Fashion
The Jeep Compass was a game changer when it first arrived in 2017 and helped the Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) cement the Jeep brand in the premium segment. Now, a report suggests that the American automaker is looking to further capitalize on the success of the Compass and is in working on a seven-seater version for the Indian market. A report states that the head honchos at FCA have approved a new top-of-the-line SUV under the Jeep brand that will hit the market by 2020-21. The new Compass-based seven-seater SUV will take on the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Skoda Kodiaq, Honda CR-V and the likes, when it goes on sale.
Interestingly, Jeep’s plans to produce a seven-seater SUV for India aren’t new. However, the report states that the project was given the green light only now. The Jeep Grand Compass, as it is touted to be called, will get a proper 4×4 drivetrain and will be based on the all-new Compass that is in the works for 2020. The model will be produced at the automaker’s facility in Ranjangaon, near Pune and is likely to hit the market by the second half of next year or by early 2021.
The new Jeep Grand Compass will help the American establish itself in the premium end of the SUV space, and solidify its position in the overall SUV space. The seven-seater SUV will be followed up with the more affordable subcompact offering in Jeep India’s stable that will hit the market in the following years. FCA said that the company had no comments at the moment on the same.
It will be safe to say that the upcoming Jeep seven-seater SUV will retain the automaker’s DNA at its core, complete with the brand’s off-roading capabilities and premium positioning. Expect to see a host of new tech and features from the company’s global stable. Engine options are unclear at the moment, but Jeep is likely to offer both petrol and diesel versions. The 2.0-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel could be used on the new model too, albeit with higher power output.
Meanwhile, Jeep India is currently in the process of upgrading the Compass to the BS6 regulations. The newly launched Compass Trailhawk already gets a BS6 ready engine, and other variants of the SUV will meet the new norms soon. The automaker is also likely to introduce the diesel automatic version of the Compass towards the end of this year or probably in the first half of 2020.
