[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by amit1agrawal

Bang on! You have brought out the differences so clearly and why Compass deserves a segment higher than Creta.

The other way of reading that is that Creta should be having most if not all of these things. That is the entire point. Creta is overpriced and under-equipped. And it still does massive volumes.

Jeep can never match the brand equity of the Creta that has now been cemented by years of success. It has to play the disruptive game. And it easily can. All it has to do is price the vehicle fairly for what it is worth and what it costs to make. You have to build from a base. You cant just dive into a pool and start challenging Michael Phelps right from Day 1.

Buyers as it is are just not willing to look beyond the handful of established products. "Shock" pricing is necessary, otherwise it will start slow and die a painful death. Other point is that a majority of cars sold in the premium segment are the upper/top models. The strategy of having a basic stripped down variant as a low entry point will not work. Just ask the Hexa. Even the Innova Crysta sells mainly in the high end V or Z models. Jeep has to offer good equipment and good prices for the mid and top spec variants.

[kartavya]

I still don't understand why people on here are even comparing Creta and Compass. It is Compass and Tucson which go head on head.

[amit1agrawal]

Jeep is definitely trying to undercut and introduce Compass at "Shock" pricing. However, it's undercutting likes of Tuscon and not Creta. Creta is one segment lower. Even after big difference so clearly pointed out earlier, I fail to understand why people are comparing it with Creta.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

The other way of reading that is that Creta should be having most if not all of these things.
=====
Even the Innova Crysta sells mainly in the high end V or Z models. Jeep has to offer good equipment and good prices for the mid and top spec variants.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

Discussion summed up

Haha.. Very nice. But if you are from FCA and reading this, it's not going to be funny as they must be wondering if they should sell the car at all.

If there are 10 reasons not to buy a car or a particular brand, then please don't. Why are we wasting our time talking about the price at all. After all, even if that price it at 12L, people will say, for peace of mind I will buy a Creta.

[PM - B]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

Discussion summed up

Guy1 : Compass pricing starting at 16L is Superb Pricing.
Guy2 : No Way! They need to Target Creta.
.
.

.
Guy2 : Well let FCA go ahead and pit it against Tuscon and Fail.
Guy1 : But you just said you want them to Succeed.
Guy2 : Yes. But at Creta Price. Not a penny more
Guy1 : Well!

Unfortunately limited to two emoticons !!
@ RaghuVis - Lovely summation

You just cant do enough to please today !

Anyway - IMO - The product prima facie - without the Official Team BHP Review - appears to be very good - Again - additional features - I would have liked would be 190 HP, 400 Nm Torque - State of Tune - at least in the Limited (O) edition and no dummy buttons.

If I had the money - I would go for one in Hip Hop Black

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by samyakmodi

And I would like to remind everyone here again, Jeep enjoys a huge advantage with 85%+ local sourcing - making the acquisition of parts cheaper by atleast 40-60% - which would simply mean the production cost coming down close to 40%

It is more like 6x% for now with localisation, and not 85%.

Originally Posted by civic-sense

This is going to be FIAT's second innings, and if they have to get it right this time, they have to price it well. No matter what the size is, how heavy it is and how much profit they want to make per car, they have to price it well. Tuscon territory will not bring volumes, so a price point slightly above the Creta is what they should be looking at. There is a big vacuum there at the moment, and it is up to FIAT to tap into it.

This is the heart of the matter, if they are looking at retaining volume sales after the initial hype. As much as they want to keep Jeep and Fiat separate, at the end of the day most people will identify it as a Fiat car.

Originally Posted by prakash_ajp

After all, even if that price it at 12L, people will say, for peace of mind I will buy a Creta.

