Considering India’s love for SUVs , the American 4×4 maker, Jeep, will announce its plans for India. The Chrysler-owned marque who faces tough times back home, is looking East in a big way.
Jeep plays host to 5 models – The Patriot (approx. Rs 18 lakh), Compass (Rs 22 lakh), Liberty (Rs 26 lakh), and the flagships- Wrangler Unlimited(Rs 30-32 lakh) and the Grand Cherokee (approx. Rs 40 lakhs). Without much doubt, Jeep will start its Indian innings with its flagship models, given that the Wrangler is highly acclaimed for its off road prowess while the Grand Cherokee offers a blend of excellent off road behavior along with its good on-road dynamics. But the Patriot with its more attractive price is something, we feel, jeep should consider too.
A little more than a decade ago, there were rumours of Mahindra bringing in the Jeep’s Grand Cherokee as a direct import, but things never materialized. Now, we’re hearing that Fiat India is planning on bringing the Jeep brand of SUVs to India. They are expected to be sold through the independent dealerships, which the Italian brand has been establishing across the country, following its decision to exit the Tata-Fiat joint dealership and distribution alliance. The joint venture between Fiat and Tata Motors could be reduced to just engine manufacturing as the Indian auto maker has planned to moved production of the Manza sedan out of Tata-Fiat JV plant in Ranjangaon to its fully-owned factory in Pimpri, Pune where other Tata models are manufactured. The servicing of Fiat cars at Tata-authorized workshops will be discontinued from next year.
Mr. Mike Manley – President and CEO of Jeep, along with Mr. Enrico Atansio – MD of Fiat, will share the future plans for the Indian Market on 6th of December. Fiat will be getting a new lift in the Indian market after struggling for the last 10 years.
