Locally assembled Jeep Wrangler production begins in India, bookings open
Jeep India has now started local production of the Jeep Wrangler in India at its Ranjangaon facility ahead of its launch on March 15. This is in keeping with the brand's recently announced plan to launch four vehicles in India by 2022. The locally produced Wrangler follows the facelifted Jeep Compass in this strategy, to be followed by the seven-seat derivative of the Compass and the locally assembled new-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The bookings for the locally produced Wrangler have begun already although the prices and specifications will only be known at launch. We expect this version to continue to be sold in the four-door Sahara variant and come powered by the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol that puts out 270PS at 5,250rpm and 400Nm at 3,000rpm and pair with the eight-speed ZF automatic. The hardcore 4x4 equipment is expected to be carried over as well with the Selec-Trac two-speed full-time transfer case and Dana front and rear axles. The transfer case has a low-range gear ratio of 2.72:1. The Sahara sits on 18-inch wheels shod with 255/70 all-terrain tyres. The impressive approach and departure angles of 41.8 degrees and 36.1 degrees should carry over in this version too.
There should be some change in the features list for the new version. Although equipment like power windows, dual-zone climate control, LED cabin lighting, keyless entry and go, leather upholstery and powered seats should be included. The safety equipment includes ABS, front and side airbags, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, latch-type ISOFIX mounts, electronic stability control, roll-over mitigation, hill start assist and hill-descent control.
The current CBU Jeep Wrangler costs Rs 63.94 lakh, we expect this to drop significantly in localized form. Read our review of the Jeep Wrangler here.