Compact electric Jeep SUV teased for the first time

Jeep has dropped the first teaser for its fourth electric model due for release by 2025 and, while it’s about as cryptic as it could possibly be, there are a few key takeaways.

The teaser in question looks like a screenshot snagged and published by Motor1, showing what appears to be a small or mid-size SUV hiding under a blue sheet with a big blue ‘e’ hovering above.

Jeep has so far revealed the pint-size Avenger, large Recon and full-sized Wagoneer S electric SUVs, leaving a gaping hole in the line-up for a traditional compact or medium offering, which in turns opens the floodgates for speculation.

Future generations of the Cherokee, Compass and Renegade have all been either rumoured or confirmed to feature battery-electric drivetrains in some capacity, and all three SUVs are in the latter halves of their current lifecycles.

That gap in the line-up expands exponentially when you consider the Avenger isn’t offered in North America and so it would make sense for the US brand to provide its electric portfolio with some sort of budget-friendly base.

The funky exterior design of the existing Renegade, which is no longer sold in Australia, would lend itself well to an electric makeover. The small SUV’s successor will reportedly transition to the electrification-friendly STLA Small platform by mid-decade, whereas the related Compass is rumoured to be growing and moving to the STLA Medium architecture.

There’s no denying the petiteness of the mystery vehicle’s silhouette, while the elevation difference between the roof and the bonnet lines suggests this compact SUV will be hip and edgy, leading us to believe it is indeed the next-generation Renegade or at least an heir-apparent.

Odds are that internal combustion versions will emerge first, but a new-generation battery-electric Renegade makes sense for the wider portfolio given it’s Jeep’s smallest model and has found decent success in Europe in 4xe plug-in hybrid guise.

There also wouldn’t be too much overlap between it and the Avenger, given the expected size difference and obviously different intents.

Time will tell if Jeep’s fourth EV will make it to Australian shores, but the bigger Recon and Wagoneer S electric SUVs are both locked and loaded for our market following their production starts next year.

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