Jeep Renegade, Cherokee to get SRT treatment?

“I think if you look at Cherokee, there’s styling there, and even to some extent Renegade there’s opportunity for us to make sure there is a sport version available,” affirmed Jeep CEO Mike Manley in an interview with Australian website CarAdvice.

The Hemi-powered SRT model (pictured) is a surprisingly popular variant of the Grand Cherokee, the larger member of Jeep’s lineup, and Manley believes the global market for small, sporty SUVs is currently in full expansion. The Cherokee SRT could outsell its bigger sibling if it packs enough of a punch.

What would power the baby SRTs is up in the air. CarAdvice speculates the Cherokee could be fitted with a tweaked version of the Pentastar 3.2-liter V6 engine that currently makes 271 horsepower and 239 lb-ft. of torque in its standard state of tune. If that proves true, the Cherokee SRT could hit 60 mph from a stop in about six seconds.

Manley stressed neither model has been approved for production by parent company Chrysler’s top brass, and a time frame for when to expect more hot-rodded Jeeps was not given. The company is currently focusing the bulk of its resources on designing the next generation of the Wrangler, unquestionably its most iconic product, and a full-size seven-seater SUV tentatively called Grand Wagoneer.