Jeep is set to expand its India line-up to include petrol-powered models – Grand Cherokee and Wrangler SUVs – by November.
The Grand Cherokee currently gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine for the Limited and Summit trims and the Wrangler comes with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel. The Grand Cherokee SRT however, comes with a high-performance 6.4-litre Hemi V8 petrol engine leaving the mainstream variants of the SUV without a petrol engine option.
At the launch of the brand recently, FCA India CEO Kevin Flynn confirmed that the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee petrol have been imported for homologation and will see a market launch in November this year. The sole reason for Jeep to add petrol models to its India line-up is due to the uncertainty of sale of diesel-powered vehicles in some major markets, keeping in mind the recently lifted diesel ban in many Indian states. The carmaker’s global model portfolio is heavily biased towards petrol engines, and with both these models being fully-imported units, it is not difficult for the brand to bring in its petrol models to India in a short period of time.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler petrol will come with:
- Jeep Grand Cherokee: 3.6 V6, 295hp, 353Nm of torque; eight-speed automatic
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Jeep Wrangler: 3.6 V6 285hp: 353Nm of torque; five-speed automatic
The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler petrol are likely to be priced lower than the diesel models.
While the Wrangler petrol will provide a slightly-affordable option to customers, the Grand Cherokee petrol, should ideally rival the likes of the recently launched GLE 400. However, going by the steep pricing strategy adapted for its diesel models, it remains to be seen whether Jeep prices the petrol models a bit more competitively.
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Viraaj Bhatnagar
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