August 30: Jeep India To Finally Launch Grand Cherokee, Wrangler

After an excruciatingly long wait and a lot of uncertainty, Jeep India is all set to enter the Indian market. The brand will begin its journey with the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, with the launches taking place on August 30, 2016.

Jeep recently showcased its offerings at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo to get some much needed attention, considering the disheartening delays over the past few years. While it was believed that the Wrangler 3-door and 5-door would be offered here, we can confirm that at least initially, only the latter, i.e. the Wrangler Unlimited will be launched in India. The SUV will come equipped with a 2.8-litre, turbo-diesel engine that produces 200PS of power at 3,600rpm and 460Nm of torque at 1,600 – 2,000rpm. Transmission will only be through a 5-speed automatic gearbox and, to state the obvious, it gets a 4x4 setup with a dedicated low-range option. Check out the review here.

While the Wrangler Unlimited is more for the muck junkie, Jeep will also be offering the more premium Grand Cherokee. The standard model that is powered by a 240PS 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine will be offered in two variants – ‘Limited’ and ‘Summit’. The range-topping SRT, on the other hand, gets a wallet-bleeding 6.4-litre V8 petrol engine that produces 475PS of power. All variants get an 8-speed automatic gearbox with paddle-shifters and four-wheel drive.

The Grand Cherokee gets creature comforts like 8-way adjustable driver and passenger seats with memory function, heated front and 2nd row seats, ventilated front seats (Summit and SRT) and auto-dimming wing mirrors. Also offered are dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel that is power-adjustable and a power sunroof. For entertainment, a 5-inch touchscreen display comes as standard while the higher grades get an 8.4-inch interface. Opt for the SRT and you also get a 19-speaker sound system by Harman Kardon.

As per the website, both, the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee get a 2 year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The SUVs will be sold as direct imports and while the Wrangler Unlimited could be priced upwards of Rs 40 lakh, the Grand Cherokee is likely to start at Rs 50-55 lakh and cross Rs 1 crore for the SRT.