2011 Jeep Phoenix, the Fiat Panda for the US

With the Fiat-Chrysler alliance already a done deal, the questions on everybody's mind is what Fiats will take to the US and, for that matter, how a Chrysler vehicle based on Italian technology would look like.

The 2011 Jeep Phoenix is, as you can see, a mix of the good old Fiat Panda and the American Jeep. Actually, more a Panda than a Jeep, but a car for the US nevertheless. The story about the Panda/Jeep broke thanks to a report by hubpages.com and, even if not confirmed by the two manufacturers, it may be the right approach for the Fiat US offensive.

The pictures you see are obviously renderings of the future vehicle. Based on the Panda Cross 4x4, the renderings even come with some technical specs. For the fun of it, we could have told you about the performances of the Phoenix but what purpose would this serve, given that the car does not exist?

As the source says, the Phoenix was just an exercise meant to prove how easy it would be to convert a Fiat into an US branded vehicle. We agree with them but we can't help reminding that the main focus of the US manufacturer is to bring to the country technologies it now doesn't have, and not simply rebadge and restyle Fiat vehicles.

The official vehicles Fiat will bring to the US are the Fiat 500, the Alfa Romeo MiTo and the Milano 940. In addition, Fiat would give Chrysler access to its 3.0l diesel engine and 1.4l gas engine technology, "critical pieces for Chrysler to meet the new fuel economy standards."

As for the Phoenix, it is a nice idea. But we reckon some time will pass before we can see an Italian-American mix, in terms of design at least.