[shankar.balan]

As a continuation to that youtube video and how the Jeep frontal visual looks,
take a quick view of the cute little Jeepster...merely a scale model toy of course but a lovely little beast all the same....

[reddevilgautam]

Will this be under 4 meters or the same length as of Jeep renegade?

[wilful]

Looks like we have to wait a year or two longer than originally expected. 2018 or 2019 is what is being talked of now.
http://m.carandbike.com/news/jeep-de...ome-topstories

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by wilful

Looks like we have to wait a year or two longer than originally expected. 2018 or 2019 is what is being talked of now.

With FY2017 being taken up by the Compass, which will be the first ever "made in India" Jeep as announced recently (link), development work for the "smallest Jeep ever" won't kick off before 2018, that too internationally.

For India, I don't expect it before 2019.

[shankar.balan]

A link here to an article from Carwale.
Worth looking forward to I guess.

http://www.carwale.com/m/news/jeep-p...t-rival-25196/

[wilful]

A Jeep with all that kit and the AWD to boot at around the Ecosport price levels seems a tad optimistic. I think when they eventually launch this little one here in 2018 or 19 or whatever, they would be tempted to position it as a premium CSUV and price it a good 30 to 40% higher than the Ecosport at the very least. However, by then there would be more competition, I'm thinking.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by wilful

A Jeep with all that kit and the AWD to boot at around the Ecosport price levels seems a tad optimistic. I think when they eventually launch this little one here in 2018 or 19 or whatever, they would be tempted to position it as a premium CSUV and price it a good 30 to 40% higher than the Ecosport at the very least. However, by then there would be more competition, I'm thinking.

I would think so too. It will certainly command a premium over all these present crop of Quasi 2WD SUV type things and Crossovers.

However, with the relative value of the rupee dropping regularly and the increasing absolute number when it comes to the general "monthly earnings" figures, there will be a certain number of takers for this, for sure.

Just think back - today, not many people even bat an eyelid when they are thinking of a Rs 10 Lac car. I know that I used to bat my eyelids many times when I was considering a 7-8 lacs rupee car even a dozen years ago.

Same with Phones - today no one, but no one seems to give a toot about the frightful prices for a smartphone- amounts like 50K or 75K are bandied about with abandon. Yet, as late as say 2004, I used to consider a Rs 15K phone as a very expensive phone!

Hence, even if this little Jeep were to leap out of the Magic Box at Rs 15-17 lacs, I am pretty sure there will be lots of takers for it. More so, given this propensity for SUV/CUV type vehicles that seems to be prevalent in the world at large right now.

The trick for any manufacturer is to be "in line" with the market or "market relevant" rather than be either "early or late to the market" with their offerings.
Jeep therefore, may be just in time...

[RavenAvi]

Rush Lane has more info on the Jeep MG/526:

An entry level mini SUV which is presently known as the Jeep Junior is being readied by FCA for a world premiere towards the end of 2017. This new model, just like the recently unveiled Jeep Compass, will be built at the automaker’s Betim plant, as well as the Pune plant.

FCA has already specified the cost targets to its vendors and the design of the Junior has already been finalized. People who have had the chance to look at the final design reportedly described the car as ‘beautiful’.

Testing too has commenced, but it is under the skin of Renegade. Once launched, this new compact Jeep will sit under the Renegade and will become the most affordable Jeep.

Likely to be based on the same platform as the next-gen Punto (codenamed X6H), the Jeep Junior would be smaller than the already compact Renegade crossover. Keeping up with the American SUV specialist’s tradition, we expect the Junior to adopt a boxy styling. The interiors would be offering enough space to accommodate at least 4 passengers.

[RavenAvi]

It's official - Jeep has revealed that it is planning a sub-10 lakh rupee global offroader, at the ongoing Los Angeles Motor Show.

The mini sub-4m SUV will be the smallest in the Jeep lineup, but will be positioned on top of the Ford EcoSport.

India could be a global manufacturing hub for catering to right-hand drive markets for this mini-SUV, which is still at the sketching stages.

Mike Manley, head of the Jeep brand, which is part of the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) stable, said India is one of the “most critical” markets for the company as it looks at a greater and stronger push into emerging countries, including Brazil and China.

