Revealed! The 2011 Jeep Phoenix 4x4, a remarkable 1.3 litre, 5 door, four wheel drive mini-Jeep that is going to take the North American market by storm, while still getting almost 59 mpg!
Based on the Fiat Panda Cross 4x4, the Jeep Phoenix is simply rebadged, but completely suited to North American offroad conditions. It is also an exceptional city car that gets far higher mpg than any hybrid on the market, including the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. And all that with a conventional gasoline engine with no hybrid technology anywhere!
The new Jeep is very aptly named Phoenix as it is the type of vehicle that will allow Jeep to arise magically from the ashes of the devastated Chrysler. Just days away from what may be the last days of Chrysler, it is important to note that there are virtually no scenarios that allow for the Jeep brand to disappear from the face of the Earth. For many years, Jeep has been the most powerful brand in the Chrysler lineup and it is effectively inconceivable that Jeep will not continue in one way or another even in the death throes of Chrysler: Perhaps as a standalone brand, or maybe as a brand belonging to another major automotive manufacturer.
The Panda / Phoenix 4x4 is definitely the way of the future for Jeep. It's a small, incredibly economical and thrifty car that can go anywhere. Yes, its barely 1.3 litre engine would make it the smallest displacement automobile currently sold in the USA with only the Smart Car having a tinier engine, but the Panda / Phoenix delivers. It can very comfortably cruise at highway speeds and the powerplant contains enough grunt to take the little mini-Jeep up frighteningly steep inclines.
With an innovative four wheel drive system which is engaged by viscous coupling with two Electronic Locking Differentials that cut in below 20 mph to brake wheels that find themselves without grip and slipping and proceed to transfer torque to the other wheels, the Panda / Phoenix 4x4 can handle anything the street or the dirt can throw at it.