As Jeep celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, the company has revealed that in mid-2016, it will start selling cars in India for the first time.
As Jeep's portfolio shapes up for a rapid expansion under new FCA plans, the marque was introduced to the Indian market at the ongoing 2016 Auto Expo in New Delhi. When Jeep order books open up in India in the coming months, customers will be able to choose between the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Jeep Grand Cherokee and high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT.
Jeep's entrance into India comes after it recorded its most successful year ever in 2015, selling over 1.2 million cars.
Discussing the expansion, head of Jeep Brand, FCA and chief operating officer of the Asia Pacific Regional Operations Group, Mike Manley, said:
“Our aggressive expansion in international markets is one of the key drivers behind our current global sales momentum. The previous year, we started local production in Brazil and China, and today, we're launching the Jeep brand in the fifth largest market in the world, India, setting the foundation for our future growth in this country.”
Jeep's presence in India will expand in 2017 when local production begins of an all-new model from the automaker at a manufacturing facility in Ranhangaon.