Jeep’s sales figures continue to fall in the Indian market, and during December 2020, the numbers dropped by almost half
In December 2020, FCA retailed a total of 384 vehicles in the Indian market, all of which were solely Jeep Compass. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, this is a 48.24 per cent sales decline, as 742 units were sold by Jeep in November 2020. Back in December 2019, the company had retailed a total of 709 units, which translated to a sales de-growth of 45.84 per cent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis.
Jeep India first introduced the Compass SUV in India back in 2017, and it was a fairly popular vehicle initially. However, the brand didn’t really expand its lineup in India; currently, Jeep only has two models in its range in India – Compass and Wrangler. The latter is low-volume CBU import, which usually sells in single digits numbers, if at all.
Thus, the Compass is the only regular-production model Jeep sells in India. Due to the lack of any updates and new car launches, Jeep’s popularity among Indian buyers is now dwindling, and FCA now has another Fiat situation on its hands. Thankfully, the American UV manufacturer will be updating the Compass with a facelift next week.
The Jeep Compass facelift is slated to launch in India on 5th January 2020. The updated model will feature styling changes to the interior as well as the exterior. The SUV will also feature better equipment, like a larger touchscreen infotainment system with the latest Uconnect 5 system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity).
The Compass facelift might also sport a digital TFT instrument cluster, just like the international-spec version, at least on the higher trims. The engine options will remain the same as before – a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor (160 HP and 250 Nm) and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (175 PS and 350 Nm) mill.
Jeep also has plans to launch a 7-seater version of the Compass, which will reportedly have a new nameplate. This upcoming three-row SUV will share its underpinnings and engine options with the Compass, and is expected to debut sometime around mid-2021. The addition of a new product should help Jeep expand its horizons and attract more customers.