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Jeep reportedly releasing Peugeot-based, Fiat-built baby 'ute in 2022

Jeep is now under the same Stellantis-branded roof as Peugeot, among other European carmakers. It will take full advantage of its new ownership to quickly develop and launch an entry-level car, according to a new report. Anonymous sources told industry trade journal Automotive News that the yet-unnamed model will be positioned directly below the Renegade. Rumors of a baby Jeep have popped up time and again in the past few years, and most claimed it would share its underpinnings with the Fiat Panda 4x4, an immensely capable city car that's a regular sight in the Alps. Those plans have allegedly changed; the soft-roader is now being designed around the Common Modular Platform (CMP) that underpins the Peugeot 208 and the Citroen C4, among other models. Using the CMP platform unlocks several benefits. It's much newer than the architecture found under the Panda, it's highly modular, and it was developed with gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and electric powertrains in mind. It sounds like the first Peugeot-based Jeep will come standard with front-wheel-drive, and it will offer an optional four-wheel-drive powertrain consisting of a longitudinally-mounted engine that will spin the front wheels and an electric motor that will put the rear wheels into motion. Odds are the motor will be capable of powering the crossover on its own, too. Most of the powertrain components will come from Peugeot. CMP wasn't designed for hardcore off-roading, so we're expecting more of a shrunken Renegade for the boulevard than a downsized Wrangler for the trail. Fiat will build Jeep's smallest model in Tychy, Poland, in a factory that currently churns out the Fiat 500 and the Lancia Ypsilon. Production is tentatively scheduled to start in 2022, and it's too early to tell if we'll see the crossover in America. Its pocket-sized dimensions might keep it away from our shores. It will certainly increase Jeep sales on the European market, where models that sell relatively well in the United States regularly post dismal sales figures. For example, the Grand Cherokee is a seen as a leviathan of a family hauler and the Wrangler is heavily taxed. Peugeot's CMP platform will allegedly underpin the production version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale concept, too. Pegged below the Stelvio, the crossover was originally developed on the Renegade's bones — some sources claim that's still the case, and Alfa Romeo hasn't shed light on the matter. Reportedly, Fiat will later get a CMP-based car.

Watch thief steal Jeep Wrangler with laptop

Advancements in technology, especially those in the automotive sector, have made cars safer, easier to drive, and harder than ever to steal. But a recent incident in Houston, TX, reveals that the latest generation of hackers and thieves knows how to use modern tech for their own nefarious devices. A car thief was caught on camera using a small computer to pilfer a 2010 Jeep Wrangler parked in its owner's driveway. The video shows a man entering the Wrangler and after a few minutes on the laptop, driving away in the vehicle. According to the Wall Street Journal, Houston police believe the same method could have been used on four other occasions involving late-model Wranglers and Cherokees. While the short clip looks like something out of a movie, this isn't the first time a Jeep has been hacked. The theft took the pair of thieves roughly 13 minutes from the time the first person opens the hood (not shown) to when the car leaves the driveway. Alarmingly, the Houston police department isn't sure what the laptop is being used for, the Journal reports. A Fiat Chrysler official told the newspaper that the thieves in the Houston incident might be using tools that only dealers have access to, which would allow them to pair another key fob to the vehicle. While that explains how they got into the vehicle, it still doesn't explain how a laptop could be used to get the vehicle running – especially when automakers ( Fiat Chrysler, Tesla, and General Motors) have altered their cars' electronics to reduce hacking. Theft rates have dropped by 96 percent since 1990, according to The New York Times, but recent events show thieves are making their own advances, prompting increased cyber protection efforts from automakers, auto-parts suppliers, and the government. It will come into focus later this month when US Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx, Lyft CEO and co-founder Logan Green, and General Motors' chairman and CEO Mary Barra speak at a cybersecurity summit in Detroit. Related Video: News Source: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Wire, YouTube Jeep Technology SUV Off-Road Vehicles Videos viral video hacking thieves

Jeep Wrangler Scrambler pickup truck spy shots reveal top and lighting details

Several spy shots have come out that give us further insight into the new Jeep Wrangler Scrambler pickup truck. Among them are some photos of a prototype being driven near FCA test facilities. They show that the Wrangler will have LED headlights available similar to those on the SUV model, as well as the new Renegade revealed for Europe. They also show the taillights of the pickup, though they appear to be units from a previous-generation JK Wrangler. They're probably placeholders for the new model's lights. View 22 Photos These photos also include images of the truck's interior. The dashboard is a mash-up of old pieces, including a JK Wrangler dash, and a Chrysler-badged steering wheel. But the important part of these photos is that they show parts of a normal Wrangler SUV roll cage, and latches holding down roof panels. These are evidence that the production model will have a removable roof. Further evidence comes from photos taken by someone from the Jeep aftermarket part company Artec Industries was checking out the factory in Toledo, Ohio. The images were brought to our attention by Jeep Scrambler Forum, and they show an unfinished Wrangler pickup body sitting in the doorway to the painting facility. The photo is below, and it confirms a number of details. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This body has the same style of roll cage as those found on the SUV versions of the Wrangler. Specifically, it looks like a combination of the upright rear cage of the two-door, with the length of the Wrangler Unlimited's cage. In addition to confirming the removable top, the windshield also appears to fold down, too. Beyond the confirmation of the top and windshield features, the rest of the cab looks almost identical to any other 2019 Wrangler Unlimited. The fenders and hood are the same, down to the fender vents, as are the doors. The cab shows that there was clearly room for full-size doors, which would have been welcome from an access perspective, but that would naturally cost more than already developed parts, It also means that any aftermarket doors or door accessories created for the Unlimited will work with the Scrambler. We can also see that there's a small diagonal indent in the cab where part of the rear fender will fit. It also matches up with the line of the rear door.