Fiat to launch Jeep brand in Indian market this year

Fiat may finally be set to launch the Jeep brand in the Indian market this year after it missed the earlier scheduled 2013 launch, www.carwale.com reported. There were rumours at the time that Jeep launch might not happen at all. However, according to reports, the Jeep brand might make it to India this year with its two products - the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler.

It appears that 15 dealers had been appointed already and the products would be brought in through the CBU route. While the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee both come with an option of petrol engines, India might get only the diesel powered variants.

The Grand Cherokee would likely be powered by a 3.0-litre, V6 engine churning out 188bhp and 440Nm of torque coupled to an eight-speed ZF unit. The SUV which has a 119 mph (191kmph) top speed can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 8.2 seconds.

The Wrangler, if it was offered in the Sahara or the Overland trims, would be powered by a diesel engine whereas the Rubicon variant would get only a 3.6-litre V6 petrol mill. There was no confirmed news if the Wrangler would be offered in the two-door or four-door version. However, commentators expect the two-door model to reach India.

Meanwhile, www.rushlane.com reported that with the launches on the cards for 2015, the company planned to set up dealerships, which would be exclusive showrooms for Jeep. The following year the number of dealerships is expected to double.

Fiat India is also planning a big move, which would see the launch of their all-new premium global SUV, which would be made in India. Expected to be launched in 2017, the new SUV would be exclusively manufactured at Fiat India’s Ranjangaon plant in Pune. It would be from Ranjangaon that the SUV would be exported to markets abroad. To be priced in the range of Rs25-30 lakhs, the new Jeep SUV would be expected to have a production target of 60,000 units annually.