And this is the uniqueness of our Indian market which manufacturers are struggling to crack! But then there has been an Ecospsort which launched with a bang and managed to rake in decent numbers till the competition rode in on indian purchase psyche puzzle lol

[nainan]

In India initial pricing, good service and good equipment list matters till volume and perception are built. Then prices can be slowly moved upwards. This is the logic that worked for anything from the i20 to the Fortuner and even the Innova. These started off at much lower pricing but with good credentials and built upon it over the years. I personally think that our SUVs are overpriced mostly for what they offer the Fortuner the most ridiculously overpriced. The Endeavour did Hara Kiri by following an established Fortuner pricing. Coming to jeep while I do agree that its much better than the overpriced Creta the average buyer will not appreciate that. Its better to price low early that do a Palio where you price it premium and then reduce prices which most perceive as a low selling car characteristic. FCA needs to wake up to Indian market strategy and ensure it trains enough service personnel and has enough stocked spares unlike the Fiat brand where half their own service personnel could not make head or tail of issues and you literally had to sort and sift through service centres till a intutive mechanic was found. Its no use bringing advanced cars in India without the corresponding service network. It is absolutely disheartening to see such cool technology being crudely examined by someone with no idea.

[CliffHanger]

Some interesting discussion in this thread and some good points too.

But let me take a Realist view for Jeep to succeed in India. The reason I'm making this post is I do not want India to be full of manufacturers making affordable tin cans on wheels for the next decades. We need to have brands like Jeep which bring in solid engineering and novelty to keep the passion in us ignited.

First up, FCA has to remember India is a very lucrative market - provided they strategize on case-by-case basis; meaning - not looking at Renault Duster's success or GM's exit to devise strategies. In the recent years, Indian automobile market has been very ruthless to newcomers predominantly. Even the established players such as Mahindra were totally ignored in the two wheeler market. As someone said, most just see the badge that is many on roads and go buy the same -- Board room meetings do not discuss this line.

Now let me get on to what Jeep has to do:

- We all agree the Compass comes up with solid engineering and attention to detail(I just love all those small small detailing, that's what passion is all about). So thanks to Jeep for bringing it to India and making India a hub for global exports.

- Applause first up for excellent marketing so far - All those full page newspaper advertorials, Shopping mall displays, etc. really show intent and the hunger to succeed.

- Jeep shouldn't get carried away with the good buzz they have generated. People talking cheerfully about the product doesn't mean people are going to buy the product. Pricing is KEY!. I repeat, "PRICING IS KEY". Yes, Creta is overpriced by at least 2 lakhs for what it has to offer. But Creta carries the Hyundai badge which is a household name in India when it comes to cars. So, no point lining up the Compass against the Creta, Tucson, and saying, "Hey, this car is so mediocre to ours and blah blah." There is no comparison here at all.

- Let's get this straight. Every manufacturer needs good numbers. There is no two ways about it. Dealers have to have numbers to keep the businesses going with the ever increasing Infrastructure costs and Real-estate costs. People have to buy the compass in big numbers for the next 6-8 months for the brand to have a good entry. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. Undercut the Creta Topspec by Compass Lowspec by at least 1.5 - 2 Lakhs. For people considering Creta or XUV 5oo, Compass should be a very serious proportion and tempting. Price should negate their doubts on brand name. Even better pricing will only make the business easier. FCA is one of the few profitable automobile enterprises in India. That is a great position to be in and FCA should use it to their advantage by going minuscule profit or no profit or loss with the Compass till it gets established. It might be risky or sound unwise, but as I said India is a very lucrative market and can be very rewarding if you do the business right, and Jeep should look into the long term along with other products if they want to stay. Compass can only just pave the way, but Jeep needs more products for growth and consolidation. They already have the Renegade, so they have the right armory for that too.

- Set your logistics right. If that means a cut on exports, so be it . Not more than 2-3 weeks for delivery once the order is received. Long waiting periods and you will be forgotten.

- Set your service centers right. Courteous service personals with problems properly attended to with periodic communication. Focus not on meeting customer expectation but on customer delight.

- Continue aggressive marketing.

- And work on bringing the Renegade as early as possible. Don't expect the Compass to be one trick wonder.

I know FCA will read this, and I'm hopeful they will go in this direction starting with pricing.

