Jeep’s plans for the future

Now that Jeep has an affordable product on offer, they will now focus on expanding its reach

Nearly a year back, the Jeep brand finally made its way into the Indian market. And when it did, Jeep took most enthusiasts by shock with the price announcement of the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee. The American SUV brand, however, seems to have nailed it with the new Compass. Launched at a starting price of Rs 14.95 lakh for the base petrol trim and Rs 20.65 lakh for the top-end diesel, the Compass offers a lot more than some of its competitors. Moreover, the pricing also ensures that the brand becomes accessible to a larger audience. And to do that, the company will have to expand its dealership network.

At the launch of the Compass yesterday, Jeep said that they already have 50 dealerships across the country and they plan to add another 10 to that count by the end of the year. Since the time the bookings for the Compass commenced last month, the compact SUV has received a phenomenal response. The Jeep Compass had already received 1000 bookings just three-days after it commenced. The company proudly announced that the car has now received more than 5,000 bookings. Deliveries of the diesel Compass are expected to begin next week but those who have booked the petrol will have to wait till Diwali to get their hands on the compact SUV.

Aside from their plans of dealership expansion, Jeep is also said to be considering the addition of another variant to the Compass range. As of now, the company only has the 1.4-litre petrol with the dual-clutch transmission or the 6-speed manual option. The 2.0-litre diesel motor, on the other hand, only comes with the 6-speed manual transmission. Of these options, Jeep says that diesel is easily the crowd favourite with more than 60 percent of the bookings in its favour. Meanwhile, the company is also expected to bring in a diesel automatic towards the beginning of 2018.

Jeep clearly wants to get it spot on with the new Compass. The SUV maker offers a 3 years / one lakh kilometres warranty on the Compass along with attractive extended warranty and service packages on offer.