Jeep Working On An SUV With Three Rows; Patent Drawings Reveal

American SUV manufacturer, Jeep, might be working on a new 3-row SUV. This comes from the fact that a few patent drawings were found in the database of Office for Harmonisation in Internal Market (OHIM), which is the official authority for intellectual property rights in the EU region. Earlier reports suggested that it is the Jeep Wagoneer in the making, but it is now believed that these patent drawings might be the Jeep Yuntu Concept, which was first showcased at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. It was the first ever Jeep SUV to have three rows of seats (of course, it was a concept).

(Jeep Yuntu Concept)

The Yuntu concept was basically meant for the Chinese market and is a plug-in hybrid as well. SUVs are one of the fastest growing vehicle segments in China and it was a show of intent from Jeep that the company is ready to cater to the demands of the Chinese market in particular. From the pictures, it can be seen that the Jeep Yuntu will not be an out-and-out off-roader as it has quite low approach and departure angles.

(Patent drawings of the Jeep Yuntu Concept)

Jeep hasn't confirmed whether it is actually working on bringing the Yuntu Concept to production, but since the patent drawings are already with the OHIM, we are guessing that it has stepped up work in this direction. If we compare the sketches and the pictures of the concept, the wheel arches, grille and the glass surface area are more or less similar. There are a few differences as well. The overhangs are longer in the patent drawings and a thicker C-pillar along with a slightly bigger tail-gate.

(Jeep Yuntu Concept: Rear)

A comparison of the two vehicles shows an almost identical design for the greenhouse and wheel arches. The design of the grille is also the same for both vehicles. Some internet reports suggest that if the Yuntu concept does make it to production, it will be specifically for the Chinese market.