Here is wishing JEEP the best in their Endeavors!

[PM - B]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

It is more like 6x% for now with localisation, and not 85%.

As much as they want to keep Jeep and Fiat separate, at the end of the day most people will identify it as a Fiat car.

I keep hearing this a lot - FASS has been bad !

I have bought 3 Fiat Cars - in the last 15 years - And if I get the money - will add a 4th Compass

1. FASS - so far has not been a deal breaker for me - IMO - again - I have come across some bad, obnoxious, Service Advisors (These are the ones I believe contribute to the bad rep and I am sure most ASS do have their fair share of this) - I have just moved away from them immediately - I get service from Aadya and I have one amazing SA from General Service & one amazing SA from Body Shop - between the two - the experience has been phenomenal. No waiting - No obfuscations - No fluff.

Five of my friends - who used to drive other cars - have shifted to Linea in the last 2 years - post hearing all that other car owners have to say about FIAT & FASS - and they are very happy with the Car & the Service with the above 2 SAs.

2. Because - Touch Wood - They are to me so far - easy, cheap to maintain, rugged vehicles - with better handling, dynamics, high speed stability than most other cars.

3. I agree that dashboard components may not be as comprehensive, premium in look and feel but point 2 trumps any day.

4. In the Indian scenario - road conditions - even when one tries to be careful - its not sufficient - one will miss - potholes, speed breakers, stones etc

5. I have had more than my fair share of the above especially in the early MJD Linea (low ground clearance - 160mm unladen !!!) - and I am pretty sure that I can say that - the Linea has not let me down.

6. For long I have contemplated the Skoda and the BMD 320D - but a very essential component of car buying is

a. To be able to use the car as a daily driver - city or outside - short or long distance - without unduly babying it - and not having to worry about - running - maintenance - repair costs - spares. I am able to get parts for my 2002 Palio Sport 1.2 to date - not have had issues if I required something.

b. Safety and Stability - Yes most cars (small ones too) will out accelerate a MJD Linea - in a straight line - but the stability, high speed dynamics, steering, economy (looks !!) is where the Linea makes up for all of its perceived or real shortcomings with aplomb.

c. I am convinced that if I were to drive a BMW or maybe a Skoda the way I drive my Linea - I would have ended up with massive sub component replacement or repair bills till date.

But - I Guess Each To His Own.
Perceptions are hard to change - priorities and needs are different - I would love to have convenience, comfort and luxury features too - and at an aggressive price - But would never let that be a determining factor over the stability, safety features of the base car and its values.

Sure, there can be niggles, but Fiat IMO gives me peace of mind so far.

[jaganpec2002]

Guys please don't delete my post as being sarcastic 😊. Any possibility that Jeep can decrease some features and launch the car below 10 lakhs? It comes in my affordable budget. They can actually gain much more market share easily 20k per month and it would really make huge visibility about the brand in our market. Slowly they can increase the price once the demand has sky rocketed or once I have made my purchase.

When I was buying a car I really liked creta, duster, terrano and I asked myself why cant they have their top end at 9.99 lakhs. With terrano number struggling I really thought they could achieve it. So When I see suggested prices like 12.5 lakhs for Jeep , I could easily relate to it as I had similar wish for other cars and would have ended up buying them if they were priced lower.

Definitely I am not against FCA pricing compass at 12.5 but I feel if they could then Nissan should have definitely priced terrano top end at 9.99 lakhs and gained some market share. I would have definitely bought it though it doesn't have ACC.

[The Rationalist]

The last few pages is like wishing for horses! I was hauled for stating a price of ₹18 lakh on road! Now the discussion is about pricing it below ₹10 lakhs. Hope people don't expect to buy a Jeep Compass and end up getting a couple of lakhs as gift from FCA! Can we all just come back from the fairy dreamland and be realistic!

