Fiat Chrysler launches 'Jeep Compass'; hopes for turnaround in Indian market

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), world’s seventh largest automaker, has launched its ‘Made in India’ model Jeep Compass, and is relying on it to turnaround its presence in the Indian car market, where it doesn’t enjoy a much significant space.

Also read: Consumer Reports just called out Fiat Chrysler for its alarmingly bad quality

Jeep Compass is to be launched in July, and the company is expected to initiate the serial production in June. As reported earlier, Indians have been showing a special liking towards SUVs these days, and FCA is hoping to ride on this trend for its comeback.

Recently, the London-headquartered company gave a go-ahead for its compact SUV called Renegade, expected to hit the Indian roads in the first quarter of 2019. Codenamed 526, the vehicle will remind one of Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster.

"We are at a cusp of a turnaround for the company with the roll out of locally manufactured Jeep. It was a very strategic decision to allow India to be one of the four manufacturing bases for Compass globally and take a key responsibility for making it for all right-hand drive markets of the world," FCA MD Kevin Flynn told ET.

FCA will be manufacturing the Jeep Compass, codenamed '556, at its Ranjangaon plant near Pune in Maharashtra. The vehicles made out of this plant will get exported to some of the most demanding markets of the world, which include Japan, UK, Australia, and South Africa.

For Compass’s production along with the manufacture of Tata Motors Nexon SUV, Fiat India will be hiring an additional manpower of about 1000 personnel in the coming year.

Talking of the SUV, 556 will be powered by 1.4 litre multi air petrol and 2 litre diesel engines, making it the safest SUV with 50 active and passive features in India, as per company claims.

(Image source YouTube)