2015 Renegade designed as a gateway vehicle for Jeep

The 2015 Renegade is expected to be a gateway vehicle for the Jeep brand, according to Chrysler's design chief.

Ralph Gilles, Chrysler senior vice president of product design, said that after buyers experience the small sport-utility vehicle, they'll keep coming back to the Jeep brand.

"People will keep coming back once they get a taste of this thing," he said Tuesday morning during the Detroit Regional Chamber's 2014 MICHauto Summit in Detroit.

Renegade production started in July at Fiat SpA's plant in Melfi, Italy. It is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms Oct. 1, according to Jeep spokesman Todd Goyer. The U.S. is expected to get its first Renegade models at the end of this year, followed by full inventories in early 2015.