Jeep Compass is a good product , just because FIAT India had failed earlier shouldn't be the reason to expect Vitara Brezza or Hyundai Creta prices. Jeep Compass is definitely above that class and FCA should be given a standing ovation if they price the base model around the price of top end Hyundai Creta.

[motorworks]

Saw the Compass in flesh at the Jeep showroom in Domlur yday and my initial feeling was "wow"! And yes, this is no Creta rival! It's a much better vehicle in terms of build and quality!

Folks who think that the Compass should be a Creta rival are not looking at it from a product angle, but simply saying that for Fiat to make a comeback in India they need a volume product and hence they should price the Compass at Creta price points. But the product as such is not in that league, its way beyond that.

To put things in perspective, the Compass is a cross over for people who like sedans like the Octavia. Or in simple terms, a cheaper Yeti ( considering the Yeti was well over 25L off late).

Is it better than the Tucson? We don't know and I think it need not be! It looks like a good car in its own right.

My only apprehension is this--the base versions of the Compass seem to be pretty basic with just airbags and ABS. No alloys or no gimmicky features whatsoever. So when you compare a similarly priced Octavia or Elantra, you might be a little shortchanged.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by PM - B

I keep hearing this a lot - FASS has been bad !

Here's a story of three cars, which compete head on in the international market - Compass, Tucson and Tiguan.

Tucson came first. Had features, brand and service. No AWD capability. 21L ex showroom for the diesel manual was too much - It's similar to Creta and both don't have sunroof!

Tiguan came next. Loaded with features including a panoramic sunroof. Suddenly enthusiasts seem very keen. Service? Known, but no issue. Power? 143bhp but no issue. GC? 153mm but no issue. Build quality and features are up there. And it's German. 27.68L onwards, but it's an alternative to the German luxury brands because - well, it's German and because VW priced it up there.

And then came Jeep. Everyone wants it to succeed and teach the overpriced competition a lesson. Expectation? No, not less than 27.68, not less than 21L either - but 12.5L is the current going rate.

Reasons summed up beautifully in the below post and I couldn't have done it better -

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

Discussion summed up

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4222128

Originally Posted by jaganpec2002

Any possibility that Jeep can decrease some features and launch the car below 10 lakhs?

Now we are in sub 4m territory!

[Steeroid]

Objective sort of review from a magazine in Dubai, who are not taken up by the 'Jeep Hype' that Indian journalists seem to be high on:

If you can dream it

They have raised valid concerns about the weight of this thing @ nearly 1.7 tonnes, and have criticised the ride as being harsh.

To quote:

And so the new Compass is heavy, at 1,648kg in this Trailhawk trim, heavier than the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Compass (assume they meant Tucson) Dilli says they’re targeting, heavier even than the bigger Honda CR-V. And so in top-spec Limited trim on 19in wheels, the ride is harsh, hollow over bumps, and too many vibrations creep up through the steering wheel. The back end feels like it rides on a solid axle. But you know, never give up on your dreams.

Bear in mind this is evaluated at a vehicle for singles/couples without kids in this market - it is not evaluated for family-friendliness.

And also taken a nice swipe at the 'Trailhawk' badge.

The drive serves little purpose, but something has to fuel all those dreamers, something like red Trail Rated badges, real 3mm thick steel-sheet sump guards front and rear, and a knob that selects different terrain driving modes. There are several, including Auto where the 2017 Compass will forever slumber, on the school run and in the mall car park surrounded by millions of other dreamers with selective all-wheel drive and a copy of UAE Explorer in the seatback pouch from the one time they went up Jebel Jais.

[ashlil]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

Discussion summed up
SNIP
Guy1 : But you just said you want them to Succeed.
Guy2 : Yes. But at Creta Price. Not a penny more
Guy1 : Well!

No doubt, you see yourself as Guy1 and hence you make him look like he is the only one capable of intelligent arguments.

It is not that that Guy2s of the world wish compass to succeed only at creta price point. It is just that at 28 lakhs for top spec, Guy2s fear that compass will not succeed, no matter the "quality" or "mechanicals".