Jeep to enter India with Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.

American auto manufacturer Jeep, now owned by the Fiat group, will be introduced in the Indian market by the Italian giant. From the wide range of SUVs, Jeep is looking forward to introduce the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler in India.

India has always been a land well-suited to big cars. The presence, size and the ability of SUVs to smoothen the bad roads, make them a clear favourite. The introduction of Jeeps will please the offroader enthusiasts as well as the old-school SUV lovers.

The 2012 fourth-generation Grand Cherokee is muscular and modern. It shares components like the chassis and suspension with the Mercedes ML-class and will be offered only as a five-seater rather than the expected seven-seater. The Grand Cherokee features spacious interiors that are packed with features, but quality may not be as good as others in the same price bracket. The Jeep will most probably be available with the Fiat-developed 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 240PS and 550Nm torque that is fuel efficient thanks to Multijet II technology.

The Wrangler will be the tough, lifestyle product as against the premium luxury status of the Grand Cherokee. The 2012 Wrangler has redesigned interiors with better quality, and the new sound insulation has lowered cabin noise significantly.

Fiat should be able to offer the Grand Cherokee at under Rs 50 lakhs in India, if it is able import it as a CKD kit and assemble it here. The Wrangler would be worth a buy if priced around Rs 15-20 lakh.