7-seater Jeep Compass SUV in the making; Does it hold water in India?

With Compass, Jeep cannot go wrong in India. It was a 'do or die' game for the Jeep brand which had a lacklustre start in the country last year. Moreover, the existence of parent company FCA would have been doubtful if Compass had failed to woo the consumers.

With a pricing that starts at Rs 14.95 ex-showroom Delhi, the Compass has become the talk of the automobile industry. With over 5,000 bookings, the compact SUV gave the much-needed reboot to FCA. Building on the success of Compass, the American brand is gearing up to launch the next SUV reportedly the Renegade SUV under Rs 10 lakh. But that is not the end of the story.

A seven-seater Compass is under development in China, reports Autocar Professional. The model is due to enter the neighbouring country in 2018 following its debut later this year. In China, adults usually sit in the third row of seats in the car unlike in India where usually it is the kids who occupy that space. Hence, the third row is designed to be spacious and offer good seating position, as per reports.

Will it be launched in India? There's no official comment from FCA or Jeep India on the arrival of the seven-seater Compass. However, it needs to be noted that there is a huge gap between Compass and Wrangler Unlimited Petrol. The top-spec Compass is priced at Rs 20.65 lakh while Wrangler Unlimited Petrol costs Rs 56 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. Hence, the launch of 7-seater Compass to rival Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour will be an ideal addition to Jeep's fleet. It will also help Jeep to cement itself as a prominent player in the SUV space.

Source: Autocar Professional