The mini SUV, which is still in the drawing stage, will be the smallest in the company’s line-up and India could be a global manufacturing hub for right-hand drive markets.

The country is expected to take a lead as Jeep is targeting a sub four-metre version, which attracts lower excise tax and thus can be priced more aggressively.

Manley said at the Los Angeles Motor Show that the vehicle will be positioned “on top of the Eco Sport” and will be “very close” to the Ford vehicle.

ET Auto

[VKumar]

Got to read this in TOI Meerut edition today. Amazingly couldn't find this specific piece of news in TOI e-paper when searched on web.

What interests me is that engine and transmission partnership to be done with Tata motors. Can we expect the Nexon to sport something interesting or the new Jeep and Nexon both sporting same set of engines + gearbox combo.

[Contrapunto]

I think sub 10 lakhs ex-factory price (for a true SUV) is a very difficult target to meet, unless you compromise of quality, safety or both. This is especially true for a low volume manufacturer like Fiat, and I doubt if even large export potential will give it the economies of scale to drive down costs to that degree.

A "hatch on steroids" type model may be feasible, but that will be an insult to Jeep's DNA and legacy.

[desdemona]

Agreed: it will be a bit over-10-lakhs.

However: JEEP dna includes 4x2 models BUT what is indeed non-negotiable would be build solidity (the Fiat Punto/Avventura platform whose lightened AND strengthened+lwb version it will be on, has that already) as well as torquey engines and long-travel suspension (good ride-handling balance, good chassis rigidity) with high gc and short overhangs.

The current Punto/Avventura platform has these attributes in spades (by Indian market standards), and the same one in evolved form will be deployed, which of course means the same localized engines, esp the mjd, too, as well as use of the same tooling/assembly-lines and many components of the current Punto/Avventura/Linea. Then there are scale economies from exports, and from sharing of a lot with sibling Tata vehicles (Vista? Zest? Bolt? or their successors)

THAT should be enough to hit the around-10-lakhs (in today's money! ;-)) mark, without violating the Jeep 'dna'. The 4x4 version (say with the Panda Cross' 4x4 and traction control system) would presumably be well above the 10L mark?

Naturally 5 star euro ncap (like the Renegade or 500X) is out of the question, but like the Punto it ought to be safer-than-the-rest (equal to the Ecosport?) 5 star Latin ncap perhaps, given that it is on a Brazilian 'platform'/architecture ('new Punto'=x6h/'new Grand Sienna'=x6s)?

[bharath79]

Originally Posted by Contrapunto

I think sub 10 lakhs ex-factory price (for a true SUV) is a very difficult target to meet, unless you compromise of quality, safety or both. This is especially true for a low volume manufacturer like Fiat, and I doubt if even large export potential will give it the economies of scale to drive down costs to that degree.

A "hatch on steroids" type model may be feasible, but that will be an insult to Jeep's DNA and legacy.

Why is it not possible for JEEP to come out with a Duster like product priced around 15 lakhs OTR with reasonable safety and reliability?

and 15 lakhs may probably just be 5 Lakhs short of the C-SUV base variant?

Well lets find out by 2018...

Regards
Bharath

[Contrapunto]

Originally Posted by bharath79

Why is it not possible for JEEP to come out with a Duster like product priced around 15 lakhs OTR with reasonable safety and reliability?

and 15 lakhs may probably just be 5 Lakhs short of the C-SUV base variant?

Well lets find out by 2018...

Regards
Bharath

That would be very good news indeed, but I am not optimistic. Renault hit a sweet spot in terms of product and pricing. I would love to see Jeep there, but I am not optimistic .

[motorworks]

And why should we expect Jeep to price their cars cheap? The market is in a different direction now. Even if Jeep were to build a Creta or Duster equivalent then please remember that these cars cost between 12-17 lakhs OTR now with the base variants hardly carrying any features. So if Jeep can get the compass to the Tucson territory and the new Compact SUV to be under 17 lakhs OTR I would say it would be very good, of course the pricing only works if it's a genuinely good product and not some souped up punto.