Jeep debuts in India with Wrangler and Grand Cherokee

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles today unveiled the much-awaited Jeep brand at the 2016 Auto Expo in New Delhi.

With a line-up of three SUVs – Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the high-performance Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT – Jeep brand sales in India will start in mid-2016, a year that also marks the brand’s 75th anniversary.

“Our aggressive expansion in international markets is one of the key drivers behind our current global sales momentum,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand, FCA, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Asia Pacific (APAC) Regional Operations Group. “Last year, we started local production in Brazil and China, and today, we are launching the Jeep brand in the fifth largest market in the world, India, setting the foundation for our future growth in this country.”

The Jeep brand arrives in India at a time of record sales and continued expansion into markets outside its North American home. Jeep recorded sales of more than 1.2 million units worldwide in 2015 – the highest total in its 75-year history – setting a global sales record for the fourth consecutive year.

FCA announced last year its intent to invest approximately $280 million in its manufacturing joint venture, Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited, with Tata Motors Limited. The investment in the manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon, India, will support the production of a new Jeep vehicle and is expected to begin production in 2017.

“Jeep has been one of the most awaited SUV brands in India and it is entering this important market the same year that it celebrates its 75th anniversary.  The SUV segment witnessed a robust growth of 22 percent over the last five years in India and we expect it to grow exponentially in the future, creating the perfect environment for the legendary Jeep brand” said Kevin Flynn, President and Managing Director, FCA India Automobiles.

“The Jeep line-up, including the ruggedly stylish Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, the mighty Jeep Grand Cherokee and the furiously fast Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, will be initially brought to Indian shores via the complete built up (CBU) route,” he added. “Starting today, it will be our constant effort to leverage Jeep’s global leadership position as a brand and full product line-up here in India and local assembly of an all-new Jeep vehicle will commence at our Ranjangaon plant in 2017.”

Both the Grand Cherokee Limited and Summit are powered with a 3.0L CRD Turbo V6 Diesel engine generating an exhilarating power of 240 HP and 570 NM of torque. The Grand Cherokee Limited is equipped with Quadra Trac II and the Grand Cherokee Summit gets the Quadra Drive II traction control which makes the cars capable of delivering legendary 4x4 performance and experience.

The Grand Cherokee SRT bears a 6.4L 470-hp HEMI V8 engine that feeds a Quadra-Trac Active On-Demand 4WD system. An eight-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters helps drivers go full throttle on the track, to reach a hair-raising top speed of 258 kmph. The Launch Control button optimizes every possible setting for maximum acceleration off the line.

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited comes with a 2.8L CRD Turbo Diesel DOHC I-4 engine powering the wheels through a 5-speed automatic transmission. It’s capable of tackling rough off-road terrain with its Command-Trac Shift-On-The-Fly 4WD along with Hill Start Assist (HAS) and Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM). The Wrangler Unlimited will be ‘Trail-rated’. The Trail Rated badge on Jeep 4x4s represents a series of gruelling tests that prove its off-road capability on some of the toughest trails on the planet.

Jeep vehicles will arrive in the Indian market in the second half of 2016.