American utility vehicle maker Jeep had a bumpy start in India. The iconic brand started its India innings with the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler models, priced north of Rs 70 lakh. The expensive package saw Jeep SUVs become a rarity on Indian roads.
Realising this, Jeep launched the Compass — it's Made in India SUV — in July 2017 at an aggressive price starting at Rs 14.95 lakh. The strategy paid off for the company and sales skyrocketed.
The latest sales data indicates Jeep Compass continues its dominance in its class. FCA (parent of Jeep) has sold 2,750 units of the Compass while Mahindra & Mahindra has sold 1,419 units of the XUV500, reported Indian Autos Blog. Hyundai Tucson, on the other hand, managed to find only 156 takers, which is just about 5 percent of the Compass' sales, the report added.
This is the second straight month of the Compass outselling its rivals. In November 2017, Jeep India dispatched 2,828 units of the Compass while Mahindra & Mahindra managed to sell 1,229 units of the XUV500, reports Cartoq. Tata Motors rolled out 764 units of the Hexa while Hyundai managed to sell only 261 units of the Tucson that moth, the reports added.
By mid-December 2017, Jeep India had sold over 10,000 units of the Compass. It had sold a whopping 5,106 units of the Compass in India in its first two months alone.
Riding on the Compass' sales, FCA captured 1.16 percent of the market share in the UV segment in the first half of the fiscal (April-September 2017).
The Compass range now starts at Rs 15.16 lakh for the petrol Sport variant and goes all the way up to Rs 21.91 lakh for the top-of-the-line diesel Limited 4x4 (O) variant, ex-showroom Delhi.
Jeep Compass petrol models are powered by a 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo engine that belts out 160bhp and 250Nm of torque. Six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission are offered with the petrol mill.
The 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel mill develops 170.6bhp and 350Nm of torque mated to six-speed manual transmission.
