Although there was recently some controversy surrounding where a number of small Jeeps would be built, it seems Chrysler’s plans are starting to solidify. According to a report by Automotive News Europe, the replacement for the Jeep Compass and Patriot will no longer be built in Italy, and will instead be built in the United States. That said, the factory previously slated to build the those vehicles will build a new small Jeep that will likely not be sold in North America.
Originally, The Compass/Patriot successor — which will use the Fiat’s CUSW platform — was slated to be built at Fiat’s Mirafiori plant in Turin alongside a similar Alfa Romeo. Instead, Fiat will instead retool the plant to build vehicles based off the smaller SUSW platform. As a result, it looks likely that Chrysler’s plant in Belvidere, Illinois, will be retooled to build the CUSW architecture and, subsequently, the Compass/Patriot follow-up.
As for the Mirafiori factory, Fiat will build a new entry level Jeep alongside a new Alfa Romeo subcompact car, and a replacement for the Suzuki SX4-based Fiat Sedici.
The Compass/Patriot replacement will likely debut in the second half of 2013, with other models on that platform (such as the replacement for the Dodge Caliber) to follow soon thereafter.
Source: Automotive News Europe (subscription required)
