Jeep Renegade SUV likely to be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo, to rival Creta, Kicks and upcoming Kia SP SUV
Jeep has had a phenomenal run with the Compass SUV as over 25,000 units were sold in less than 12 months of its local debut. It came as a saviour for the American SUV specialist as well as FCA’s fortunes in India and realising its potential, the Ranjangaon facility was upgraded to be Compass’ production hub for right-hand drive markets.
However, since the initial phase of momentum was gone, the Compass’ sales started declining and with the arrival of the competitively priced Tata Harrier, its volume numbers are expected to go further down. It is no secret that Jeep definitely needs an accessible volume seller to post consistent sales, as introducing new variants or special editions of Compass would not do many favours on a longer term.
As part of the global 5-year plan announced midway through last year, Jeep appears to be working on a sub-four-metre SUV and a three-row Utility Vehicle for India but do not expect them to be introduced anytime soon. However, Jeep’s smallest SUV in the international portfolio could be next in line for debut as early as next year.
The Jeep Renegade is the brand’s top-selling SUV in several countries and it could be launched late next year following the domestic premiere at the 2020 Delhi Auto Expo. The current generation Renegade SUV has been around for more than five years and thus we can expect its new avatar to arrive on Indian shores with high level of localisation.
This will help Jeep to price the Renegade aggressively in India against Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, Nissan Kicks, upcoming Kia SP2i and others. The Renegade has been popular due to its off-roading characteristics and it could bring something new to the table and create a new on its own among the crowd of 2WD premium SUVs available in India.
Expect the price range to be around Rs. 10-16 lakh (ex-showroom) as it will likely be slotted below the Compass and will be brands most affordable SUV.