Two smaller SUVs will use new Stellantis platform; 4×4 flagship will be a Dongfeng production
American brand rethinks its European strategy as it primes a line-up of five multi-energy models by 2030
Jeep will overhaul its European product line-up with the launch of three new models in the next four years, including two small crossovers developed specifically for the region and a new large SUV co-developed with Chinese firm Dongfeng.
The three new cars, which will all be multi-energy models and have a four-wheel drive option, will sit alongside the existing Avenger compact crossover and mid-sized Compass, with the goal of helping the American brand substantially grow its European sales.
Jeep is part of the Stellantis empire and one of its four designated ‘global’ brands, which means it will take priority in terms of product investment.
But while Jeep’s European strategy has previously focused on models taken from its core American range (joined by the occasional regional addition such as the Avenger), it will now develop a largely bespoke line-up – potentially with the Compass as its only model also sold in the US.
Fabio Catone, Jeep’s European boss, said that the three new arrivals would all build on the brand’s existing design pillars of capability, protection and versatility, and offer 4×4 ability.
He vowed they would represent what “makes a Jeep a Jeep, so the values, the product formula, the off-road heritage and our unique design language – at the end of the day, our identity”.
Small SUVs to focus on key Euro market
Jeep’s two new B-segment SUVs will sit above the existing Avenger, with one being described as “compact” and the other as “large”.
Catone said that while the Avenger is positioned to win over buyers of B-segment hatchbacks, the compact B-SUV will be “wider, much more SUV-style”, while the larger B-SUV will be closer in size to the C-segment, which means it will sit just below the existing Compass.
Both will sit on the new STLA One platform that Stellantis is introducing across its brands and both will be manufactured in Europe.
Jeep has traditionally had mixed fortunes developing cars specifically for Europe: the Renegade compact SUV sold well but lacked the authentic off-road capability the brand was known for, while the Avenger is currently its best-seller and a former Car of the Year award winner.
“Jeep is a global brand with values that are shared all over the world,” said Catone. “The product formula is the same all over the world, but we are a global company with strong regional tools, and so we are developing a line-up that is strongly oriented to European customers’ needs.”
Catone hinted that the next-generation STLA One platform is being developed to ensure Jeep can deliver the four-wheel-drive ability that it’s known for: “It’s not that we are developing on something [that is] existing that we have to adapt; we are working on something new. It’s a shared platform globally, but we have the opportunity to create these cars from scratch, so we can implement all of our requirements as a Jeep.
“We are very confident that we will be able to deliver a true Jeep experience and benefit from the manufacturing and the industrial efficiency of the co-operation within the group.”
Catone said that the new platform is being engineered to ensure that the 4WD of the new Jeeps will be able to offer “best-in-class” off-road ability, with “specific investments” being made to offer the technical ability and approach and departure angles requited.
He hinted that could mean the new Jaapes will feature technology that will be enabled on STLA One such as steer-by-wire, which is being introduced by sister brand Peugeot in its future line-up.
Chinese joint venture to supply new flagship
Jeep’s new large SUV will be produced in a joint venture with Chinese firm Dongfeng, which is already partnering with Stellantis on a pair of new global Peugeot models.
Catone said the new machine, which will be built in China on a Dongfeng platform, will feature a design entirely set by Jeep and will still be engineered for off-road ability.
He described it as a “global Jeep project that will be sold in China and other regions, including Europe” but insisted it’s a “vehicle fully designed by Jeep”.
He said it’s similar to “an iPhone model, in which the technical features of the design are fully lined with the identity of the brand but we leverage on the industrial footprint”.
The D-SUV will also be multi-energy, with a plug-in hybrid option that’s likely to be based on Dongfeng’s range-extender technology.
The Chinese company recently established M-Hero as a similarly positioned off-road brand, which is a likely candidate to provide the basis for Jeep’s new European flagship.
M-Hero was launched in 2023 with the 917, a relatively extreme off-roader, and followed it up last year with the M817 (below), a 5.1m-long family SUV with rugged styling and four-wheel drive.
Available in China with either a PHEV or a REx drivetrain and up to 900bhp combined, the M817 bears a strong resemblance to the D-SUV silhouette shown in Jeep’s strategy presentation and would seem best placed for sale in Europe as a rival to the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser.
Jeep briefly offered the large, American-built Grand Cherokee in Europe but ditched that more upmarket model due to slow sales.
Asked if a large Jeep could find success in Europe, Catone said: “The D-SUV marked in Europe for us is a white space, and globally it’s a very strong pillar for Jeep. Our position is to add a strong D-SUV proposition, and we found this a strong opportunity with Dongfeng.”
Jeep currently doesn’t sell the fabled Wrangler 4×4 in Europe, due to emissions regulations, and Catone said the firm is still looking for a way to reintroduce it in the future.
No mention was made of the US-built Recon and Wagoneer S electric SUVs, which suggests that an earlier plan to bring them here has been put on ice.
