Jeep is launching a direct rival to Nissan’s Juke in a move the brand hopes will help treble sales within three years. The Jeep Renegade will launch into the hotly-contested compact crossover market in the first quarter of 2015.

It is expected to be a major volume seller, with Jeep looking to increase its 2013 UK sales figures of just 2,200 cars to over 6,000 before the end of 2016.

This ambitious growth programme comes just two years after Jeep considered quitting the UK after almost half its network served notice on the franchise. In June 2012 23 dealers decided they were losing too much money to continue with Jeep, leaving the remaining 31 outlets covering only 58% of the brand’s targeted UK markets. Steve Zanlunghi, UK chief executive and managing director of Jeep’s now parent group Fiat, admitted that at that point the brand was not viable in the UK and one alternative was to pull out.

“The other option was an action plan to find a vehicle to rally round, to build the Jeep brand back up and get dealers profitable; we’ve done it in last two years”. The vehicle was the refreshed Grand Cherokee, which arrived last year, followed in June by an all-new Jeep Cherokee. Zanlunghi said the brand had lost a grand total of 28 dealers but gained 35.

He confirmed 13 will be appointed by the end of the year, many of them Alfa Romeo outlets that had planned showrooms around promised new models. Jeep recently discontinued the Patriot and sales of the Compass will end at the end of 2014.

The arrival of the Renegade will be followed in 2016 by a C-segment SUV designed to rival Range Rover’s Evoque, an all-new Grand Cherokee in 2017 and in 2018 the Grand Wagoneer, described as a seven-seat Jeep.

original Story Taken from motor trader News –http://www.motortrader.com/latest-news/jeep-launch-juke-competitor/