Jeep has seen immense success in India, thanks to their Compass SUV. Launched in July 2017, over 25,000 units of this premium SUV have already been sold in India, making it the best selling luxury car in the country.
Averaging at more 2,000 unit sales per month, the FCA Group now has plans to launch two more UVs in India, this includes a sub 4 meter SUV and mid size 3 row SUV. Both cars will be made in India like the Compass, and will be launched by 2022.
Jeep’s sub 4 meter SUV will be positioned below Renegade in the premium B-SUV segment. It is not clear what platform it will be using, but reports suggest that it could be based on the Fiat Panda platform. Once launched, it will take on the likes of Ford EcoSport, Honda WR-V, Tata Nexon, Mahindra TUV300 and Vitara Brezza.
The new SUV will be the smallest Jeep ever to be launched. It will borrow Jeep’s DNA both where exterior design, performance and interior makeup is concerned and should be launched with both petrol and diesel powertrain options. 2WD as well as 4WD will be on offer.
Besides the compact Jeep SUV, the company has also confirmed a 3 row midsized Jeep UV in India which will be positioned above the present Compass in the company lineup. This 3 row SUV will compete against the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner and is likely to be priced between INR 25-30 lakhs. Also to be positioned above the Compass, the SUV will sit on a Jeep Grand Cherokee platform.
With these new launches in the offing, Jeep is also planning added investment into the company’s Ranjangaon facility while plant capacity will also be increased by 1.5 times over its current capacity. By 2022, Jeep also intends to introduce a facelifted Compass. It has also been confirmed that a Jeep Compass plug-in hybrid is in the works.
