They would have to do something about the name - much too slow-moving and herbivorous for American tastes - but the Panda could fill the bill for a small hatchback Chrysler has said it hopes to introduce in late 2010. It could also make it here, believe it or not, as a Jeep.
The four-wheel-drive version of the Panda could fill the bill as a Jeep-branded subcompact that Chrysler hopes to introduce in the U.S. in 2011. If so, it will be the smallest Jeep ever, almost three feet shorter than today's Jeep Compass crossover.
Unlike the Compass, which sells as strictly an on-road Jeep-like vehicle, Fiat touts the Panda 4x4 as the real off-road deal. This one probably won't be tackling serious boulder-strewn trails, though.
NEXT: Fiat Grande Punto
Last updated April 30 2009: 1:08 PM ET