Jeep 551 C-SUV 2016 New York Auto Show Unveil Delayed

Looks like Jeep fanatics will have to wait a little longer to get a glimpse of the American SUV manufacturer’s upcoming C-SUV. The project, codenamed ‘Jeep 551’, was expected to be introduced at the upcoming 2016 New York Auto Show to be held next week. This unveiling, however, has been put off and the American automaker has not released any official statement on the reason behind this delay. A report claims that as Jeep 551 is still under development, a slowdown in the development process has led to the postponing of the SUV’s unveiling.

Considering the fact that Jeep’s smallest offering, the Renegade, is internally called the B-SUV, Jeep 551 (the C-SUV) is expected to be placed above the American automaker’s compact utility vehicle. It is expected that the car will carry forward the company’s Compass moniker since it will replace Jeep’s Patriot and Compass SUVs in the international market.

Jeep recently announced that it will make its entry into the Indian market with three models which will be imported via the CBU (Completely built Unit) route. The Renegade SUV has been spied testing in Delhi on multiple occasions and it is expected that Jeep 551 will also make its way into the American automaker’s India line-up. The Jeep 551 is expected to be manufactured out of FCA’s Ranjangaon plant, which is located near Pune.

Under the hood, the Jeep 551 is expected to be powered by a 2-litre, 170 BHP MultiJet diesel engine which will be localised. Since the Jeep 551 will be placed above the Renegade, with reference to Jeep’s tradition of incorporating high-performance engines like in the Hemi-powered Cherokee SRT, the Jeep 551 might feel underpowered to some customers. This car is expected to take on the likes of Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner.

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