FCA India has begun exporting right-hand-drive models of the made-in-India Jeep Compass, and has, shipped its very first batch of 600 units to Australia and Japan from the Bombay Port Trust facility.
The FCA Group, which has 162 manufacturing facilities and 87 R&D centres worldwide, has chosen India as one of the only four locations where the Jeep Compass is manufactured, with Brazil, Mexico and China being the other three. Going forward, the group plans to sell this model in over 100 countries, and its Ranjangaon plant, near Pune, is the sole export facility for right-hand-drive (RHD) markets across the globe. The made-in-India SUV, with over 65 percent local content, will go to other international markets through the ongoing quarter of 2017, which could include the UK, New Zealand, and South Africa.
FCA is bullish on its Indian manufacturing operations and has committed $280 million (Rs 1,769 crore) towards the localisation of the Jeep Compass.
FCA India gains UV market share with Compass
The Jeep Compass has helped FCA India gain market share in the country’s utility vehicle (UV) segment. Between August and September 2017, the SUV – whose price ranges from Rs 14.95-20.65 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) – has sold a total of 5,106 units. This has given the Italian manufacturer a 1.16 percent market share in the first-half of the fiscal (April-September 2017) in the UV segment.