The Willys Jeep MB is one of the most recognisable cars ever made, and now it’s going to return for the electric era. Xavier Peugeot, head of Jeep in Europe, told journalists at the Paris motor show 2026 that “the Willys Jeep is a key matter for the future. We will rely on our strong and iconic products, and we would like to strengthen our presence across all of the SUV segments.”

Jeep plans to launch a number of new models in the next few years, including a new Jeep Renegade that will arrive in 2027. The American brand is part of the Stellantis manufacturing group and – as with the other brands present at Paris 2026 – it was keen to show that it’s leaning into its heritage with the new models that are arriving over the next few years. 

What will the new, electric Willys Jeep be like?

Jeep’s boss was at pains to say that there were no formal details. “Give us some time, as we’re not confirming anything just yet, but we’ve got this iconic product and we believe that we can tick the boxes regards affordability, capacity and EV while remaining iconic.”

I think it’s early days for the electric Willys Jeep, judging by how little information Jeep could give us. But it’s no exaggeration to say that this car is an American icon. It played a key role in WW2, and has been cultural hero ever since, so Jeep will need to treat the re-imagining of the Willys Jeep very carefully. 

However, the image shown in the conference, and knowing how loved the original Willys Jeep is, I’d expect Jeep to keep this new model compact – maybe even keeping it to sub-4.0 metres long. I’d also hope that it would keep some of the more extrovert design features! The Willys actually had no doors at all, but it’d be great to have a modular body with removable roof and doors (rather like Jeep did with the Wrangler), so that you could drive the new, electric Willys Jeep with much of its bodywork removed – if you want to! 

I also expect that Jeep will offer it the Willys as a fully electric car, and probably as a plug-in hybrid, too. Naturally, it’ll be all-wheel drive, as Jeep already confirmed that all of its models will have 4x4 capability. 

And that’ll be crucial for a new Willys Jeep, as any fans of the original will know that it’s real strengths were in its durability, lightweight body and go-anywhere ability. Xavier Peugeot is clearly aware of that, as he confirmed that “People want Jeep to remain close to its roots, and we want to bring back our heritage models with appropriate technical answers on board.”

When will the electric Willys Jeep go on sale? 

Not even Jeep knows that, but it could even be 2030 before we see the production car. Despite its compact size, I wouldn’t be surprised if the reborn, electric Willys Jeep actually costs more than the current entry-level model – the Jeep Avenger (which will also be replaced by 2030). The Willys will no doubt have big style appeal and proper off-road ability, and boss, Xavier Peugeot, mentioned that “getting smaller doesn’t mean having less, it means beings smarter.” 

So expect the Willys to be compact, tough and electric, and likely quite affordable – but perhaps not the cheapest car in the Jeep lineup. Most importantly, it needs to somehow embody the spirit of the original. If it does that, it’s sure to be very, very cool. 

The Avenger is currently the smallest and most affordable Jeep in the range