Here’s Your First Glimpse Of The New Jeep 7-seater India-bound SUV

The locally-built SUV will feature its own design and is slated to launch here in 2022

• Jeep’s new 7-seater SUV seems to be approaching its production-ready avatar with an unveil likely in 2021.

• Jeep Brasil’s teaser showcases some details of the front fascia and the final letters of the name-badge, which read ‘ER’.

• Teaser suggests Commander moniker for Brazil, but it could get a different name in India.

• Likely to get ADAS safety features and premium cabin comforts like powered front seats and panoramic sunroof.

• Expected engine options for India include Wrangler’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and Compass’ 2.0-litre diesel engine, albeit in a higher state of tune.

• India launch slated for 2022 as a rival to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.

The new Jeep 7-seater SUV was first hinted at back in 2018. Some details of the upcoming product have since been officially confirmed but the manufacturer has just released the first official teaser of the car for Brazil. In it, we are shown the last letter of its name badge to be ‘ER,’ which suggests that it will be called the Commander, at least in the Brazilian market.

Why is Jeep unlikely to call its new SUV the Commander in India? Because that name is still under trademark with Mahindra as it was used for one of its old jeeps. The other rumoured name for this 7-seater, ‘Patriot’, is available to Jeep in India but it is possible that the carmaker could still choose a different moniker for the 7-seater here. For now, we only know its official codename to be the H6.

The teaser also gives us a glimpse of the upcoming SUV’s grille and headlamp design. The carmaker had already stated that it would feature its own unique design, different from the Compass and the China-only Grand Commander offering. It has the iconic seven-slot grille but with a studded design pattern, similar to the one seen on the new Grand Cherokee, which is also destined for India in 2022. The sleek headlamps are slimmer than the grille all the way around, unlike the ones on the Compass which get wider away from the grille. It has been spied a few times but always under heavy camouflage, so not much is known about the rest of the design details.

Jeep announced that this model will be manufactured in India with the launch scheduled for 2022, but it could be unveiled in 2021 in South America. Like the Compass, the new 7-seater could also be imported to other right-hand markets from Jeep’s Ranjangaon manufacturing plant in India. The H6 will be positioned between the Compass and Grand Cherokee in the carmaker’s portfolio here.

The Jeep H6 is expected to be offered in India with 2.0-litre diesel and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines. While the turbo-petrol unit will likely be borrowed from the Wrangler Unlimited, the diesel engine could be an uprated version of the one found in the Compass (172PS/350Nm). Jeep could offer the petrol option with only the 8-speed automatic and the diesel engine will likely get the choice of 6-speed manual and 9-speed automatic transmissions. A 4x4 drivetrain is certain but 4x2 drivetrain variants are likely to be available as the more affordable options.

In terms of expected features, the Jeep 7-seater should be well-equipped. It could get the usual array of creature comforts such as multi-zone climate control, large digital displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and power-adjustable front seats. The H6 is likely to offer some ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) tech such as lane assist, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking for increased safety.

The Jeep 7 will be a more capable rival, in terms of premium features and off-roading ability with Jeep’s SelecTrac terrain system, to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and MG Gloster in India. While it is unlikely to bear the Commander name in India, it will likely command prices between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom).