Jeep Compass SUV production in India crosses 25,000 units
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has announced that its first India-built SUV, the Jeep Compass, has crossed the production mark of 25,000 units in the country. Of these 25,000 units, 5,000 have also been exported to international right-hand drive (RHD) markets including the UK, Australia, and Japan beginning October 2017. Production of the Jeep Compass had begun in June 2017 at the facility in Ranjangaon near Pune. FCA's first India-built SUV was launched in July 2017 at an attractive sub-15 lakh price, but was later revised to Rs 15.16 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) to account for higher GST cess. The most direct competitor for the Compass is the Hyundai Creta, and we have already pitted these SUVs against one another. The India-built Jeep Compass has also received 5 Star safety rating on international crash safety tests, despite facing a recall over faulty airbags earlier. It also competes with the Renault Captur, and the Tata Hexa.
The pricing on the Compass has been good due to the 65 per cent localisation of parts in its assembly. The top variant of the Compass is now priced at Rs 21.28 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Compass is available with two engine options - a 173PS / 350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and a 162PS / 250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol. The diesel will come with a 6-speed manual while the petrol will be offered with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT. The diesel is offered in 4x4 and 4x2 variants while the petrol will only get a 4x2 drivetrain.
Also see: Tata Harrier vs Hyundai Creta vs Mahindra XUV500 vs Jeep Compass Comparo Video