during early prototyping, and at times where heavy secrecy needs to be maintained. Test mules of the 551/C-SUV have been spotted internationally, which means that the vehicle is already at an advanced stage of development. Why, the vehicle is likely to be unveiled to the world, a few months from now. Also see – 5 affordable SUVs you wish for

These factors mean that the it may not be the Jeep 551/C-SUV being tested in the Renegade’s body shell. Rather, it could be the Renegade itself. Jeep imported 14 units of the vehicle into the country over the last 3 months. 1.6 liter and 2 liter diesel variants were among the mix. The compact SUV will fit rather well into Jeep’s long term strategy for India. If sufficiently localized, the vehicle could take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster. Also see – Jeep Renegade – All you need to know