The boxy and powerful Jeep sports utility vehicles have appealed to tough, adventure-seeking motorists with rather masculine exteriors for more than seven decades.
FCA Korea president Pablo Rosso talks to The Korea Herald at his office in Seoul. (Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald)
And despite the global trend for family-friendly and female-friendly SUVs, Jeep has no intention of changing its image, the U.S. carmaker’s Korea head told The Korea Herald.
“If I start selling Jeep as a family car, we would lose our personality, and believe me, we will lose sales,” Pablo Rosso, Korean market president at Fiat-Chrysler APAC, said in a recent interview.
“What people like about Jeep is that dream, that muscularity, that passion and authenticity of the dream of adventure. So that is the value that we stand for.”
And as a part of that authentic Jeep image, the company is highlighting its masculine and daring side with its newest compact SUV, the Renegade.
The boxier design creates a stark comparison to its predecessor Cherokee’s fluid and modern exterior, and is seen as a declaration from the carmaker of a retro direction.
Rosso thinks this masculine look appeals to women who defy norms and want powerful cars.
“I think the more masculine the car is, the more girls will buy it. Women’s taste in cars is moving toward masculinity and we are benefitting from that. They want to show the type of personality they have, that they like adventure even though they don’t like adventure,” Rosso said.
“Women are not how my mother was. In the past, there was a trend that a girl bought a small car with some nice colors and silhouette, you thought it was cute. But now women want to have a car that moves away from those norms. I see women in Italy who drive Alfa Romeo sports cars. They were buying a lot of sporty cars saying, ‘I am a woman, but I have got balls.’”
Rosso’s claim is proved by numbers: FCA Korea sold 2,454 Jeep vehicles between January and June, about a 40 percent jump from the same period of 2014. The Renegade has become a top seller with more than 300 orders a month since its September launch in Korea.
“An ultra-Jeep guy is an ultra-passionate guy about off-roading, and Jeep is the vehicle for living that passion. He or she may have features that could take him to the moon, though he will never go to the moon. That’s the person that is a lot like Jeep,” he said.
But outside the realms of the Jeep, FCA is also sparing some products for those who want more moderate vehicles.
The iconic Fiat500 ― often referred its Italian name of Cinquecento ― is scheduled to launch in November and its SUV version, the 500X, is set for next year launch.
Rosso was very confident about the prospects of the 500s, whose appearance gives it its “yoghurt pot” nickname.
“The Cinquecento is the Italy’s miracle, enabling the country to become among the G8 countries after the Second World War. The design won’t change too much, but some equipment will be added such as navigation,” he said.
“The Cinquecento is already selling good in Korea, about 50 every month. I think we are going all well.”
By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)
