Fiat to make a comeback with Renegade-like SUV

Fiat has been working on a new SUV that will be based on the Renegade. You heard this first on MotorOctane. There have been some reports that say Fiat’s Compass based SUV is coming to India. That doesn’t sound right to us.

A Fiat product for about Rs 20 lakhs will not be a good option to consider for many considering the Fiat brand image in India. This will leave it only to the enthusiasts only. That is because getting a Fiat product in India  Fiat has been struggling with sales, and it seems that the brand is looking at manufacturing the Fiat Renegade SUV. This will be Fiat’s comeback product for India. It will be based on the Renegade platform (which is the same like Punto Evo and Linea). It will compete with the Jeep Renegade.

Fiat will share the same platform with the Renegade, however there shall be some differences.

The design shall be all different, the interior styling and even the features on offer. it is a tad early to state what all will be offered exactly. But we have shortlisted the details to make it more easier to paint the picture.

Fiat Renegade SUV Engines

The same 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and the 1.5-litre multijet diesel engines will be powering the Fiat SUV as well. The petrol will churn about 130bhp of power and will come mated to a six-speed manual, while the diesel will churn about 120bhp and will also get the same manual. If things do not go well, then it will be the 1.3-litre multijet with 90 horses.

Fiat Renegade SUV Design

We reckon this SUV will look a lot more trendy and stylish. This will be based on the Fiat’s family look and it will be a good idea for them to try out this SUV for the Indian car market too. With regards to Fiat Compass SUV: It is our thought, that Fiat might just do well if it is a seven-seater, for the Indian car market. For the European market, it will be ideal to a five-seater SUV only. At the moment, Fiat might not be able to success with an SUV at this price point with its dipping numbers. Hence, Fiat will manufacture the Compass-based SUV in India, and it will be majorly for exports only.

The Renegade shares a lot with the Fiat, be it the platform and even the engines. Hence, it won’t be very difficult for Fiat to spin off another SUV on the same platform. This will be a sub 4-metre SUV for India and we reckon Jeep might have a bit longer one, which will go up against the Renault Duster and the Hyundai Creta.

Fiat Renegade SUV Price

This is where the difference will preveal. The Fiat Renegade SUV has to be cheaper than the Renegade. Also, as per their initial plan, Fiat has been due to manufacture a B-SUV for India. So, we reckon this will be priced at about ₹ 8 lakhs to ₹ 12 lakhs. This will be the come back product for Fiat into India.

Fiat Renegade SUV Launch Date in India

It is a tad early as there has been no official confirmation from Fiat on this. But from our understanding, this will be the first product that will help Fiat make an entry back into India, and will be a preferred option over the Aegea sedan and hatch.

Even if this new SUV isn’t launched in India, it will be launched in other car markets. This will help to enhance the sales for the company. India’s Ranjangaon is likely to be the exporter for Fiat from India. It won’t be coming anytime before 2020.

Fiat Renegade SUV competition

This will go up against the Ford Ecosport, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Honda WR-V and the Tata Nexon. These are the direct sub-compact SUVs for the Fiat SUV to compete with.

PS: Fiat Panda Cross images used for pictorial representation