FCA to roll out 2-3 more Jeep models locally from next year

FCA India, which had a runaway success with its sole locally made SUV Jeep Compass launched in July 2017 but has tapered off the momentum since then, is "very serious with its operations here" and will produce two-three models from the Ranjangaon facility near Pune, Maharashtra, from next year.

The American company will also shortly bring its iconic brand Wrangler Rubicon to the domestic market as early as this quarter, a top company official has said.

Playing on the pricing side and technology, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had launched its fully-locally made Jeep Compass in July 2017 with a starting price of Rs 14.95 lakh, and the vehicle became so popular that within 10 months, the company recovered its investment of USD 250 million from Jeep sales, a first for any foreign auto brand here and especially for an American brand as both their other US brands GM and Ford have failed miserably twice here.

Today, over 50,000 Jeep Compasses are plying on roads, while the company has also shipped as many as 17,000 units to around 15 key right-hand drive markets, including Britain, Japan and Australia.

"We are very serious with our operations here. We consider the current fall in the volume as a blip and we are very sure it will pass. The headquarters are very happy with us. We have had a huge success and are sure to repeat it again here," Datta told PTI in an interview.

On the need for more models, which is critical for the volume game, Datta said, "We fully understand to be more successful we need more models which, so far, we could not have. So, beginning next year, we will have more than two more Jeep models being rolled out from the Ranjangaon facility."
On bringing in Wrangler Rubicon, which will be priced upwards of Rs 72 lakh, he said, "The demand for the iconic Rubicon is so high that we are already sold out for months."