Iconic American utility vehicle manufacturer Jeep started its India sales with the launch Wrangler Unlimited and three variants of the Grand Cherokee on Tuesday. All the products are launched in CBU line, which means it is priced premium. However, the company also has plans to launch new SUVs for the mass market.
The emerging reports say Jeep is working on at least two new models that will be locally manufactured in India to take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra XUV500.
A report in ET says the upcoming Jeep SUV for C segment is internally codenamed 556, while the SUV for B segment is codenamed 526. The C segment SUV of Jeep is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and it will be pitted against the Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra XUV500. The launch of the SUV is expected in a year's time by i.e., by August 2017. The report also says that the first batch of C Jeep of 556 will be manufactured by the end of the year for testing purpose and full scale manufacturing in Ranjangaon plant will begin in the second half of 2017.
The B segment Jeep is expected to be a sub- 4 metre SUV that will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport. The B Jeep is likely to be extracted from the Renegade SUV, which Jeep is selling in the international market. The SUV will boast of many premium features and will be priced above the rivals to position it as a lifestyle offering in the segment.
