Jeep Compass deliveries to start from SUNDAY; diesel MT variants first

Jeep, the iconic American utility vehicle brand, has had a lacklustre start in India. After dropping the initial plan to enter the market in 2013, the company finally came to India in 2016. However, exorbitant pricing for Grand Cherokee and Wrangler unlimited saw a limited number of vehicles on the road.

FCA India, the parent company, realised the pitfall and decided to launch the Compass SUV. It has also decided to manufacture the vehicle in India. The decision has done the trick. Compass is priced from an eye-popping Rs 14.95 lakh to Rs 20.65 lakh ex-showroom, New Delhi. No wonder the new compact SUV has registered over 5,000 bookings already.

After the basics got right, Jeep India's next task is to deliver Compass on time. The deliveries of the new vehicle will commence from August 6. However, sales of all variants will not start on Sunday.

"Analysing our pre-bookings data, it made sense for us to prioritise the deliveries of diesel manual transmission variants. We will deliver the petrol automatic transmission variants closer to Diwali," said Kevin Flynn, the president and managing director of FCA India at the launch. He also added that the company is set to expand its dealer network to 60 by the end of this calendar year.

In addition, reports say that Jeep India is planning to launch Compass' diesel automatic version when the initial excitement is over. The diesel automatic will be pricier than the current top variant priced at Rs 20.65 lakh and launch is expected in the beginning of 2018.

Jeep offers Compass in both petrol and diesel mills. The 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel mil develops 170.6bhp and 350Nm of torque mated to a six-speed manual transmission. On the other hand, the 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo petrol belts out 1,597bhp and 250Nm of torque. A six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic are offered with the petrol mill.