Photos courtesy of autoevolution.com

You can’t keep anything under wraps for too long in today’s digital world. Case it point: Jeep’s newest vehicle, said to soon be possibly dubbed “Jeepster,” was found recently in Italy by a source working for Autoblog.

The source states that the vehicle, a boxy (at least if you assume the disguise here is somewhat accurate) design based on Fiat’s “Small” chassis, was spotted leaving one of Fiat’s test facilities encased, as you see here, in some expected black material to hide its finer features. It remained around the area just long enough for the paparazzi to get some good snapshots.

Up close and personal, the pictures give us an inside look at what Jeep is plotting to unleash upon the world in the near future. And if there’s any doubt that this vehicle is not a Jeep, it’s removed once we see the crudely taped-over company logo emblazoned on the steering wheel.

Curse that black tape! How will we ever know who made this thing?!

Rumors tell us that the new model is expected to offer an engine some would consider less than capable, at least off-road, that is. In the case of this dinky Jeep, it will likely be the 2.4L or 2.0L Tigershark inline fours, with Fiat’s own turbocharged 1.4L rounding out the options.

Smaller than a Patriot, yet larger than the Fiat 500, this odd design direction hearkens us here at Off Road Xtreme to the likes of the Suzuki Samurai or even Jeep’s own much-maligned Compass. We’re doubtful this pipsqueak of an SUV can handle its own when the going gets rough, but who knows; maybe there’s more spunk and spirit to this underdog than we’re giving it credit for.

What do you think? Could this 500L-based Jeepster be hiding something badass under all that cladding? Or is it a Fiat farce not to be reckoned with? Share your comments below.

Bonus round: check out these pics below, comparing the latest pics of the possible “Laredo” from Carbuzz to the Latitude. Could these be two peas in the same, tiny Jeep pod?