Jeep’s entry into India has been long in the making. But now, the legendary SUV maker has used the Auto Expo as a platform to mark its arrival in India with three models – the Wrangler Unlimited, Grand Cherokee, and the Grand Cherokee SRT – set to go on sale in the middle of this year.
The SUV maker's dealerships will first appear in metros, and then move on the tier-one cities.
The Wrangler is an iconic SUV and has been displayed in its long-wheelbase Unlimited Overland Sahara guise. This is the version that will make it to India, and not the two-door version. It is powered by a 197bhp 2.8-litre diesel engine mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox.
Jeep has also brought its most luxurious offering, the Grand Cherokee to its stall. The model that is India-bound, the Summit variant, comes with a long equipment list. It gets a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch chrome alloy wheels, bi-xenon adaptive headlamps heated and ventilated seats, sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity, parking sensors, reversing camera, an electric tailgate, and two USB slots for those in the rear seat. Under the hood, there’s a 3.0-litre V6 diesel motor churning 237bhp, mated to an eight-speed ZF gearbox.
Also on display is the Grand Cherokee SRT, which introduces Jeep's Street & Racing Technology performance division in India. This sporty SUV swaps the 3.0-litre diesel engine for a more potent 6.4-litre HEMI V8 petrol engine. It pumps out a 461bhp and a thundering 63.6kgm of torque, which translates to a 0-100kph time of 5 seconds. The engine also features an Eco mode that helps in bettering fuel efficiency. To visually distinguish itself from the regular Grand Cherokee, this model gets smoked headlamps and 20-inch Black Vapour Chrome SRT alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli tyres. It also gets six-piston Brembo brakes to deal with the additional horsepower and comes with a Selec-Trac, multi-drive mode which alters the car’s settings as per driving conditions. The interiors feature an SRT-specific, 7.0-inch TFT instrument console, a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters and an 8.4-inch infotainment system connected to a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
The Grand Cherokee SRT is a rival to the BMW X5 M.