SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW: Jeep Yuntu concept

Jaws dropped and eyes popped in New York when Jeep revealed its 527kW Trackhawk super SUV, but the company is not resting its laurels, unveiling another striking vehicle in China overnight — the Yuntu concept.

Previewing a new China-only SUV featuring three rows and seven seats, the Jeep Yuntu concept shows off sharp, clean lines that wouldn't look out of place in Europe, USA or even Australia.

Teased one week ago via hand-drawn sketch, the fully-realised concept car gets lots of gold accents and slim-line LED headlights up front and brake lights at the rear, book-ending a squared-off design that is unmistakably Jeep.

The suicide doors are unlikely to remain in the production model, which is expected to launch in China from 2018. If it gets the green light, it will be built by a joint venture between Jeep and the Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group (GAC).

The interior of the three-row Jeep features two primo captain's chairs in the second row and a trio of seats in the rear for the little ones. There’s lots of shiny surfacing, neatly integrated high-definition touchscreens for almost every passenger – and a stretched dashboard-wide screen for the driver – and lots of white leather.

Propulsion comes from a plug-in hybrid powertrain that can be recharged wirelessly via induction, and it even comes with an airborne drone that enables off-road autonomous driving. The drone scans the tracks ahead and directs the car.

While Chinese customers will likely get to drive this expressive new Yuntu seven-seater, the rest of the world is still eagerly awaiting the return of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer large SUVs, which have been talked about endlessly but are yet to be seen or even teased.

Jeep has recently put the Wagoneer models on the backburner as it focuses on other vehicles and brands. Could that open the door for a global version of the Yuntu to rival the Toyota Kluger?