Monday, August 8, 2005

DaimlerChrysler The Jeep Compass Rallye

Baby Jeeps go in a new direction

Two car-based concept vehicles make their debut next month as brand tries to grow its lineup.

By Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

Photos by DaimlerChrylser Debuting in the 2007 Dodge Caliber, the Chrysler Group World Engine family is targeted to improve fuel efficiency by five percent compared with the engines they replace -- rivaling the best four-cylinder engines in the world. New-generation continuously variable transmission, CVT2, will give 2007 Dodge Caliber customers improved performance and fuel economy. Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group will introduce two Jeep concept vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month that signal a new way of thinking about the automaker's famous off-road brand.

The Jeep Compass and the Jeep Patriot are small, car-based vehicles that look like they are better suited for zipping around town than carving up a rugged trail.

The entry-level Jeep concepts suggest the nation's No. 3 automaker is challenging old assumptions about Jeep as part of a push to expand the brand beyond its lineup of four models and to increase sales.

The brand -- which helped popularize the SUV in the 1990s -- is facing more competition from General Motors Corp.'s Hummer division and a proliferation of other SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Jeep's U.S. sales have increased 9 percent this year. Last year, the brand posted U.S. sales of 427,000 units, down from a peak of 544,000 in 1999.

"If you're shackled to the past, you're never going to improve," said Trevor Creed, Chrysler's senior vice president of design.

Inside Chrysler, opinions differ about the best way to approach a small Jeep: Stick to the old formula or go in a new direction?

That may explain why the automaker is showing two small Jeep concepts that are nearly identical in size, but vary widely in design.

The Patriot is a four-door SUV with Jeep's traditional boxy design, four-wheel drive capability and rugged appearance.

It is 4 inches shorter than the Jeep Liberty mid-size SUV and not quite as tall, and would be aimed at a younger audience than Jeep's traditional buyer.

"The intent is that it would be the lowest-priced vehicle in the Jeep lineup," said Jeff Bell, Jeep's vice president of marketing.

The Jeep Wrangler, priced around $16,000, is the least expensive Jeep today.

By contrast, the Compass is a low-slung sporty hatchback whose design was inspired by European rally cars.

The four-door concept will be shown with black mag wheels, red-striped tires and an aggressive front air dam meant to give it a racer-like look.

Chrysler says the Compass and Patriot are only concept vehicles, but the automaker is widely expected to launch two car-based Jeep models next year as part of a long-promised expansion of the brand.

The seven-passenger Jeep Commander SUV went into production in July, and a newly redesigned Grand Cherokee debuted last fall.

An updated Wrangler is also expected next year.

The Patriot and Compass, if produced, would be the first front-wheel-drive vehicles for the Jeep brand, which built its name on the claim that every vehicle could master the brutal Rubicon trail.

Chrysler now says Jeep's goal is to have the most capable vehicle in every product segment in which it competes.

The Patriot and Compass are expected to be built at Chrysler's assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill., and ride on the same small car underbody as the Dodge Caliber, a sporty hatchback that will replace the Dodge Neon compact car.

Chrysler confirmed last week that the front-wheel-drive Caliber will be built in Belvidere. It will be introduced early next year as a 2007 model.

Caliber will be the first Chrysler model to offer a family of four-cylinder engines jointly developed with South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. and Japan's Mitsubishi Motor Corp.

The so-called "world engine," which will be produced at a plant in Dundee starting in September, is 5 percent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor.

When paired with an optional, continuously variable transmission, the gas savings can reach 8 to 10 percent over the old engine, the company said.

You can reach Brett Clanton at (313) 222-2612 or bclanton@detnews.com.

The Jeep Patriot