Jeep to start its Indian innings with 15 dealerships - Report

01/01/2015 - 15:07 Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Paranjay Dutt

Wrangler and Grand Cherokee to be made available via CBU route.

Jeep's earlier expected India arrival in 2013 might have been pushed to 2015, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is now ready with the products and plans for setting up shop for the brand. According to NDTV, the American car maker will get 15 dealerships to start with in 2015, but the number is expected to double the following year.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X front at the Paris Motor Show 2014 — Jeep will bring the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee to India via the CBU route. Picture of the SRT version used for representative purposes only.

The line up of products is the same as before: the high end Grand Cherokee SUV and the rugged Wrangler. Both of these will be brought via the CBU (Completely Built-up Unit) route, so expect the international specification (and trims), but high import duties as well.

According to the report, the Grand Cherokee is expected to be priced at around INR 55 lakh. The vehicle has three engine choices in the global market which includes a 3-litre V6 EcoDiesel (important in the Indian context), a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol, and a 5.7-litre HEMI V8 petrol. An 8-speed ZF gearbox is also available on the vehicle and so is Jeep's Quadra-Drive 4WD system.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Red Vapor at the 2014 Paris Motor Show — The Grand Cherokee is available in a total of three engine options, with an 8-speed gearbox to boot. Picture of the SRT version used for representative purposes only.

Also read: 2018 Jeep Wrangler to get an 8-speed automatic gearbox

While the Renegade was ruled out for India, an earlier report suggests that Fiat India will manufacture a C-segment Jeep SUV, with production expected to begin in late 2016. The vehicle will be launched in 2016, and will replace the Compass and the Patriot globally.

[Source - NDTV]