Brazil - Jeep to produce Laredo and Cherokee locally, says report

18/02/2014 - 11:49 Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Laredo, Jeep Shoeb Kalania

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is considering local production of two Jeep products for the Brazilian auto market, according to multiple local media reports.

2014 Jeep Cherokee front quarter — The 2014 Jeep Cherokee was launched last year after a series of delays.

The first model to be produced would be the small utility vehicle sharing its underpinning with the Fiat 500X. Tentatively named 'Laredo', the smallest member of the Jeep family will receive its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

This model would be produced at Fiat’s plant in in Goiás, a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. Fiat India had confirmed this model for India in 2015, and a considerable part of its development comes from Chrysler's R&D center in Chennai.

The next model would be the Jeep Cherokee that was launched at the New York Motor Show last year. This third-generation mid-size SUV utilizes the unibody platform from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Fiat 500X IAB Rendering — The Fiat 500X shares its underpinnings with the Jeep Laredo, and both models would be made in Melfi, Italy starting this year.

Brazil is an important market for Fiat, the company has a large market share and its small cars Palio and Uno have sold by the millions in the last 25 years. Fiat has had higher sales in Brazil than Italy in the recent years. The company expects Jeep to script a similar story given the company’s strong distribution network and the high demand for crossovers and SUVs.

Currently the company aims at producing high volume B- and C-Segment Jeep models locally, while the bigger models like the Grand Cherokee would be imported from the United States.

[Source – Auto Esporte]